Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Temple

Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Temple in Flat Bush is the North Island home of a global Buddhist organisation, and its grounds draw visitors for more than quiet reflection. The temple runs a vegetarian café — the Dripping Water Pavilion — serving tea, coffee, a vegetarian lunch and snacks, alongside an art gallery and a regular programme of Buddhist ceremonies, study courses, and cultural gatherings.

The temple's calendar gives families a reason to return across the seasons. A spring cherry blossom festival brings together a market, tea ceremony, art salon, and a children's blessing ceremony. Community open days have featured vintage car displays raising funds for local charities, and the temple engages with broader Auckland community events including Matariki.

Visitors are asked to wear long trousers or long skirts as a mark of respect — worth knowing before the day. The temple welcomes the wider community to its education, cultural, and charitable activities.