Albert Lin, The Merit Times staff writer
May 12, 2023

The "2023 International Vegetable Culture Festival-Joyous Vego Lifestyle" was held from May 12 to 15, 2023 in Areas B and D of Taipei World Trade Center Exhibition Hall 1. Most Venerable Hsin Bao, Abbot of Fo Guang Shan, presided over the opening ceremony.

This year's event features more than 300 companies and nearly 600 vegetarian food booths with exhibition themes focused on vegetarianism, zero waste, and carbon reduction trends.

There are nine theme areas in this year's exhibition，including "Buddha's Birthday Prayer Area", "Fo Guang Shan Theme Area", "Religious Cultural Relics Area", "Fashionable Vegetable Area", "County and City government districts", "Vego Lifestyle Market Area", "Health Care Area", "Yoho Vego Lifestyle Area", and "Net Zero Living Area."

In addition, the organizers set up the "Venerable Master Hsing Yun Retrospective Theme Pavilion" and Fo Gunag "Dharmaverse" to commemorate the founder of Fo Guang Shan, Venerable Master Hsing Yun.
Organizers set up the "Venerable Master Hsing Yun Retrospective Theme Pavilion" to commemorate the founder of Fo Guang Shan. photo／The Merit Times

The organizer displayed 395 volumes of the newly revised edition of the "The Complete Works of Venerable Master Hsing Yun." The retrospective theme pavilion also displayed the genuine handwritten one-stroke calligraphy by Venerable Master Hsing Yun, and held a retrospective exhibition of his ten life periods, showcasing the spiritual journey of his eighty-year propagation of Buddhism.
The organizer displayed 395 volumes of the newly revised edition of the "The Complete Works of Venerable Master Hsing Yun." photo／The Merit Times

The "Dharmaverse" applies the concept of metaverse and the latest technology to replicate the physical scenes of Fo Guang Shan in a virtual digital world, allowing visitors to get the immersive experience of visiting Fo Guang Shan, lighting a lamp, worshiping Buddha, and embarking on a cloud-based spiritual journey.
The "Dharmaverse" allows visitors to experience Fo Guang Shan, light a lamp, worship Buddha, and embark on a cloud-based spiritual journey. photo／The Merit Times

The organizers, The Merit Times and Merit Times Popularize Association, stated that Fo Guang Shan started as a cultural and educational institution, and combining "vegetarianism" with "scholarly atmosphere" can nourish people's physical, mental, and spiritual aspects in a comprehensive way, which embodies the spirit of "environmental and spiritual preservation" advocated by Venerable Master Hsing Yun.

The Exhibition of "Heavenly Blessings & Protection, Thousand-year-old Buddha Statue" returns with over 100 exhibits, the biggest highlight being 19 selected Buddha portrait paintings by the renowned artist Chang Dai-Chien after he went to Dunhuang to copied the Dunhuang Murals.
Visitors can receive the grace of the Buddha in the "Buddha's Birthday Prayer Area." photo／The Merit Times

High-quality vegetarian food brands across Taiwan gathered at this year's event; in addition, the local governments of seven counties and cities including Hualien, Miaoli, Changhua, Yilan, Nantou, Yunlin, and Kinmen set up special areas to showcase the characteristics of local smallholder farmers.

In order to keep up with the "net-zero" trend, the organizers set up a "Net Zero Living Area" for the first time this year, attracting department stores, construction companies, automobile and telecommunications firms to join the net-zero emissions wave.