Western Monastery, Buddhist temple in Tsuen Wan, Hong Kong, China

Western Monastery is a Buddhist temple in Tsuen Wan made up of several structures built in traditional Chinese style with red pillars and curved roofs. The grounds connect multiple buildings through stone pathways and gardens that invite exploration.

Venerable Yingxin of the Hong Kong Bodhi Dharma Union founded the monastery in 1972 at Sam Dip Tam in Lo Wai, Tsuen Wan, backed by Tai Mo Shan. A major expansion began in early 1999; the first phase, including the Ten Thousand Buddhas Pagoda and the Bodhi Nursing Home, was completed by late 1999, and the rebuilt complex was consecrated on 21 March 2003.

The monastery is run by the Hong Kong Bodhi Dharma Union, and its abbot is Venerable Kuan Yun. The gate couplet, composed by founder Venerable Yingxin and brushed by Feng Kanghou, reads of the "vessel of mercy" of the Southern Sea and the Dharma coming from the West. The 2003 reconstruction was funded by seven campaigns, among them a star concert and a ten-thousand-person meditation session.

Take MTR to Tsuen Wan Station, walk about 10 minutes to Shiu Wo Street, then board green minibus route 81, which runs directly to Western Monastery. The monastery stands beside the Yuen Yuen Institute temple complex, backed by Tai Mo Shan and facing Sam Dip Tam.

Different halls are each dedicated to specific Buddhist deities, with each one holding its own religious meaning and iconography. The walls and ceilings of these spaces feature intricate carved woodwork depicting scenes from Buddhist texts.