Fo Guang Shan Nan Tien Temple

Visited with our photography group and were genuinely impressed. Nan Tien Temple, located in Berkeley near Wollongong, is the largest Buddhist temple in the Southern Hemisphere—and you can feel the scale and serenity as soon as you step onto the grounds. Beautifully landscaped gardens, huge temple halls, an eight-storey pagoda, and sweeping views all contribute to a deeply peaceful atmosphere. Definitely set aside a few hours—there’s a lot to explore. A few tips: • No photography is allowed inside the shrines, ever. This isn’t clearly mentioned on the website, so best to know ahead. • That said, there are loads of fantastic photo opportunities outside—gardens, architecture, statues, and pagodas. It’s a dream for outdoor photography. • Shoes are allowed inside the main temple building, which is unusual compared to many other countries where it’s strictly no shoes. • Plenty of parking, and a small café on-site for snacks or tea. We’re planning to go back in spring when the gardens are in full bloom—it’ll be even more photogenic.

The Fo Guang Shan Nan Tien Temple in Wollongong is one of the most breathtaking cultural and spiritual landmarks in Australia. Known as the largest Buddhist temple in the Southern Hemisphere, it immediately impresses with its beautiful design and Chinese-inspired architecture. From the moment you arrive, the sweeping roofs, ornate gateways, and intricate detailing transport you into a space that feels both majestic and serene. ✨ Architecture & Atmosphere The temple’s architecture draws heavily from traditional Chinese Buddhist styles, with curved tiled roofs, carved timberwork, and statues that embody harmony and balance. Its grand halls, pagodas, and courtyards are laid out with careful symmetry, creating an atmosphere of calm and reverence. Every corner feels purposeful, designed to invite reflection and peace. 🌿 Green, Spacious & Healing What makes Nan Tien Temple especially captivating is its spacious, green surroundings. Set against rolling hills, the temple grounds are filled with manicured gardens, flowering plants, and tranquil pathways. The air feels lighter here, and the landscape offers a natural sense of healing. Whether you’re walking past lotus ponds, sitting under trees, or admiring flower beds in bloom, the environment encourages mindfulness and rest. 🕊️ A Place for Renewal Beyond its physical beauty, Nan Tien Temple is an amazing place for healing and reflection. Many visitors describe the experience as uplifting, whether they attend a meditation session, explore the art and cultural exhibits, or simply sit quietly in the courtyards. The combination of sacred architecture, natural beauty, and peaceful energy makes it a sanctuary for anyone seeking calm and renewal. ⸻ ✅ In short: Fo Guang Shan Nan Tien Temple in Wollongong is a stunning blend of Chinese-inspired architecture and natural serenity. With its spacious gardens, flowering landscapes, and healing atmosphere, it’s more than just a temple—it’s a place to pause, breathe, and reconnect with peace.

Highly recommend visiting Nan Tien Temple! The environment is super peaceful and relaxing 🥹🥹🥹 a perfect place to slow down, whether you’re religious or not🥰🥰 I’ve joined their calligraphy,meditation, retreat and had their vegetarian food! all amazing experiences.also I volunteered few time, the venerables there are incredibly kind and warm😭😭 they always willing to listen and offer gentle guidance. Honestly, they feel like family🥹 The volunteers are also super friendly and helpful🥰🥰🥰 It’s one of my favorite places in Sydney to recharge and find some inner peace!!!!!

Beautiful and peaceful place to visit. The temple architecture is stunning, and the gardens are well-maintained, creating a calm and serene atmosphere. A great spot for meditation, exploring, or just enjoying the peaceful surroundings. Definitely worth a visit!

A beautiful site to visit. Beautiful gardens to walk around plus coffee shops to enjoy. A visit to the Institute to see the amazing art work completed by school children. Staff are very polite, helpful and friendly.

It's a very beautiful and peaceful place. Temple has 4 big buddha's and feels spiritual. Must visit place with parents. Walkway is easily accessible. 5-10 mins hill walk if you want to see big bell.

A great place of peace and mindfulness, time to slow down and breathe deeply. Lots of experiences to do, meditation, vegetarian dining, cultural exhibitions, garden walk and love the gift shop.

It’s amazing to see road signs directions to this temple which implies that this temple is a significant place. I’m amazed by the sheer size and beauty of this Nan Tien temple which belongs to the famous Fo Guang Shan Buddhist organisation. It is so serene, beautiful and very well maintained with beautiful landscapes the moment you drive in to the temple. Worth the visit and do try to eat the vegetarian food at the Teahouse too.

Along with the many scenic overlooks and beaches of Wollongong, this Buddhist temple complex is a must-visit when you are in town. It's huge, and as you wander among the different buildings, you definitely feel like you're in Asia rather than Australia. There's a dining hall on-site here, and we had the set vegetarian lunch. (It's all they offer.) The experience was totally a throwback to some of the temple dining experiences I've had in Asia. At the dining hall, you get a plate full of vegan food with your choice of steamed or fried rice and a bowl of rice-and-bean soup that was so bland we weren't sure if it was supposed to be a savoury side or a sweet dessert. I dumped salt in mine to make it savoury -- the boyfriend dumped sugar in his to make it sweet, ha. The Asians sitting near us were probably rolling their eyes hardcore at this. The rest of the food was simple, but tasty -- marinated tofu, veggies, and fried bean curd mock meat. All in all, it was a versatile meal and our taste buds weren't bored. The place was popular too -- the temple dining hall opened at 11:30am and there was already a long line waiting at the door at 11:15am. I wouldn't say come to Nan Tien just for the food at the dining hall, but if you're sightseeing at the temple anyway, it's worth checking to see if the dining hall is open, even if you're not a vegetarian. It really is tasty. Just be warned that the dining hall's atmosphere is a little less "zen" vibe than I had hoped, and a little more of a bland, institutional cafeteria vibe. It was also crazy hot inside the restaurant -- maybe no AC? If the set menu doesn't appeal to you, you might head over to the Dew Drop Inn to see if their teahouse is serving food. You can get smaller dishes there and I think it might be a nicer, more peaceful atmosphere. We didn't have time to go. Other sightseeing things to do at Nan Tien include the towering main pagoda when you first arrive -- you can go inside the calligraphy hall to watch people doing "one-stroke calligraphy," an ancient art form. You can also climb the hill for lovely views of Wollongong before making your way to the main temple complex area. The main temple has a row of impressive statues, and along the sides of the main temple complex you'll find a tea room (you can buy beautiful but expensive teacups and kettles here). There's also an art gallery with gaudy decor in a tunnel-like room and a trippy "mirrored gallery" which looks like a 1970s disco music video complete with Buddha statues and starlight reflecting everywhere. Yes. Lots to see and do here, overall -- I'd recommend spending at least an hour at Nan Tien, or an hour and a half if you're planning on eating lunch here.

This temple used to be a great place for a pleasant afternoon with the family. However, some things have changed for the worse. The staff there are now trying to scam people into buying the scarfs they sell outside some buildings, telling women who wear shorts that they cannot enter unless they do so as their shorts are 'too short'. This has occurred at both the gift shop and in the prayer rooms of the lower levels. This is absurd, it's none of their business in the first place! I was originally planning on spending more money there in donations and purchases but after today, I will not be returning, ever. Additionally, this rule was never implemented before leading me to believe that this is a new attempt at a cash grab. Since when was it OK for a place of religion to take advantage of worshippers who simply wish to visit the temple to pray for luck/happiness?!