FGS South Island NZ Received Garden Award

On the 12th of March, Fo Guang Shan South Island New Zealand was awarded the 2018 “Community Pride Garden Awards”, with Buddha’s Light International Association (BLIA) South Island Directors Kok Wei Low and Cao Qian representing the organisation at the awards ceremony. This particular award was for the Haswell-Hornby-Riccarton Community Board area, and it was co-hosted by the Christchurch Beautifying Association and Christchurch City Council. This year’s event was attended by Christchurch Beautifying Association President Ron Andrew and various community group members making up about 150 people.

The award winners are selected from gardens that are visible from the street, and they can be either residential or commercial. This year, the event organizers gave out over 200 awards, including 15 new gardens, and 28 gardens, which have won the award consecutively over a decade. FGS South Island New Zealand was the only Chinese group to win the award this year, and it was a very heartening result to see.

The Christchurch Beautifying Association was established in 1897, and is one of Christchurch’s most successful and longest running associations. In order to encourage everyone to green up the city, these special awards provide both the recognition and thanks to everyday households for their continued effort into maintaining the gardens, because only when everyone takes part, can Christchurch live up to its namesake as the Garden City.

BLIA Cao Gian said that this year’s award is a nod for a job well done from the team at FGS South Island New Zealand. Throughout the years, under Venerable Abbess Manshin’s guidance, volunteers have tirelessly maintained, protected and put in a lot of love and effort into pruning the gardens. We hope that all this work can give the community a peaceful green area to rest and recuperate, and that the temple can become a spiritual home for everyone.