The Hosting of 2020 FGS Green Flea Market Vegefest by FGS South Island
In response to the World Headquarters of Buddha’s Light International Association’s Vege Plan A, Fo Guang Shan (FGS) South Island organised the 2020 FGS Green Flea Market Vegefest on 7th November 2020. The Event was led by New Zealand FGS Abbess Venerable Manshin, FGS South Island Minister-in-charge Venerable Jue Xi, and BLIA South Island President Bernie. About 60 people consisted of volunteers and members of FGS North and South Islands participated in the Festival which attracted a big crowd of 1200 local visitors.
For the past two years, the FGS NZ Vege festivals had received overwhelming responses from the local populace and had left good impressions with the participating stall operators. This year around, the number of stalls had increased to 26, covering such items as, fresh vegetables, vegetarian foods, cakes and delicacies, desserts, breads, plant seedlings, flowers, hand crafted soaps, and flea market goods. A booth with 3 Doctors providing free medical consultations was setup and it had received enthusiastic responses from the crowd. Well-known stalls which had participated in previous FGS South Island mega events, namely, SHE Universe, Cocoa Traders, Oakleys, and Panna Soaps were busy doing business. In addition, new food stalls selling Brazilian, Egyptian and Japanese food found their places among others. Indeed, the localisation and diversification of food and products in this Garden Fair had become the prominent feature of the Event.
The Green Flea Market (second-hand market) was chosen as the theme of this year’s Vegefest, encompassing the ideals of cherishing of resources, environmental protection and recycling, all being the integral parts of the Green Campaign. The second-hand goods booth accepted second-hand materials donated by FGS members and sold them to the public at reasonable prices, and was well supported by the public. Flea Markets have been popular in New Zealand, and they serve not only to encourage the cherishing of resources but also to promote the caring and preservation of our Mother Earth.
At the Festival, three mascots dressed as celery, carrot and tomato really made their presence felt and had become the focus of the Event, with children and adults fighting to take photos with them. A Bouncing Castle was also erected to allow children to bounce and play happily. A lottery draw was added to the Event. The visitors were pleasantly surprised when they were rewarded with mysterious gifts when their admission tickets were picked.
Beside the Garden Fair, the Buddha Hall and the Art Gallery provided the public with tranquil places to calm their minds. At the Buddha Hall, the public carried out light and flower offerings and Sutra transcriptions to pacify their minds. They also participated in the picking of Wise Words of Master Hsing Yun, eagerly seeking to learn from Master’s wisdom. At the Fo Guang Yuan (FGY) Art Gallery Christchurch, the public were treated to the Professor Kuo Yen-Chiao’s Traditional Chinese Paintings Exhibition, the Practitioner’s Mind Floral Exhibition, and the Everlasting Beauty of Dun Huang Hand-paintings Exhibition. Through the beauty of Arts, the public were able to feel the depths and essences of Buddhism. This was especially true with the Floral Exhibition where the public were awestruck by the concise, pure and elegant techniques used in the floral arrangements.
At a time when the whole World was tense with Covid-19 pandemic, BLIA South Island was able to bring joy and confidence to the people of New Zealand via this Vege Festival. On the day, more than 1200 visitors gathered at FGS South Island to rejoice in the Festival. All the participants, be they the visitors, the stall owners, or the volunteers, expressed their joy and happiness in getting involved. They were full of praises for FGS’s uncompromising efforts in the promotion of Vegetarianism and the Green Environment. Through the holding of this event, FGS has also laid a solid foundation for the localisation of Buddhism in New Zealand.