Oct
30
Local documentary wins award at Portugal festival
Filed Under CH
A short documentary film about a Buddhist temple in Hualien has won an award at this year’s ARTTUR International Tourism Film Festival in Portugal.
Qingxiu Yuan Through the Ages (穿越百年的慶修院) is a film about Qingxiu Yuan, the best-preserved Shingon Buddhist temple in Taiwan, which was built by the Japanese in 1917.
The documentary won first prize in the religious tourism category.
The 15-minute documentary gives an overview of the temple, a county heritage site that served as a religious center for Japanese when Taiwan was a Japanese colony.
The building also had a medical center, classrooms and a funeral parlor.
In 1997 the temple was approved as a county-level heritage site. Restoration work was completed in 2003 and it was reopened to the public, becoming a popular tourist attraction for Japanese visitors.
Temple manager Chen Yi-cheng (陳義正) said the story of Qingxiu Yuan epitomizes the story of Taiwan and he hopes the documentary will give the nation greater international attention.
Documentary producer Wang Chun-chieh (王俊傑) said that the 15-minute film took three years to complete and he is pleased that it has won an award.
More than 200 films from more than 50 countries were screened at the festival this year.
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