Indonesia: The sacred place of Buddhism

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The Borobudur Compounds, the sacred place of Buddhism is one of the world's largest Buddhist temples and is known as one of the greatest Buddhist monuments in the world.

The compounds are located in the Kedu Valley, Central Java in Indonesia.

Built between the eighth and ninth centuries during the reign of the Sailendra Dynasty, the main temple is composed of three tiers: a pyramidal base with five concentric square terraces, the trunk of a cone with three circular platforms and, at the top, a monumental stupa.

The walls and balustrades are decorated with fine low reliefs, covering a total surface area of 2,500 square meters. Around the circular platforms are 72 openwork stupas, each containing a statue of the Buddha.

The Borobudur Compounds was used as a Buddhist temple from its construction until sometime between the 10th and 15th centuries when it was abandoned. It was rediscovered in the 19th century and after its restoration in the 20th century, it has been back to a Buddhist archaeological site again.

Buddha statue in the temple compounds. /VCG Photo

The Borobudur Compounds. /VCG Photo

The restoration project took place between 1975 and 1982, and the temple was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site after the restoration.

Indonesia has enacted a law to protect the temple and its surrounding cultural landscape.

What are the cultural elements that best represent Asia? Follow up the "Know Asia Better" series. It will offer you a glimpse of 47 Asian countries, through architecture, art or cultural figures to show you a diversified Asia that you may never have noticed before. Themed in the exchanges and mutual learning among Asian civilizations and building a community with a shared future for mankind, the Conference on Dialogue of Asian Civilizations will be held in Beijing in May.

(With input from UNESCO.org)

(Top image: VCG Photo and designed by Fan Chenxiao)