On July 1, as Mongolia’s capital Ulaanbaatar was in the height of its summer season, a quiet and timely rain washed away the heat and dust, cleaning the vibrant grasslands of Mongolia. During these happy and peaceful days, Mongolia ushered in its inauguration ceremony for a Maitreya Buddha statue donated to its Dashi-Choiling Monastery from the Lama Temple in China.

The ceremony was attended by Xing Haiming, China’s ambassador to Mongolia，Mongolian Prime Minister Ukhnaagiin Khürelsükh; Danba Trabo, abbot of Dashi-Choiling Monastery; Hu Xuefeng, abbot of the Lama Temple; and other high-ranking monks.

Ambassador Xing first congratulated the successful consecration of the Maitreya Buddha statue given to Mongolia’s Dashi-Choiling Monastery by China’s Lama Temple, saying that China and Mongolia are connected by mountains and rivers, and the people of both countries and their Buddhist communities have always been good neighbors. He said that Buddhism is an important link between China and Mongolia as a common element of history and culture. Today, the ceremony for the consecration of the Buddha statue is not only the inheritance and development of friendly religious exchange between the two countries, it is also an achievement and an example of the mutual guidance of China’s “Belt and Road” Initiative and Mongolia’s “Development Road” strategy. It is a new milestone for friendly cooperation between China and Mongolia.

Prime Minister Khürelsükh congratulated the successful consecration of the Buddha statue and said that Mongolia is a Tibetan Buddhist country. Today, the successful consecration of the Buddha statue is a happy event for Mongolian Buddhists, and they can feel the light of the Buddha. He also thanked all those who had contributed to the building and donation of this Buddha statue.

Abbot Danba Trabo thanked the Lama Temple for their great help in building the Buddha statue, saying that the Mongolian and Chinese Buddhist communities have a long history of friendly exchange. The spirit of Buddhism is a valuable spiritual wealth shared by peoples of both countries. After it is established, the Maitreya Buddha statue will become a landmark for the friendship between the Mongolian and Chinese people. Dashi-Choiling Monastery vows to fully protect this statue in the spirit of the Buddha so that the grace of Maitreya may benefit more people, and the story of the friendship between the peoples of Mongolia and China may be passed down to future generations on the grasslands.

Master Hu Xuefeng said that the Lama Temple shares a very close relationship with the Mongolian Buddhist community. From the start to the completion of donating the Maitreya Buddha statue, the whole process took 12 years. This special and meritorious achievement will benefit all Buddhist followers, and it also adds to the value of the hundred-year-old Dashi-Choiling Monastery and brings honor to Buddhists in Mongolia. Yonghegong Lama Temple and Dashi-Choiling Monastery will also be recorded in the annals of the friendship between China and Mongolia.

Ochi Bateer, vice president of the Russian Buddhist Association, congratulated the consecration of the Buddha statue on behalf of the international Buddhist community, giving praise that this happy, international Buddhist event represents good tidings for Buddhist followers all over the world. A delegation of the Chinese Buddhist Association led by Master Yan Jue as well as officials from the embassies of Russia, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Japan, Vietnam, and Laos, and representatives of international Buddhist communities also attended the ceremony. More than 2,000 young and elderly people from Ulaanbaatar gathered at Dashi-Choiling Monastery, waiting until late night to be immersed in the light of the Buddha.

Before the consecration ceremony, Chinese and Mongolian monks chanted Buddhist scriptures together, praying for generations of friendship between China and Mongolia and for the happiness and well-being of the people of both countries.

The Maitreya Buddha statue at Dashi-Choiling Monastery is 23 meters high and is made of copper and covered with gold leaf. It is one of the largest Buddhist statues in Mongolia. The project, which was begun in the year 2006, was finally completed after 12 years. Upon its completion, it became a special, scenic landmark in the capital of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar.