Mingyue Lay Buddhist Temple

One of the largest Chinese Buddhist temples in the southern hemisphere, the Mingyue Lay Temple has come a long way since its beginnings in 1982 as a small fibro building, which now serves as a cafeteria.
Today, the Mingyue Lay Buddhist Temple spans approximately 16,000 square meters. Its development dates back to 1985 - the year of Yi Chon in the Chinese lunar calendar - when a group of Chinese descendants, who had arrived as refugees from Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos, began planning its construction.
As its name suggests, the Mingyue Lay Buddhist Temple is run primarily by laypeople rather than monks or nuns. The temple features four main halls that serve as an ecumenical celebration of Buddhism, Taoism, and Zen. The buildings, which face east, are designed in the style of 12th-century Chinese architecture.