In what can be called the cultural show of the century, Taiwan residents were given a golden opportunity to experience the shining light of Tibetan religious art. The globally praised exhibition, "Wisdom and Compassion: The Sacred Art of Tibet," was as much a spiritual journey as an artistic experience for people interested in Buddhism and Tibetan culture. Running from January through March 1998 at the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall in downtown Taipei, the show featured a total of 181 gilded statues and paintings (or tangka in Tibetan) of Buddhist icons collected from far-flung points around the globe.

"I have visited many museums and exhibitions around the world, but the 'Wisdom and Compassion' show is the most complete and detailed that I have ever seen," said local writer Shih Shu-ching.

Hsu Chan-tang, a collector based in Hong Kong, called the exhibition a rare chance to view works of Tibetan religious art that have been collected from all over the world.

The show's Buddhist statues and paintings were assembled from twenty-two private collectors and eleven museums in seven different countries. The participating museums included five from the United States and one each from France, Great Britain, Sweden, Germany, Switzerland and Canada. The collection has toured the world for the last six years, drawing large crowds and winning high praise in the United States, Japan, Germany, Spain, Great Britain and other European countries.

According to Robert Thurman, a Tibetan art scholar at Columbia University in the United States, the exhibition has proven so popular globally that its tour schedule is fully booked until the year 2000. Thurman, a member of the exhibition's planning committee, said the various museums and collectors were eager to loan their items for overseas display because they hope the exhibition will foster among people in all countries a strong enthusiasm for preserving Tibetan art and culture. During recent decades, more and more people have developed a fascination for Tibetan art and culture, and Tibetan Buddhism has enjoyed growing popularity in many countries.

According to the Taipei-based China Times newspaper, a co-sponsor of the show, the idea of adding Taiwan to the exhibition's world tour could be traced to the Dalai Lama's visit to the island in March 1997. In an interview with the newspaper during his visit, the Tibetan god-king recommended that the "Wisdom and Compassion" exhibition, which was touring Japan at the time, be brought to Taiwan as well. Huang Chao-sung, president of the China Times, said the newspaper immediately explored the possibility of bringing the show to Taipei, but it was not until the end of the year that arrangements were firmed up. The exhibition items arrived in Taiwan in early January. After that, museum representatives from the different countries began checking the ancient art objects and preparing them for the show.

According to Marylin Rhie, another planning committee member, the Buddhist statues and paintings in the exhibition date from the ninth to the nineteenth centuries. As such, the various displays convey the historical essence of Tibetan Buddhism. The show includes a rich diversity of religious icons representing the four main sects of Tibetan Buddhism: the Nyingma, Sakya, Kagyu and Geluk orders.

Rhie pointed out that Tibetan Buddhism involves the worshiping of many buddhas, bodhisattvas and arhats. In fact, there are about a thousand different Tibetan Buddhist deities. The Pure Land and the mandala, two important symbols in Tibetan Buddhism, are prominent motifs in the paintings at the Taipei show. In addition to its particular deities, another characteristic of Tibetan religious art is its blending of different ethnic styles. The objects on display reveal the influences of artistic styles from such areas as India, China, Mongolia, Russia, and even Greece.

"Visitors to the show will obtain a comprehensive knowledge of the history and art of Tibetan Buddhism," Rhie said. "We hope this will help the public in Taiwan achieve a certain enlightenment about life."

On the first day of the show in Taipei, more than 2,000 visitors attended the exhibition of Tibetan art objects. Taipei Mayor Chen Shui-bian and Master Sheng Yen, leader of the Dharma Drum Mountain Cultural and Educational Foundation in Taiwan, participated in the opening ceremony of the exhibition.

"The exhibition was made possible by the efforts of people representing different nationalities," Chen said. "This shows that art knows no boundaries."

Master Sheng Yen pointed out that the exhibition represents an exchange between the Han Chinese and Tibetan cultures: "Through the appreciation of art, the Han people can both understand the spirit of Buddhism and enrich their own culture."