Information Session
- We held a 1-hour information session online on October 29, 2023. To learn more, please click the link to the slides.
Trip Details
- Destinations: Taiwan and China
- Dates: Taiwan (May 17th to 21st), China (May 23rd to 27th). Please note these dates are tentative.
- Cost: Approximately $3,000 per person for airfare to Taiwan. Airfare from Taiwan to China may be more. Room and board are donation based. Please also bring enough money for donations and general spending.
- Donations: The 3-day retreat at DDM, room and board, and other donations at various temples are all based on donations. Please allocate some money for this.
- Who: Guo Gu will be leading the pilgrimage and retreat. His students and colleagues in the Chan/Zen tradition are welcome.
Passport/Visa Information
- We recommend that all potential travelers for this trip apply for a passport immediately if they do not have one (we suggest expediting the process.)
- US residents do not need a visa for Taiwan, but they will require one for Mainland China. We will email more information on how to obtain a China visa.
The trip to Taiwan will include a 3-day intensive meditation retreat at the Dharma Drum Mountain location in Taipei, followed by some travel in Taipei City.
- Location: Dharma Drum Mountain (DDM), Taiwan
- Retreat: 3-day intensive meditation retreat (May 17-21) held at DDM in the Chan Hall (can hold up to 150 people)
- Accommodations: Modern and beautiful amenities, two/three people per room
- Activities: Stay at the Dharma Drum Mountain temple in Taiwan, visit other branch monasteries, interact with the DDM monastic sangha, and visit Taipei City, Taiwan.
- Notes: Participants are responsible for their own airfare. Please plan to arrive at the international airport in Taipei around the same time to coordinate transportation to DDM. More information about the traveling logistics will be personally emailed to you after you apply for the trip.
The trip to China will follow the retreat in Taiwan, and will be located primarily in the cities of Hangzhou and Ningbo.
- Location: Five Chan mountain monasteries (wushan 五山) established during the Southern Song dynasty (1127–1279) as the center of Chan practice in Hangzhou and Ningbo:
Jingshan si 徑山寺
Lingyin si 靈隱寺
Jingci si 淨慈寺
Tiantong si 天童寺
Ayuwang si 阿育王寺 - Dates: May 23rd to May 27th (tentative)
- Notes: Participants are responsible for their own airfare. The group will leave together from Taipei sometime after May 21 to fly to mainland China, the second portion of this pilgrimage trip.
As of October 30th, 2023 we are operating on a waiting list for this trip, as we have a limited number of spots. For others who have already applied, we are currently in the process of reviewing applications, and you can expect to hear back from us by November 17th. If you have not filled out the application to the pilgrimage trip that includes additional questions to gather information about your emergency contacts, medical condition, and practice history, please do so as soon as you are able. You can fill out the application below.