03/05/2026
From the Heights of 101 to the Masses at Buddha Museum: Two Ways of Showing Taiwan to the World
By Tsai Lin-yun | Reader of Humanistic Buddhism: Journal, Arts & Culture
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One of the most talked-about stories of this year was American free solo climber Alex Honnold's ascent of Taipei 101 on January 25, 2026 — scaling the skyscraper without ropes in just 91 minutes. The feat stunned the international community and thrust Taipei 101 onto the global stage, delivering Taiwan an extraordinary boost in international visibility.
Honnold had first conceived of climbing Taipei 101 back in 2013, believing it to be the ultimate challenge. After thirteen years, he finally made it a reality. He personally wrote a letter to the current chairperson of Taipei 101, Chia Yung-chieh, who gave her approval and became the key figure who made the climb possible. On the day of the event, the flags on the exterior of Taipei 101 were all replaced with the Taiwan national flag — a move widely praised as a stroke of marketing genius that let the world see Taiwan.
From Taipei 101 to the Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum, from extreme climbing to cultural construction — different fields, different forms, yet pointing toward the same core: letting the world see Taiwan.
Honnold's extreme act focused the world's attention on Taiwan in a single moment; Venerable Master Hsing Yun's years of cultural cultivation built the most beloved cultural landmark on the island, leaving a civilizational landmark that time can revisit again and again. One is a high-altitude freeze-frame created by action; the other is a cultural depth accumulated generation after generation. One created a world stage through a daring act; the other earned it through data and reputation. Though they come from different fields and take different forms, they have together accomplished one thing — securing for Taiwan, on the world map, a position that can be seen, and is worth understanding.
— Tsai Lin-yun, "From the Heights of 101 to the Masses at Buddha Museum," in Humanistic Buddhism: Journal, Arts & Culture, ed. Miao Fan and Tsai Meng-hua, no. 62 (2026).
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