Drawing on the National Museum of Asian Art's collections and collecions from across the Smithsonian, artworks spanning two millennia reveal Asia's rich Buddhist heritage. They represent diverse ...

They have come from Russia, Mongolia, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, Burma, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bhutan among other nations ...

The mudras, or hand positions, of Buddhist images carry symbolic meaning, often expressing key aspects of the Buddha’s teachings. Two important mudras can be observed in the Great Buddha.

Inside, there is always an image or a statue of the Buddha. Our statue is surrounded with candles and flowers. Most Buddhist temples are built to represent the five elements: earth, air ...