FOCUS - OCTOBER 2017 33 On Our Doorstep ...... Cham Shan Temple Buddha The Stops Traffic If you see a row of cars literally stopped in the middle of the S curve on Ski Hill Road and people curiously peer- ing out the windows, no doubt The Laughing Buddha has caught their attention. The Laughing Buddha is a welcoming Buddha to the site of the $80 million dollar Cham Shan Temple and Buddhist retreat, being lovingly reconstructed, piece-by- piece, near Bethany, Ont. The massive wooden temple is being built entirely of exotic rosewood, using the goudong construction technique. No nails or glue are used. Chinese construction artisans piece together the interlocking brackets. All of the gargoyles and statues On Our Doorstep ...... It’s simple. The Laughing Buddha is smiling because he was released from a storage crate in time to greet visitors this past June. on the property are built in the same way. Each piece was created in China and shipped here in crates, by boat and then train. There are buildings full of numbered pieces for the temple construction. Part A fits into Part B, etc. .............. Please turn to page 34