After two years of planning and construction, the Buddha Blessed Temple has been completed in a suburban area south of Louisville, in the US state of Kentucky. More than 600 people visited the temple on Sunday to celebrate its grand opening, which featured Vietnamese and Buddhist chanting, dance, songs, and traditional culinary offerings in a public event. The temple’s programs had been held in a nearby rented space beginning in 2006, led by Rev. Dr. Thich Hang Dat, a student of the Zen teacher Hsuan Hua in the Quy Nguong Zen Buddhist tradition.

The temple, which is surrounded by more than six hectares of land that it acquired three years ago, will offer regular programs on a weekly and seasonal schedule under the theme Changing Minds, Transforming Lives. Drone footage shows the arrival of guests at the temple.