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Inside, the walls had carvings of flowers
and the ceilings showed scenes from the life of Buddha. Its roof was brass-clad with gold
leaf details.
Their work was commissioned by the Association
to Preserve Asian culture (APAC) and took two years to
complete.
The pagoda is a faithful imitation
of a Nepalese temple and
is one of only three that can be found outside of Nepal. The
two others are in Munich and Osaka. Since the pagoda is the
only international exhibit that has remained in the site
after Expo88, it has now become a reminder of the memories
of the World Expo that Brisbane residents still cherish.
They see Expo 88 as the main catalyst that spurred the
growth of Brisbane and Queensland into a modern and
international city.
It also opened the minds of the
residents to a world perspective anchored in national pride.
When Expo 88 ended, 90,000 people made a petition to keep
the Nepalese Peace Pagoda, preventing the original plan of
APAC of selling it to Japan.
A “Save the Pagoda Campaign” was marshaled in 1989 which
received financial contributions from the public, the
Brisbane City Council and the Federal Government. The
“Friends of the Pagoda” committee bought a brass statue of
the goddess of compassion, a bronze bell and a stone lingam
to add to the pagoda’s attractions.
The Nepalese Peace Pagoda transfer to the riverside location
began in September 24, 1991. It presently remains a favorite
place for meditation and relaxation by both residents and
visitors of Brisbane.
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