Fo Guang Temple

Who would have thought that there is a Buddhist temple right off Oxford Street?
The London Fo Guang Temple is a branch of the Fo Guang Shan Monastery in Taiwan, which advocates Humanistic Buddhism.
But anyhow, I stopped by to have a look and, after mentioning that it was my first visit, was led through the three prayer rooms by a member of staff, who explained the meaning of the individual rooms.
Altogether a very friendly welcome and I stayed for a spot of much-​needed reflection, only to be disturbed by a member of staff every few minutes; I had the impression that she wanted to make sure that I was not packing the four foot Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva statue into my handbag.
There are daily chants, regular tea ceremonies, meditation classes and other events. This temple is worth checking out although visitors seem to be approached with a mixture of friendliness and wariness.