On May 10th and 11th, Fo Guang University's Center for Buddhist Studies, in collaboration with the National Chengchi University's Center for the Study of Chinese Religions and the Fo Guang University's College of Buddhist Studies, jointly hosted a workshop on "Migrants' Buddhism and Guanyin Cult in Yilan." The two-day workshop was divided into two parts: "Special Lectures" and "Field Investigation." The event invited scholars such as Professor Yucheng Li from National Chengchi University, Professor Jen-Yu Lin from National Chung Hsing University, and Pro. Wei-Yi Cheng, Prof. Cheng-Tsung Kan , and Prof. Wang Yal Sonam from the Fo Guang University's Department of Buddhist Studies. They not only shared their experiences and current status of field investigations through pre-field investigation special lectures but also led the participants to five temples in Yilan County for on-site investigations and interviews on the second day. The workshop attracted more than 60 enthusiastic participants, including teachers and students.

On May 10th, the "Special Lectures" were enthusiastically launched at Yunshui Building in the Fo Guang University's College of Buddhist Studies. The lectures were divided into two main themes: "Gender" and "Localization." At the beginning of the lecture, Professor Hsin-Yi Lin, the executive secretary of the Fo Guang University's Center for Buddhist Studies, explained that "Buddhist research can be diverse, including discussions on classics, literature, and principles, as well as Buddhist rituals and activities covering birth, aging, sickness, and death in daily life. We hope that through this workshop, we can show everyone the living Buddhist world in the Yilan area, brought by new immigrants such as Tibetan Buddhism and Vietnamese Buddhism, as well as the Guanyin belief introduced during the Japanese colonial period." She also hoped that the students would delve deeper into these different aspects in the future. During the lectures, Professor Yuchen Li shared her photos and interview records of multiple visits to the Cihui Temple in Yuanshan, Yilan, explaining the development history and uniqueness of the Guanyin cult at Cihui Temple. Professor Jen-yu Lin shared information collected over the years on the stone Guanyin statues and related historical records left from the Japanese colonial period. Through comparative analysis with geographical environment and urban development information, he constructed the Buddhist life circle of Japanese immigrants in Yilan. Professor Wei-Yi Cheng not only shared her insights and experiences from years of fieldwork but also illustrated a new model of the development of Vietnamese immigrant Buddhism in Taiwan by taking the example of Master Chunjing, a graduate of the Fo Guang University's Department of Buddhist Studies, who established Vietnamese Buddhist centers and conducted Dharma propagation activities in Luodong, Yilan, and Taipei. Professor Wang Yal Sonam introduced the four-armed Guanyin belief in Tibetan Buddhism and a Buddhist group promoting Tibetan Buddhism in the Sanshing area. In the last part of the lecture, Professor Cheng-Tsung Kan, who has focused on the investigation of Buddhist temples in Yilan in recent years, concluded and wished the participants a smooth field investigation the next day.
