Buddhist Transforms House into Temple in TN

July 11, 2004

Source: The Commercial Appeal

http://www.commercialappeal.com/mca/local_news/article/0,1426,MCA_437_3026852,00.html

On July 11, 2004 The Commercial Appeal reported, "When Henry Chu boarded a Memphis-bound Greyhound bus in New York, he didn't dare tell his parents where he was going or why. In fact, he knew little about the Bluff City except what he'd heard in a song. Chu, 34, a devout Buddhist, was answering a call from his god. The most visible result of that call sits in his yard at 3004 S. Mendenhall near Mt. Moriah: a 22-ton, 8-by-8-foot, big-bellied, smiling Buddha that was shipped here from China, along with the stones for the foundation. The Buddha has drawn mixed reactions from neighbors: Some believe the statue is too big for the yard; others love it."

See also: Buddhism, Civic