One Year After Myanmar Earthquake: Aidaoji Middle School Buildings and Stilt Houses Built with Assistance from Dharma Drum Mountain have been completed and officially opened for use

The first anniversary of Myanmar's March 28 earthquake is approaching. In mid-March, Venerable Chang Xing (常惺法師), Secretary General of the Dharma Drum Mountain Social Welfare and Charity Foundation, once again led a delegation to Myanmar to carry out a series of loving care and Dharma propagation activities. On March 22 and 23, they traveled to Inle Lake in Taunggyi to officiate the completion and opening ceremony of the Aidaoji Middle School's buildings—a Myanmar-language school built on the water with assistance from Dharma Drum Mountain—and to extend loving care to residents of the stilt houses constructed through their aid efforts. On March 24, they awarded 50 scholarships to underprivileged students at Xinghua and Guowen Middle Schools who will soon study in Taiwan.

On the morning of the 23rd, accompanied by Zhao Yanhua (趙彥樺), Secretary General of the Chit Myit Tar Foundation (愛緬基金會), Venerable Chang Xing and the group took a boat to reach the highest educational institution in Aidaoji Village. Although it was the school holiday, Principal Daw Myo Myo San still gathered teachers, students, and local residents on campus to express gratitude for the love and blessings from Taiwan.
Principal Myo Myo San explained that after the earthquake, all school buildings collapsed, leaving teachers and students at a loss. Fortunately, timely assistance from Dharma Drum Mountain and the Chit Myit Tar Foundation resolved their most urgent difficulties. "I have never felt such urgency to complete a task as I did in rebuilding the school last year. Now that the school is completed and open for use, the children finally have a safe place to learn. We are deeply grateful and pray every day for those who helped us." Supported by the loving care from all walks of life, she vowed to continue teaching for as long as she is able.

In his speech, Venerable Chang Xing encouraged everyone by sharing the life story of Master Sheng Yen, founder of Dharma Drum Mountain. Despite enduring hardships from flooding along the Yangtze River in his childhood, Master Sheng Yen persisted in his studies and eventually earned a doctoral degree while promoting the Dharma. For this reason, Dharma Drum Mountain places special emphasis on education. "Education is like doors and windows; it allows children to see a broader world, unlock their potential, and transform their lives. We hope this school will enable children from nearby villages to safely complete 12 years of education and not miss the opportunity to change their lives", Venerable Chang Xing said.

Venerable Chang Xing then led the principal, teachers, students, and villagers in chanting Pali verses to pay respect to the Buddha, blessing the new school building with a sprinkling purification ritual. The four newly built classrooms will provide a safe and supportive learning environment for students in grades 5 through 9. Upon hearing of Venerable Chang Hsing's visit, residents of the stilt houses built with Dharma Drum Mountain's support also came to the school to express their gratitude. Venerable Chang Xing personally placed prayer beads on devout Buddhist children and villagers, offering blessings for peace, health, and success in their studies.

Early in the morning on March 22, accompanied by Venerable Weikang of Guanyin Temple in Taunggyi and monks from Maidao Monastery, Venerable Chang Xsing traveled by boat deep into Kay Lar Village on Inle Lake to visit residents of 20 stilt houses built with assistance. The village was one of the hardest hit by last year's earthquake, where 42 villagers tragically died from falling into the water and electrocution.

When Venerable Chang Xing arrived, villagers warmly invited him into their homes. Greeting them kindly, he asked, "Are you getting used to living here?" When one elderly resident lamented poor health, Venerable Weikang immediately asked someone to light incense. Then, together with Venerable Chang Xing, they joined their palms and chanted the Medicine Buddha Mantra, offering blessings and spiritual support to him. Venerable Weikang explained that the stilt houses were built using local bamboo materials from Inle Lake. They were first assembled at Maidao Monastery on the lakeshore and then transported onto the lake for construction. They were completed in just 30 days so that displaced villagers could quickly resettle. Because the monastic community at Maidao Monastery is familiar with local materials and building techniques, Dharma Drum Mountain entrusted them—through the Chit Myit Tar Foundation—to assist with the project. In gratitude, the foundation presented gifts to the monastery.

On the afternoon of March 20, before departing for Taunggyi, Venerable Chang Xing also visited Louis Min-Jing Huang (黃敏境), Representative of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Myanmar, in Yangon to exchange views on post-disaster care, educational cooperation, and future prospects. Reflecting on the past year, since April 3 of last year, Dharma Drum Mountain Social Welfare and Charity Foundation has sent 10 relief teams into disaster areas, mobilizing support from all sectors of society and promoting a three-phase reconstruction initiative focused on holistic well-being. The foundation has supported rebuilding projects including Mandalay Kongjiao School, Jinodaya Buddhist Institute in Sagaing Region, Aidaoji Middle School at Inle Lake, as well as stilt houses and prefabricated housings. The foundation also launched psychological recovery programs, bringing counseling teams to Xinghua and Guowen Middle Schools and Mandalay Kongjiao School to provide teachers and students with emotional support and mental health services. Representative Huang remarked, "Dharma Drum Mountain's compassionate work in purifying people's hearts is an important force that allows Taiwan to be seen by the world."

The delegation led by Venerable Chang Xing will continue its visit to Xinghua and Guowen Middle Schools and Mandalay Kongjiao School to award scholarships to 100 underprivileged students who will study in Taiwan and to assess the reconstruction progress of the Jinodaya Buddhist Institute in Sagaing. Venerable Chang Xing will also attend large-scale prayer ceremonies on March 27 and 28 in Naypyidaw and Sagaing, praying for peace in the disaster-stricken areas and offering comfort to the people.






Original text in Chinese: Liang Jinman (梁金滿)
Photos: Dharma Drum Mountain Social Welfare and Charity Foundation
Translation: Patricia Yang 
Editing: Keith Brown