International Buddhist Museum is the world's first International Buddhist Museum. It is located next to the National Museum of Kandy and Temple of the Tooth in Kandy, Sri Lanka. The site was the former Palace of the Kandian King, Wimaladharmasuriya, upon which the British constructed a Victorian era building, which housed the Kandy Kachcheri.
The museum was established with the contributions of 17 countries such as Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, Japan, China, Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Bhutan, and Afghanistan.
Monday | 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM |
Tuesday | 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM |
Wednesday | 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM |
Thursday | 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM |
Friday | 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM |
Saturday | 9:00 AM – 7:00 PM |
Sunday | Closed |
Marcus Korb | Mar 1, 2018
I visited the museum during my visit of the tooth temple. The museum is 1000times better than the temple. The different types of Buddhism is explained, the rooms are arranged according to each country - just impressive. I didn't expect it to be that great. Totally worth the price of 500 Rs.
Mark Brady | Dec 1, 2017
Very interesting museum. Explains how Buddhism spread to different countries at different times. We spent about 3 hours in there (it was raining really heavily), reading almost everything, but I started getting a little bored towards the end. There are some exhibits which are far more interesting than others. Some parts of the museum look very dated. Some of the information from room to room was contradictory. A lot of English mistakes, but it wasn't too bad. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked it. It's worth a visit.
David Ševčík | Jan 26, 2018
For us it was the most interesting museum in Sri Lanka. Nicely maps development of Buddhism and Buddhist culture in different countries.
Renee Pun | Nov 30, 2017
Great museum, very informative with lots of exhibits! No photos inside and we had to take our shoes off before going in. We spent a few hours in there reading a lot of the information.
bryan schaaf | Jan 4, 2018
Buddhism is both a religion and a philosophy. Here you find the emphasis on the religious aspects - rituals, myths, miracles, who has what part of the Buddha's body stored where, etc. There are different rooms for different countries/regions where Buddhism is/was important. Some of the exhibits were obviously drafted, or at a minimum vetted by, the partner country. For example, you can be certain the Tibet exhibit (financed by China) does not mention the Dalai Lama despite him being the world's most famous living Buddhist. There are displays in Sinhala and English - although there are typos throughout the English texts. For me, the most interesting part was learning about the influence of Buddhism on Sri Lanka which is an important aspect of life. Worth a visit to learn more although not as interesting as it could be.
黃俊軒 | Mar 28, 2018
This museum is a very good one explaining all class of Buddhism in the world. If you have bought the ticket for tooth temple, it is free for you to go.
German Chyzhov | Apr 4, 2018
Could be interesting for buddhists. Full history of the religion and how it spread over the world.
Creagan Stickney | Apr 28, 2018
Incredibly well.put together museum documenting bhuddism across asia. Artifacts and models from dozens of countries...its a real treasure tucked behind the tooth temple.and included in the ticket cost. Lightly airconditioned as well so a good respite from the heat.
Vishaan Mariyathas | May 19, 2018
This museum representing Sri Lankan Buddhist society
Amy Peat | Jul 15, 2018
A museum explaining how Buddhism developed in 17 different countries. 500 rupees for foreigners entry fee, no photography allowed. There are 2 floors with various rooms, each one dedicated to a particular country. Some are more informative than others, and displays consist mainly of photographs of statues or temples. It's well laid out, so there are arrows pointing towards a logical path through all the rooms, which makes the visit easier, and one of the staff members was very friendly and answered many questions. It's not very explanatory towards the whole belief system and what it involves, only explains how it spread through Asia.
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