Zenkoji, the temple in Nagano that made the news for refusing to host an event for the 2008 Olympic Torch relay, will be putting a statue it received from the Dalai Lama on public display:

According to the temple in Nagano, the 21-centimeter-tall gold-bronze statue will be put on display indefinitely in one of its halls between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. free of charge.

The Dalai Lama gave the statue to Zenkoji representatives during his visit to Tokyo in November to show his gratitude for the temple’s decision to withdraw from hosting the start of the Japan-leg of the torch relay for the Beijing Olympics because of the crackdown on Buddhists in Tibet last year.

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