TASKA Than Hsiang Bukit Mertajam and TASKA Than Hsiang Simpang Ampat held its 1st. Graduation and Annual Concert at The Summit Hotel on the 19th of Oct. 2008.

The Ninth Lunar Vegetarian Festival is a much celebrated festival especially in Penang.

Mid-autumn night is traditionally regarded by the Chinese to be an auspicious and joyous night whereby family members travel home for family reunion.

Once again, Than Hsiang temple held its annual mass wedding jointly with the co-organisers, Than Hsiang Mitra line, Kwang Wah Daily and Photo Me studio on 7th September 2008( 8th day of 8th lunar month). Two couples participated in the ceremony fashioned in Buddhist tradition which began at 10.00am in the 5th floor multipurpose hall, witnessed by hundred of friends and relatives. The newly weds underwent the ritual of blessings of the triple jewel for a blissful and happy married life.

With the school examinations season approaching at the last quarter of the year, the candidates, as usual, found themselves in a state of exam phobia. The standard six students sat for their assessment on 9th September 2008. To ease and relieve their tension and calm their nerves for their final preparation before the exam, Than Hsiang Sunday school specially organized a simple yet meaningful blessing session on the morning of 31st August at 9.30am at Than Hsiang fifth floor multipurpose hall.

A total of 105 persons comprising of Sunday Dharma School students, Ai Xin Ba Ma and Than Qing members joined in the second outing of the year, visit to Ang Hock See Buddhist Temple (洪福寺). After gathering at Da Bei Dian at 8am, Ven Zhen Xin gave us a Dharma talk.

The first International Buddhist College( IBC) convocation, since its inception in2002, was convened on 20th August 2008 at 1pm in IBC Multipurpose hall The convocation attracted both local and foreign dignitaries in the Buddhist and academic fields to witness the event.
IBC is the realization of the vision of establishing an international institute of higher learning offering quality education within a spiritually dedicated, non-sectarian, modern and scholastic environment.

In commemoration of the enlightenment day of the Bodhisattva Avalosteswara which fell on the 19th day of the sixth moon of the lunar calendar( 20th July 2008), a taking of Three Refuges and five precepts ceremony was held at the great compassion hall of Than Hsiang Temple. About twenty devotees took part in the ceremony.

While Beijing kicked off the opening of the Olympic game on August 8, 2008-at 08:08:08 p.m., the auspicious date and time chosen for the 29th Game, couples tying the knots in Than Hsiang are joining thousands of people around the world looking forward to the good fortune promised by the eighth day of the eighth month of 2008. On such an occasion, not only Chinese couples who jumped on the eights, but others as well.

A wesak international film festival was held from the 28 to 29 June 2008 at the Wawasan Open University in conjunction with the 2008 wesak day celebration. The biennial festival was jointly organized by Buddhist organizations in Penang and co-sponsored by Yayasan Belia Buddhist Malaysia, YBAM Penang state liaison committee and Than Hsiang temple.