Tian Tan Buddha and Po Lin Monastery on Lantau Island

After being trapped in a plane for 11 hours we finally arrived in Hong Kong. But before moving on to the Philippines we had an 8 hour stop-over and decided to leave the airport, luckily neither of us needed a visa for Hong Kong. We quickly changed some money, got out of the airport and took one of the blue Lantau Taxis to the Ngong Ping 360 Cable Car that brings you up the mountain to the Ngong Ping village from where you can easily walk to the Po Lin Monastery and to the Tian Tan Buddha.

Ngong Ping 360
The cable car ride with the Ngong Ping 360 takes around 25 minutes and is visually stunning. It travels at a nice pace and gives you the chance to take beautiful photos and videos mostly of Lantau Island but also of the Buddha Statue that you already see during the end of the ride. The cable car will drop you of at the small touristy village of Ngong Ping. From there it is only a short walk to the Po Lin Monastery and the Tian Tan Buddha, just follow the crowds.

Tian Tan Buddha
The Tian Tan Buddha, also known as the Big Buddha is a large bronze statue that was completed in 1993. To reach the statue you have to climb up 268 stairs. The statue is situated near Po Lin Monastery and symbolizes the harmonious relationship between man and nature, people and faith. It is a major center of Buddhism in Hong Kong, and is also a popular tourist attraction. The Buddha is surrounded by 8 smaller statues, which represent the gods or immortals and each one of them holds offerings for the Buddha which are flowers, incense, lamp, ointment, fruit, and music. These symbolize the Six Perfections of generosity, morality, patience, zeal, meditation, and wisdom, all of which are necessary for enlightenment. Visiting the statue itself is free, but if you want to go inside and see the museum, you have to pay a small entrance fee.

Po Lin Monastery
While you are already there make sure to visit the Po Lin Monastery which is surrounded by beautiful gardens and is situated on the opposite side of the Buddha Statue, there is no entrance fee. The Monastery was founded in 1906 and is today one of the most popular tourist attractions on Lantau Island. Inside the main temple you find three Buddha statues which represent his past, present and future lives. If you are hungry, you can also enjoy a nice meal at the popular vegan restaurant.

After the long flight and almost 24 hours of no sleep we were a little bit exhausted but very happy about our decision to leave the airport and to visit the Big Buddha and the neighboring monastery. Seeing this huge Buddha statue was really fascinating. You won’t believe how huge it is till you really stand in front of it and look up. I also always wanted to see one of these old Buddhist Monasteries and this was the perfect opportunity. If you are in Hong Kong on vacation or if you just have a long stop-over like we did, the Statue and Monastery is defiantly worth a visit. We had a great day on Lantau before going back to the airport and boarding our connecting flight to the Philippines.