Po Lin Monastery

Feature

1. The monastery has one of the biggest bronze statues of Buddha in a sitting position in the world.
2. There is a footpath called Wisdom Path for those who want to chant the Heart Sutra in Chinese.
3. The monastery is a large and active Buddhist monastery.
4. The vegetarian meals are delicious.
5. If you wish to do some hiking, you can follow the Wisdom Path to the start of a trail that goes up to the top of the 2nd highest mountain in Hong Kong.

Overview

The main distinctive features of this Buddhist temple are the Po Lin Monastery itself that is very active and serves delicious vegetarian meals in big portions, the very large Tian Tan Buddha that was constructed of bronze plates with an internal steel supporting framework and sat on a hill, and the Ngong Ping plateau that is about 520 meters（1,706 feet）high from which people can see good views of the island. It is near Lantau Peak and hiking trails if you want to do some hiking, and it is one of Hong Kong’s most popular Buddhist temples.

Po Lin Monastery and the Tian Tan Buddha are both on a plateau called Ngong Ping. The Tian Tan Buddha is 34 meters tall (about 37 yards) and sits on a base on a hill. It is one of the biggest sitting bronze Buddhist statues in the world. The statue faces north-east towards Beijing. There is a stairway with about 260 steps up to the top of the hill.

To reach the Ngong Ping plateau, you can take a tram. There are three kinds of tram cars to choose from. Tourists generally think that the glass-bottomed one is the best choice for the price since people can bypass long lines of Chinese tourists and the view is better

History

Po Lin (Precious Lotus) Monastery was originally built by monks in the early decades of the 20th century. During the 1980s and early 1990s when China’s labor costs were much lower, the bronze parts and internal steel framework were manufactured in China, and the Tian Tan statue was set up in 1993. It is called the Tian Tan Buddha because the base looks like the base of the Temple of Heaven in Beijing. Until about two years ago, it was the biggest sitting Buddha. During the last two decades, enormous bronze statues of Buddha have been erected in several sites in Asia, partly to attract tourists.

Touring Activities

1. See the Buddha.
2. See the scenery.
3. Go to the nearby Ngong Ping Village that is a theme park with tea houses, entertainment, shops and Buddhist attractions. It closes at about 6 pm every day.
4. Have a meal.
5. Walk on the Wisdom Path and see the wooden pillars with Chinese characters that describe the “Heart Sutra” chant. The Wisdom Pat is about a 15 minute walk away from the statue.
6. Walk on the trails branching off the plateau. One goes to Lantau Peak.

Travel Essentials

1) Location: On Ngong Ping plateau near Tung Chung and Mui Wo on Lantau Island. Lantau Island is a big island west of the main urban area.

2) How to go there

Ferry: From Hong Kong Island, go to the Outlying Islands Ferry Pier No. 6 (to the west of the Star Ferry). There is a 50-minute trip to Mui Wo on Lantau Island. From Mui Wo, take Bus 2 on a scenic and winding climb up to Ngong Ping where the Giant Buddha and Po Lin Monastery are located.

MTR (subway): From Hong Kong Station, take the Tung Chung MTR and get off at Tung Chung Station. This takes about 35 or 40 minutes. The Tung Chung Station is the station for Hong Kong International Airport. From Tung Chung, take Bus 23 to Ngong Ping or take the Ngong Ping Cable Car.

Walk: If you want to hike, you can walk up and down between Tung Chung MTR and the plateau. Hiking each way may take three or four hours. The monastery is very close to the airport. It is only about 8 kilometers away in a straight line.
3) Open Hours

1. Po Lin (Precious Lotus) Monastery: 9:00-18:00

2. Buddha: 10:00-17:30

3. Vegetarian cafeteria: 11:30-17:00

4. Ngong Ping Village: about 10:00-6:00 every day.

4) Meal: The vegetarian meals are available at the monastery.

Nearby Attractions

Lantau Island is Hong Kong’s biggest island. The other main destinations on the island include Hong Kong Disneyland and Tai O. Hong Kong Disneyland is like the other Disneylands in the world, and it is the smallest of the Disneylands. Tai O is a small town on the northwestern shore of Lantau Island. It is about 7 kilometers away from the monastery area along Tai O Road. There are houses on wooden stilts that seem out of place and out of time. In the town is the Taoist Yeung Hau Temple that has a history dating to 1699 and is a “Grade 1” preserved building. There is also “Grade 3” Old Tai O Police Station. A “Grade 1” building is considered among the most important to preserve. There are hiking trails in the area.

Over half of Lantau Island is park and jungle, and you can hike freely on the trails. There are no large animals, but you can find some solitude. It is an ideal place for hikes along the sea, on the beaches, or on the small mountains. You can find campsites, hostels, and uncrowded beaches.

Lantau Peak is close to Po Lin Monastery. Hiking to the peak is one of Hong Kong’s most popular hikes. It takes a few hours to climb. The peak is 934 meters (3,064 feet) above sea level. Take water with you and be careful.

How to Get to there?