Singapore has the mythical merlion as their icon whereas Hong Kong has something a lot bigger; the Tian Tan Buddha (天壇大佛) that's located on Lantau Island!
I have seen so many photographs of it on my Facebook news-feed that when i decided to make my own trip there; it's indicated as a must-go attraction on my itinerary! I literally had to force Alex to join me as he is not into religious stuff.
To say the truth; although i am Buddhist, i am not exactly a devout one. However, i do love the intricate beauty and, sometimes, luxurious splendor, of religious abodes and that can be applicable for churches, mosques, temples, synagogues etc.
Gigantic incense stick urn that's likely a white elephant; it's too tall for any normal human to stick any incense sticks and even if it can be used, my gut feeling told me it's restricted to only important events.
The numbers found at the foot of the urn could only mean one thing; it's a time capsule that would be open in Year 2047. I wonder what you can find inside; would it be music CDs of reputable singers in the 1990s?
Guard dogs in the area; kidding as they seemed to be rather tame and were well acquainted with the constant flow of tourists. I see them sleeping most of the time.
Ngong Ping Piazza - the three-platforms structure would have benefited from having a tower to complete the scenery. On second thought, it would have blocked the cone-shaped hill shrouded with clouds.
Let's proceed with the climb up the 268 steps!
People generally keep to the directions; right to go up and left to come down. Not sure there's any religious reason to it; maybe someone can try being the first to arrive in the morning and attempt to go up using the left staircase.
Well, as expected, i would have taken hundreds of photos and it's such a pity if i were to leave them hidden in one of the many folders on my hard-disk.
Now, some information about the 34-meter high statue; it's made from 202 bronze pieces, completed in 1993 after construction began in 1990 and weighed over 250 tons! An interesting trivia; it faces north which is considered unconventional since most large Buddhist statues would look towards the south.
About to reach the top!
The day was windy, thankfully, but the weather was hot!
View of the Ngong Ping Piazza from up high; this time, you can also clearly see the Po Lin Monastery. Even though the Tian Tan Buddha statue is more famous; the truth is that the statue is an extension of the monastery.
"The Offering of the Six Devas" - the smaller yet still large bronze status surrounding the Buddha where items like "flowers, incense, lamp, ointment, fruit, and music" were presented.
I found this photograph quite funny as it gave one the impression that Buddha was rejecting by the offering of music (instrument) by the Deva.
People have always compared Singapore with Hong Kong and one clear winner for Hong Kong is definitely its abundance of natural beauty! In Singapore, hills would likely be levelled for residential, commercial and industrial development.
Alex with the spectacular view behind him!
Most photographers were happy taking just the best angles whereas i am the weird one. Nonetheless, i am impressed with the details even at the back of the statue where one could clear see the pattern of the "robe".
Copying the hand gestures was a favourite activity among the tourists!
Entering the exhibition hall right below the lotus seat of the Tian Tan Buddha (天壇大佛); there's an entry fee which can be offset via a purchase of souvenirs or food vouchers. Click here for more information.
The exhibition hall is a few stories high and you can even find a relic of Buddha on display. I am too stingy to pay for the entry fee and found another path leading to the exit. My guilty conscience, however, prevented me from accessing without a valid ticket.
A slightly elevated, unblocked view of the outlying islands and another photograph with Po Lin Monastery. Pity i didn't allocate any time to check out the monastery.
Some carvings on the lotus seat's petals. I recognised the words as "馮黃慧珍居士" but i couldn't find any article of them on google. Is this part of a donation by a devotee?
Side view of the Buddha.
I took a time-lapsed video and posted on Instagram. Someone commented that it seemed as if the statue is flying in the sky! View to the video to see if you feel the same way!
More photos of the Tian Tan Buddha; compared it with the Big Buddha in Phuket and decide for yourself which one is in line with the Buddha you have in mind. But as the saying goes, looks can only be so much; nothing beats the truthfulness of the heart.
Last time-lapsed video before we proceeded down.
Using the staircase on the left, of course.
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Address
Ngong Ping Rd,
Lantau Island,
Hong Kong
Map
As above.
Website
Opening Hours
10.00 am to 5.30 pm
Additional Information
Scan the QR for a 360 view of the Buddha.
A popular activity in the area is to try the vegetarian cuisine and you can buy the food vouchers from the meal ticket office at the start of the staircase leading up to Tian Tan Buddha.
You may opt for the snack version which is HKD$45 that would consider of soya beancurd, vegetarian bee hoon and a snack / cake.
The ones that people would go for are the official meals and you can choose between the general / deluxe meal. Prices are HDK$110 for general and HDK$150 for the deluxe. Do go for the 4-person meal as you get more dishes! p.s. note that the number of persons having the meal must commensurate with the number on the meal tickets.
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For the summary of my seven days' itinerary to Hong Kong (with a day trip to Shenzhen), please click here.
