Big Buddha a Colossal gift for People of Faith
Ngong Ping 360 and Big Buddha
Popular attractions
Hong Kong is again seeing many global visitors, and proof of this was evident on my recent trip to popular attractions, Ngong Ping 360 and the Big Buddha.
Tian Tan Buddha, the huge bronze statue, also known fondly as the Big Buddha, is the largest figurative sculpture in Hong Kong and a significant site for Buddhist devotees and pilgrims from around the world.
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It is an esteemed representation of Siddhartha Gautama, known as the Buddha, who founded Buddhism.
Largest figurative sculpture
The Big Buddha and its caretaker, the adjacent Po Lin Monastery, are tourist landmarks.
Specifically, the thirty-four-meter tall, 250-tonne bronze, steel and golden-coloured colossus, although dwarfed by its vast surrounding landscape, is featured largely in every tourism advertisement for the city.
From afar and in countless aerial shots, the Big Buddha looks tiny, like a Lilliputian-sized toy.
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It is when one starts to get close, especially on approach via the dangling cable car, while walking towards it, and as you climb the 268 steps up to it, that it becomes an awesome and mighty sight to behold.
Tian Tan Buddha an awesome sight
On the day I visited, it was sometimes covered by mist, and as the fog rolled over the statue and the sun peaked through the clouds, the atmospheric effect produced a mystical sight of the serenely postured Buddha.
There were many moments when I understood why Buddhist devotees flock to bathe in its presence.
Po Lin Monastery
Alongside the cacophony of voices of foreign visitors jostling for the pride of place for photo taking, there were also many locals who had come to admire and appreciate the stunning view of this astonishing giant sitting amongst breathtaking vistas.
Po Lin Monastery emerged in 1924 from humble beginnings as a thatched meditation hut and agrarian sanctuary for Buddhist monks, to being officially recognised as a monastery with the appointment of its first abbot.
Big Buddha on Mount Muk Yue
In the 1970s, the idea of producing a sculpture to pay homage to the Buddha was conceived in the spirit of the past when Buddhist arts flourished. In 1974, the Hong Kong government granted land on Mount Muk Yue to build a sculpture.
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Monks from Po Lin Monastery subsequently had the opportunity to visit Tian Tan, the Temple of Heaven, in Beijing.
The Emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties venerated this profoundly important cultural site and revered it for its symbolism and connection with the cosmos.
The monks were inspired to build the statue on a similar base platform, which is why its official name is Tian Tan Buddha Statue.
Platform like Temple of Heaven
Reverentially, the statue in Hong Kong is seated cross-legged on a lotus throne and facing north towards Beijing.
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The Big Buddha statue was inaugurated in December 1993 and is an engineering marvel. From conception to completion, it took twelve years.
Designed and cast in Nanjing, transported by sea to Lantau Island, and assembled on-site over three years, it was a monumental project that overcame hurdles caused by size, weight and wind.
Since its founding, the Po Lin Monastery has been a draw for devotees and is a centre for promoting Buddhism and Chinese culture.
The monastery offers tea, a vegetarian lunch and a snack shop that serves respectfully made foods from its vegetarian kitchen.
The Big Buddha and the monastery are a short walk from the Ngong Ping 360, which refers to several major attractions.
Ngong Ping 360
The first is the Ngong Ping 360 cable car. The Ngong Ping 360 Tung Chung terminal is next to the Citygate Mall, outside the Tung Chung MTR station.
The cable car starts at ground level but quickly crosses the bay and begins to soar skyward, lifting high up into the mountains.
As promised, the ride offers a 360-degree panorama view.
On a clear day, the twenty-five-minute journey offers vast vistas of the undulating verdant hillsides of Lantau Country Park and the South China Sea.
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The view of the Hong Kong International Airport is breathtaking as planes take off and land.
As the cable car approaches the Ngong Ping terminal, the star attraction, the stunning Buddha, comes into view, but the distance makes it look somewhat diminutive.
Outside the station, Ngong Ping village has plenty to keep anyone amused for hours.
The village welcomes visitors with an array of entertainment, dining, retail and festive options.
Nostalgia-inspired exhibition
There is a wonderfully unique chopstick gallery, a charming tea house, and many souvenir shops.
Dining is offered at every price level, from seated restaurants to cafes, snack and dessert shops and even a 7-Eleven.
For this festive season, attractions include themed decorations, and a special nostalgia-inspired exhibition titled Ngong Ping 360 x Red A Christmas Dream Factory.
Red A is an iconic Hong Kong plasticware manufacturer. The company is celebrating its seventy-fifth anniversary with this collaborative exhibition showcasing its archives of household and industrial use items, designed and produced throughout its multi-decades’ history.
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A collection of hundreds of recognisable kitchenware such as fluted multicolour jelly cups, multifaceted crystal-inspired plates, platters, candy trays and toys ignite a flood of memories and wistfulness for the time when Hong Kong was an industrial manufacturing centre.
These goods, economically produced, made their way into local homes and were exported globally.
Artist Jessica Chiu created a Christmas-themed art installation with recycled Red A products.
The tree-shaped assemblage of water buckets, basins, stools and plasticware was completed with festive lights and finishing touches hand-painted by the artist on-site.
Ngong Ping Village was purpose-built to add an extra dimension for visitors. The village increases the desirability for taking the cable car up Lantau Island to see the Big Buddha.
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A much more affordable form of transportation is via the local buses. A bus leaves outside Tung Chung MTR station, and another from Mui Wo village.
Although at a mere fraction of the cost of the cable car, the bus ride is a more rugged adventure.
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The bus journey tosses and rolls around steep terrains and tight turns and is not easy for anyone with a weak stomach.
Both forms of transport will have long lineups during the holidays, especially on Buddhist festivals.
The Ngong Ping 360 cable car and village were purpose-built to attract tourists to Lantau Island and combined with the Po Lin Monastery and the Big Buddha – they succeeded.
It is a full-day activity if you want to get the most out of it. Less time spent visiting is possible, but it is a squeeze to fit it all in.
Regardless of how much time one has, a visit is a must for those coming to Hong Kong for the first time.
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I visited on a weekday, which avoided the weekend crowds, yet the site was still flowing with tour groups and families.
Although the ticket to ride the Ngong Ping 360 cable car is “theme park” priced, the bus is “commuter priced”, and access to the Ngong Ping village and the Big Buddha is free.
Trails and hiking routes to Big Buddha
For nature lovers, there are lovely walking trails and hiking routes to and from the village.
Whether visitors arrive by cable car, bus or on foot, there is much to see and do at this Lantau Island peak.
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The visit can be as boisterous or peaceful and as expensive, or not, as one would want it to be.
Text & Photos Cammy Yiu
