Giant Buddha at Po Lin, Hong Kong

Last week I referred to the Giant Buddha at Po Lin and I promised to cover it in a future article – so here we go.

The Giant Buddha is on Lantau Island, and an easy half day out from Hong Kong.

There are several ways of reaching it:

• Ferry to Mui Wo and then bus (the destination is given as Ngong Ping on the signs)
• Train (or car) to Tung Chung and then bus
• Train to Tung Chung and then the Ngong Ping 360 Cable Car (spectacular views of the airport on a clear day)

The Po Lin monastery was originally built in 1924 on Lantau Island. Lantau is basically a mountain rising out of the sea and the entire island is spectacular (unless you don’t like mountains!).

There are more details and statistics on Po Lin and the Buddha here.

Although the trip up to Po Lin by the 360 cable car is spectacular, I personally prefer the ferry-to-Mui-Wo-and-a-bus-to-Po-Lin route. It’s more relaxing and you get a much better sense of what Lantau’s like.

Plus Tung Chung is very unattractive, and the Cable Car is very commercialised.

That said, if it’s clear, the cable car does offer some spectacular views of the airport and Tung Chung (a concrete jungle of (mostly) high rise residential buildings). Again, if you do choose the cable car the destination is Ngong Ping, not Po Lin.

The size of the Giant Buddha is difficult to describe – and better appreciated from afar.

If you take the ferry to Macau, for example, you’ll reach a point en route, shortly after passing Cheung Chau, where you can see the Buddha from the ferry. And that’s where you can get a true appreciation of its size.

From up close it’s so big you can’t fully grasp it.

Getting up to the Buddha itself from the monastery is by a series of steps – and you may need to take them slowly or be ready to give yourself a break on the way up if it’s hot and you’re not particularly fit.

But it’s well worth the climb.

Once there you get spectacular views of Lantau and, for a small fee, a meal. If you choose not to take the meal there’s no charge and you can wander around inside the Buddha to read up on its history and the culture it represents.

The Po Lin monastery itself is beautiful (see the pictures below). And if you go up there during the week, or out of season, you can sit in the gardens and get a real sense of peace. And there’s no rush – you can just sit there and chill out.

Weekends and peak times are, of course, a different story.

Whichever route to choose to follow, Po Lin and the Giant Buddha is an easy half day out from Hong Kong Island – and well worth the trip.

Alternatively you could take a more organised tour. 1-Day Lantau Exploration with Lunch.

Even if you’re not interested in Buddhism, it’s a great way to see some spectacular parts of Hong Kong and get a sense of the local culture.

Here are some pictures. Click on the thumbnail for a bigger picture and then click again on the bigger picture for a decent sized one. You’re more than welcome to use them as long as you attribute them to www.best-familyvacations.com.

Take a look at some of the tours to Hong Kong.

Cheers,

Tagged as: lantau