Hong Kong Free And Easy Trip – Day 5

Hong Kong Free and Easy Day 5

After breakfast, we took Street Tram from North Point to Wan Chai, an excellent experience.  You should have a try if time permitted.  It is very cheap, only HK$2 per trip.

Hong Kong Tram

Tram Price at $2 for Adults.

LANTAU ISLAND 大屿山

MTR: Take Tung Chung MTR line 东涌线 to Tung Chung MTR Station 东涌 Exit B

Lantau Island with a land mass of 147.16 km2, it is the sixth largest island in China and the largest island in Hong Kong, almost twice the size of Hong Kong Island.

Lantau Island

Originally the site of fishing villages, the island has been developed in recent years with the construction of Tung Chung New Town on its north-western coast and the completion of several major infrastructure projects, including Lantau Link (1997), Hong Kong International Airport (1998), Hong Kong Disneyland (2005) and Ngong Ping 360 (2006).

NGONG PING 360 昂坪 360

Cable Car Terminal: 3 mins walk from Tung Chung MTR Station

Open: 10am to 6pm for Weekday and 9am to 6.30pm for Weekends

Ticket:

1. For Crystals Cabin at HK$169 Round trip / HK$118 Single trip
2. For Standard Cabin at HK$115 Round trip / HK80 Single trip

OR

Bus: Take Bus 23 from the Bus Station below the Cable Car Terminal

Cable Car Terminal at Tung Chung

Bus Station Below The Cable Car Terminal at Tung Chung

Ngong Ping 360 is located on a 1.5 hectare site on Lantau Island.  Tourist can experience a 5.7 km cable car journey (about 25 mins) with spectacular views of the Lantau Island natural scenery.

Ngong Ping Village

Ngong Ping Village is a single street that leads to Po Lin Monastery and Tian Tan Big Buddha.  This amazing cultural themed village has been architecturally designed & landscaped to reflect the cultural & spiritual integrity of the Ngong Ping area.

Entrance to the Giant Buddha

TIAN TAN BUDDHA 天坛大佛

Tian Tan Buddha or Big Buddha is 34 meters tall, weights 250 metric tons, and is the world’s tallest outdoor bronze seated Buddha prior to 2007.

Giant Buddha

Being on Lantau Island, it’s a must to try to climb climb the stairs to reach the top of the hill.  You’ll feel like you’ve achieved something after climbing the 268 steps to reach the foot of the Giant Buddha.

Starting Point – 268 Steps Staircase

Going Up

The Tian Tan Buddha statue sits on a lotus throne on top of a three-platform altar, appears serene and dignified, is symbolises the harmonious relationship between man and nature, people and religion.

The Buddha right hand is raised, representing the removal of affliction and left hand rests on his lap in a gesture of giving dhana.

The Buddha faces north, which is unique among all the great giant Buddha statues, as all others face south.

Welcome to Giant Buddha

Buddha surrounded by six smaller bronze statues known as “The Offering of the Six Devas” and are posed offering flowers, incense, lamp, ointment, fruit, and music to the Buddha.

These offerings symbolize charity, morality, patience, zeal, meditation, and wisdom, all of which are necessary to enter into nirvana.

The Offering of the Six Devas

Big Statue of The Offering of the Six Devas

You can optionally purchase a ticket which includes a vegetarian lunch and exhibition center entrance fee at the ticket counter below the Buddha statue.  The exhibits are crystal balls or “sariras” residues, which is from the remains of cremation of devout Buddhist.

Famous Giant Buddha of Lantau Island

View From Giant Buddha

The best time to visit the Big Buddha should be in the morning.  Because, the afternoon sun fall behind the Big Buddha, making it difficult to take good photos from the front.

PO LIN MONASTERY 宝莲禅寺

The Po Lin Monastery was founded in 1906 by three monks visiting from Jiangsu and was initially known as “The Big Hut”.  It was renamed to its present name in 1924.  The main temple houses 3 bronze statues of the Buddha representing his past, present and future lives as well as many Buddhist scriptures.

Poh Lin Monastery

The Grand Hall 大雄宝殿 of the monastery, is closed for daily afternoon prayer at 3 pm.

THE WISDOM PATH 心经简林

Another famous attraction in Lantau Island is The Wisdom Path.  From Po Lin Monastery, follow sign to Tea Garden entrance – walk along the hiking trail for about 15 mins.

Giant Wooden Sutras at Wisdom Path

The Wisdom Path is an outdoor replica of the centuries-old Heart Sutra, one of the world’s best known prayers that is reserved by Confucians, Buddhists and Taoist alike.  

The Sutra is displayed in wooden pillars placed in the form of infinite figure which symbolize the immeasurable splendor and infinity.

Wisdom Path View From Another Angle

Lantau Peak or Fung Wong Shan 鳳凰山 is the second highest peak in Hong Kong.  It is situated on Lantau Island, with a height of 934 m above sea level.  It is most famous for the sunrise scenery viewed from the summit.

Fung Wong Shan 鳳凰山

Shek Pik Reservoir is the fourth largest freshwater reservoir in Hong Kong, completed in 1963.

Outside Tung Chung MTR station is shopping centre that houses many factory outlets such as Nike, Esprit, etc.

TSIM SHA TSUI 尖沙咀

Tonight dinner with Uncle Zhan’s Family, my lovely family.

Dinner at Tsim Sha Shui

Link: Hong Kong Free and Easy Trip Day 1

Link: Hong Kong Free and Easy Trip Day 2

Link: Hong Kong Free and Easy Trip Day 3

Link: Hong Kong Free and Easy Trip Day 4

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