Tian Tan Buddha

The Tian Tan Buddha is an 110 foot tall, 250 metric ton bronze statue that sits high on Lantau Island, Hong Kong. My first visit was shortly after its completion back in ’93, so a revisit was necessary.

The bus ride up the mountain from the Tung Chung MTR station took roughly 45 minutes.  Cable car rides are also available near the Tung Chung station.  More info here.

There was commotion getting off the bus. Turned out there were a few Shaolin Monks showcasing their martial arts.

Individuals took turns, and at times it was a group effort.

In the background Buddha overlooks.

Why this lady was posing for me, I have not a clue.  This is at the bottom of the 268 steps that lead up to the statue.

Reaching the top, my heart was thumping a bit from the climbing.

Buddha’s raised right hand represents the removal of affliction.

He sits on lotus leaves which have the engraved names of sponsors who donated $1 million HKD or more to have his statue built.

Surrounding Buddha are Six Devas offering flowers, incense, lamp, ointment, fruit and music to express their tribute to him.

Three of the Six Devas from Buddha’s point of view.

Making my way back down, I stopped by the Po Lin Monastery.

Inside are three Buddha bronze statues representing his past, present, and future life.

Nearby, we stopped to eat at the Po Lin Monastery Restaurant which serves set vegetarian dishes.  You pay by headcount.

A few spiritual words at our table.

I’m not a vegetarian, but the dishes weren’t half bad.  The 5 person set consisted of the soup of the day, deep fried spring rolls, fried mix vegetables with bean curd, black mushroom with vegetables, steam bean curd with light chilli sauce, mixed vegetables with baby mushroom/ginkgo/baby sweet corn, and deep fried bean curd.  White rice is served along with the dishes.

After our meal, it was another 45min trip back down the mountain. The bus was packed, so I chose to stand in the isle instead of waiting for the next scheduled bus. Definitely come check this out if you’re in town. It’s one of the main tourist attractions in Hong Kong.