The Po Lin Monastery in Hong Kong is quite remote, hidden away in the lush mountains of Lantau island. Getting there is a treat in its own right, whether you go by bus or by foot, following the trails, which I regrettably didn’t do, or ride on the Ngong Ping cable car, with stunning views, which I did do. There is only one thing you need to remember, and that is close your eyes as you step off the cable car and make you way through the very commercial Ngong Ping village. When you emerge on the other side, you’ve made it to the monastery and its Big Buddha, and the surroundings calm down, a bit – there is a lot of people out to do the same as you 🙂 Even though the monastery is beautiful – liked the dragon interior and the garden, and has a popular vegetarian restaurant and snack shop, I guess many, if not most, come for the bronze Tian Tan Buddha. And it’s quite the sight. It’s huge 🙂 Climbing the 268 steps up to the platform provides great views too. Between the ride to the Ngong Ping plateau, the monastery and the Buddha, I had a nice day out!
Website: plm.org.hk
I have visited a number of temples, buddhas, and statues in Asia and I remember that many of these landmarks are accessible by long flights of stairs. I think there must be some cultural or religious significance to having to climb the stairs to reach the destination.
It never struck me, but I guess it’s true, thinking of it. Maybe it’s so that we have time to consider all our wrongdoings 😀