Lantau Island is the largest island in Hong Kong. There is a
spectacular cable car known as the Ngong Ping 360. It is considered to
be the longest in Asia. Being there during the Chinese New Year is
amazing. It is the same New Year that has made us take their symbols
into our own calendar. Characters for the year can be horses, dragons,
snakes or even rabbits. Confusion sometimes arises when deciding whether
a year can be characterized by the rabbit or the cat. This is because
of the multitone of the word "cat".
The road towards the big Buddha as many other streets of Hong Kong are
always decorated on the first day of the first moon on the Chinese lunar
calendar. This marks the beginning of a new year. Funny enough this
date changes from year to year!
As one heads to buy a ticket to the cable car, there are many welcome
messages in the many languages of the world. To get to the Po Lin
monastery and to the big statue of Buddha known as Tian Tau Buddha, one
needs to take a cable car. You can choose one with a transparent floor
or an ordinary one. But on weekends there is high demand for the ones
with transparent floors. The queue for them is usually long and people
usually wait for hours not to miss them.
A 25 minute ride on the cable car opens a variety of breathtaking views.
This one here might be the third type of cabins not spoken of at the cashier's desk.
And on the crystal-clear water you might notice several fishing boats as this one here.
A view of the city and its skyscrappers.
The airport from afar.
Up we rise.
And the path winds itself like a snake through the hills.
Tourists take a break after a long day's trek.
It is said that in good visibilty the Big Buddha can be seen from as
far as Macau. Hard to believe though. Seeing is believing they say.
Ngong Ping is a modern, Chinese styled cultural village. All the
brightness, colorfulness and elegance remind one of an amusement park.
Here there is a multimedia a presentation known as "Walking with
Buddha", the "Monkey Tales" theatre, the International Cable Car
gallery, and the Nature center of Ngong Ping. Not forgetting the ever
increasing souvenir shops, tea shops, fast food stalls and restaurants.
Just everything a tourist needs.
A boulevard in Ngong Ping.
Some statue with a funny helmet.
The Buddha sitting in a lotus pose weighs 250 tons and has a height of
34 meters. He sits on a hill above the Po Lin monastery, at the very top
of steep climbing stairs. He is surrounded by six Bodhisattva each with
a symbolic offering. Buddha gracefully, kindly and somehow ironically
looks at them. The statue itself is made on a framed base that consists
of 202 pieces that were cast for a period of 3 years at Nanjing.
Before the statue of Buddha was erected, the Po Lin monastery was a
quiet refuge for the faithful just below the Lantau Peak. But after the
construction of the Buddha the number of pilgrims and tourists has risen
tremendously.
A square in front of the staircase that leads to Buddha.
Views from the summit.
This is also one of the Buddhistic symbols.
An offering box with coins from different countries.
The monastery yard smells of flowers and fruits given in offering. And
of course there will be tears in your eyes from the incense smoke.
An interesting character. Looks like a smiley.
Seems like there are farmers in Ngong Ping too.
Hand-made dolls meet the passers-by.
And around the yard you will find scattered golden items. You wonder if they are made from real gold.
One word for this is WOW! Looks just like in the movies.
Buddha from one angle.
And from another.
The cable car during sunset.
via polina_delia
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