Hong Kong Day 1

Lucky me to be able to join Dan on a trip to Hong Kong (Nov. 14-19). Taking into account travel time (way too much travel time...), we had three full days. Dan of course had to work, giving me three days to explore all by myself. I was armed with maps, books and a handy new Hong Kong app., and I was off.

We stayed in the Lan Kwai Fong Hotel in the Central area of Hong Kong Island.

View from our hotel room (26th floor)

On my first day I ate breakfast at the coffee shop with Dan, then headed out to Lantau Island to visit the Po Lin Monastery and Tian Tan Buddha

To get there I took the MTR (easy!) to Lantau Island, than the Ngong Ping 360 Cable Car up (and up and up and up) the Mountain. This was an incredible trip, thankfully I am not too afraid of heights.

Po Lin Monastery (literally "Precious Lotus Zen Temple") is a Buddhist monastery, located on Ngong Ping Plateau, on Lantau Island, Hong Kong.

The monastery was founded in 1906 The main temple houses 3 bronze statues of the Buddha representing his past, present and future lives as well as many Buddhist scriptures.

Tian Tan Buddha is one of the five large Buddha statues in China. The Buddha statue sits on a lotus throne on top of a three-platform altar. It is 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 Buddha is 112 ft tall, weighs 250 metric tons, and was the world's tallest outdoor bronze seated Buddha prior to 2007. Visitors have to climb 268 steps in order to reach the Buddha.

The Tian Tan Buddha appears serene and dignified. His right hand is raised, representing the removal of affliction.The Buddha's left hand rests on his lap in a gesture of giving dhana. The Buddha faces north, which is unique among the great Buddha statues, as all others face south.




In addition, there are 3 floors beneath the Buddha statue: The Hall of Universe, The Hall of Benevolent Merit, and The Hall of Remembrance. One of the most renowned features inside is a relic of Gautama Buddha, consisting of some of his alleged cremated remains. There is a huge carved bell inscribed with images of Buddhas in the show room. It was designed to ring every seven minutes, 108 times a day, symbolising the release of 108 kinds of human vexations.


I ate a pleasant vegetarian meal at the monastery (see my other blog for the deets), then took the cable car back down the mountain, and traveled back to Hong Kong Island.

Can you believe this is the same city?

Later that evening we took the tram to Victoria Peak, where we ate dinner at The Peak Lookout.

The Peak Tramway carries both tourists and residents to the upper levels of Hong Kong Island. Running from Central district to Victoria Peak via the Mid-Levels, it provides the most direct route and offers good views over the harbour and skyscrapers of Hong Kong.

The Peak Tram's route from Central district to Victoria Peak covers a distance of about 1.4kilometres and a height difference of just under 400 metres.

The lower terminus station, Garden Road, is located on Garden Road near St. John's Cathedral. The original station was incorporated into St. John's Building, an office tower, with the tram terminus at the ground level. The station comprises a single track, with platforms on both sides.

The upper terminus, The Peak is located below the Peak Tower shopping and leisure complex at Victoria Gap, some 150 metres below the summit of Victoria Peak.