Lantau Island
Lantau is the largest outlying island in Hong Kong – almost twice the size of Hong Kong! More than half of Lantau has been designated a country park area. Its tranquil and green environment makes it a popular spot for nature lovers and hikers. Incidentally, the island is also home to Hong Kong’s top notch international airport, Chek Lap Kok, and much maligned Hong Kong Disneyland which opened in 2006.On a side note, as an illustration of how the Chinese language sometimes loses its beauty when translated, we’ve included the following picture. Here’s some useful information on the Lantau Island Ferry. Note that it still gets the point across:
Giant Buddha and Po Lin Monastery
The 34 meter high Giant Buddha, the world’s tallest, outdoor, seated, bronze Buddha statue, sits on a lotus throne above a three-platform altar and weighs 250 tons. We purchased an admission ticket with includes a vegetarian meal at the staircase in front of the Giant Buddha. As you can see from these pictures, its really an awesome sight as you approach it from the road and see the clouds surrounding Buddha. We also had a great vegetarian lunch in at the monastery dining hall and we were told that you can stay there for a night if you are seeking enlightenment.
The nearby Po Lin Monastery, set amid spectacular mountain scenery on the 520 meter high Ngong Ping plateau, has a fabulous vegetarian restaurant where we had a hearty lunch!
We visited Ngong Ping Village, a Hong Kong culturally-themed attraction. You can travel by Ngong Ping Skyrail (aka cable car) to the Ngong Ping Village which includes three themed attractions: Walking with Buddha, Monkey’s Tale Theater and Ngong Ping Tea House.
The Wisdom Path
This is an outdoor wooden replica of the centuries-old Heart Sutra, one of the world’s best known prayers that is revered by Confucius, Buddhists and Taoists alike. It has been erected in the form of the symbol for infinity (∞) which represents immeasurable splendor and the concept of nothingness.
Tung Chung Fort
Occupying a 70 meter by 80 meter site, Tung Chung Fort was built in the early 19th century as part of a short-lived attempt to suppress the opium trade and defend the coastal area from pirates. The fort was declared a monument in 1979.
