Yes, Hongkong is known worldwide as one of the most modern and cosmopolitan cities in Asia. It’s a bustling place full of ‘fashionista’s’ and shopping freaks. But little of tourists know about the ‘green’ side of Hongkong. In Lantau Island, (another major Island in the HK peninsula), sits the worlds tallest outdoor seated bronze Buddha, a Wisdom path, Po Lin Monastery, Ngong Pin Village and another spectacular view unexpected from busy Hongkong. Lantau Island is hilly, with virgin green mountains and an endless view of the South China Sea.
I took the a ferry from Central Pier 6 going to Mui Po in Lantau Island that morning for 11HKD to see the Buddha and all the other attractions surrounding it.
The Bronze Buddha
The boat ride took an hour, and another 40 min bus ride (BUS 2) from the Lantau Pier to the Buddha. The roads were steep and winding everyone must have gotten nauseous, since we were all silent the entire trip!
The Buddha looked huge indeed.. It serenely sat atop Ngong Ping plateau amid the spectacular mountain scenery. To come face to face with it, one has to climb a 100+ stair steps. Adjacent to the Buddha was a path called “wisdom path”. It is an outdoor replica of the centuries-old heart Sutra, one of the world’s best known prayers that is revered by Confucians, Buddhists, and Taoists alike. The 15 min walk on the path ahead led me to a hill with standing giant stone tablets (with Chinese inscriptions on it). all neatly arranged to form the number “8”, to symbolize the idea of immeasurable splendour and infinity.
The long walk back to the Buddha dehydrated me, so I stopped for a Coke at the only restaurant in the area, Tea Garden. A hundred meters away from where the Buddha is, is a Chinese village called Ngong Ping Village.
Ngong Ping Village
The buildings although new, depicted the cultural and spiritual integrity of the Ngong Ping area as they say. I thought all the while that it was a “real village” but was shocked to see that they were actually souvenir shops and café bars (Starbucks too!) for tourists visiting the area. The village also features several themed attractions. A cable car on the village also enables tourists to take a more scenic view of the Buddha and the mountains around.
Another 2 hour trip back to HK Island, and I was just in time for the Symphony of Lights on the Avenue of the Stars. The show is named as the world’s largest permanent light and sound show by the Guinness World Records, and lights come out from more than 40 buildings on both sides of the Victoria Harbour. . Laser lights come out from the skyscraper tops, all creating a rhythmic cris-cross reflection on the bay. All these happen every night at 8pm, and people flock to the harbour at night just to see the show.
The Symphony of Lights as seen from the Avenue of the Stars
I spent the entire time shooting the best shots of the trip so far! At the far end of the avenue, is the Clock Tower. It is originally a part of the Kowloon-Canton Railway terminus since the early 1900’s but has been a declared monument in 1990. J
