The highlight of Lantau island is the Big Buddha and the surrounding temples.

Tian Tan Buddha, also known as the Big Buddha, is a large bronze statue of a Buddha Amoghasiddhi, completed in 1993, and located at Ngong Ping, Lantau Island, in Hong Kong. The statue is located near Po Lin Monastery and symbolises the harmonious relationship between man and nature, people and religion. It is a major centre of Buddhism in Hong Kong, and is also a popular tourist attraction. The statue is named Tian Tan Buddha because its base is a model of the Altar of Heaven or Earthly Mount of Tian Tan, the Temple of Heaven in Beijing. It 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 symbolise charity, morality, patience, zeal, meditation, and wisdom, all of which are necessary to enter into nirvana. The Buddha is 34 metres (112 ft) tall, weighs 250 metric tons (280 short tons), and was the world‘s tallest outdoor bronze seated Buddha prior to 2000. It reputedly can even be seen from as far away as Macau on a clear day. Visitors have to climb 268 steps to reach the Buddha, though the site also features a small winding road to the Buddha for vehicles to accommodate the handicapped. 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. Only visitors who purchase an offering for the Buddha are allowed to see the relic, to leave the offering there. 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.*

Visiting the temple is one of the coolest things I’ve done in a while; I couldn’t recommend it enough. You really get a feeling for the serenity of the location and the meaning of it all. Seeing how the faithful come to worship really gets you thinking about spirituality and how humanity has approached it around the world.

As a little tip, if you do visit, make sure to eat at the vegeterian cafe at the base of the main temple, its better than one would expect (particularly as a non-vegetarian).

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