Following my 3 week work trip to Shenzhen, I traveled to Hong Kong. Technically, this territory is officially part of China, but there are still many functional and cultural differences. Unlike Shenzhen, this visit was entirely personal, so I had plenty of time to explore.
One of my first stops was Tian Tan (Altar of Heaven) Big Buddha. It’s a 30 minute metro ride away from Central Hong Kong, and is situated not far from the main airport.
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- The visit to Big Buddha begins with a 20 minute cable car ride.
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- From the cable cars, Big Buddha slowly comes into view, and rises above the trees.
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- Every day is hot this time of year, so visitors approaching Big Buddha and the Po Lin Monastery have fans and umbrellas.
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- Buddha sits at the top of many stairs, but it’s well worth the climb.
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- The Buddha is quite substantial to see in person.
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- These arches form the entrance to the pathway that goes to the Po Lin Monastery.
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- From the top near Big Buddha, you can see the Po Lin Monastery nestled among beautiful mountains with a few clouds in the air.
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- In the monastery area, there are many places to burn incense.
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- The monastery is very well decorated inside.
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- My coworker noted that there’s the old joke about a bull in china shop, but thankfully, this bull walks in peace, roaming the area freely.