The Tian Tan Buddha, commonly known as the Big Buddha, is located on the largest outlying island of Hong Kong - the Lantau Island. The 34-metre bronze statue is the second-largest outdoor sitting Buddha in the world. The name, Tian Tan Buddha, comes from the base it sits on, which is a replica of Tian Tan, the Temple of Heaven in Beijing.
Being the main event of the island, we left early our 6 square metres flat hoping to beat the crowd. To reach the popular attraction, the faster (not cheapest) way from Hong Kong downtown was to catch a cable car from the Tung Chung MRT station - 11 stops away from the Jordan station where we had settled in. We could have reached the Giant Buddha by ferry or public bus but the gondola offers stunning panoramic views and some goosebumps (keep ready to know more).
Large groups of tourists usually queue up hours to buy the admission tickets and board the cable car. Today, very few people were in front of us and in less than 5 minutes we were sitting in the capsule ready to cross the bay up to the mountain village of Ngong Ping. That's how we like to start a day!
For 25 minutes we soared through the air with the steep hillside in front of us and the Hong Kong International Airport on our back. Underneath we could see hikers climbing up the 6 kilometres track to the village. Something we would have enjoyed trying with more time to spare. Maybe next time.
Suddenly, out of the mist, the statue of Buddha appeared, facing north to protect all people of China - Buddha statues generally face south. The figure increased in size as we were approaching the village. The sight was stunning!
As we alighted the capsule, we were greeted by the fabricated village of Ngong Ping. Too many shops and even more eateries made it fell like an amusement park with its 5d cinema, Starbucks outlet and Spa facilities. Fortunately, the staircase leading up to the Big Buddha was close by and that feeling faded away.
We ascended the 268 steps to the platform, one step at a time, with the Buddha watching down on us. At the top, we were rewarded a tranquil atmosphere paired with amazing views of the mountains and of the South China Sea beyond the Lantau Island.
The Po Ling Monastery, which coordinates the project from 1981 to 1989 when the last piece of the majestic statue was put in place, was clearly visible. It deserves a full visit on it own by the way and serves a full vegetarian lunch every day.
The weather was still cloudy and heavy wind made the visit tedious. We had to fight against the wind to circle the platform home of the 250 tons bronze Buddha. In no time, like by magic, the wind chased off the clouds and the warm sun showed up in the blue sky just above the figure sitting on its lotus throne - it was just magnificent.
After further exploration of the premise, we headed back for the final thrill of the day - a crystal cabin. A special capsule with a thick see-through glass floor. The experience was amazing. Even if you only do one way with that specifically equipped capsule, you have to try. We did it on our way down as it's often foggy in the morning and less impressive.
The sensation was incredible. Like a bird, we admired the beautiful 360 degrees scenery and the view beneath us, 100 meters above the ground. Those 25 minutes could have lasted hours.
We finished the day with a lot of (difficult) planning for our next trip to India, two large Tsingtao beers (well deserved) and an egg waffle from Mammy Pancake - a local celebrity shop when it comes to that dish. Their crispy waffle, still moist and soft fluffiness on the inside, was pretty Damn good!