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Po Lin Monastery

The Po Lin Monastery, which literally translates as 'Precious Lotus Monastery’, is located above Lantau's central mountain range. It is the most renowned Buddhist monastery in Hong Kong.

 
Originally built by three monks visiting from Jiangsu in 1906, the monastery was initially called 'the Big Hut'. That time it was only a shrine. Gradually, many monks settled there and it was renamed 'Po Lin Monastery'. It expanded further in the decade of 1930. Additional larger halls and temple were added to the monastery. Continuously growing with time, it became one of the top monasteries in Hong Kong.
 
The Monastery holds a colossal copper statue of Sakyamuni or Tian Tan Buddha. The statue is 26 meters high and weighs 250 metric tons and is regarded as the tallest outdoor Buddha statue in the world. The brightly painted red-orange and gold structure was completed in 1990. It depicts a seated Buddha in meditating position. The pedestal of the statue is a three-story exhibition hall in which there is a big bell. The bell is delicately engraved with Buddhist figures and Buddhist scriptures. Controlled by a computer, the bell is rung once every seven minutes, 108 times a day-in essence to "relieve" 108 vexations.
 
Visitors to this temple are welcomed to browse the temple grounds and those famished can treat themselves to a hearty vegetarian meal served by resident monks in a huge dining hall.
 
Not far from the Po Lin Monastery is a tea plantation and teahouse serving a local-style high tea known as the Lantau Tea Garden. The teahouse has rooms for rent, barbecue facilities, and a free camping area.
 
Heading west from Po Lin is a superb walking path that crosses mountain ridges, small canyons, and rushing streams en route to Lantau's Yin Hing Monastery. The monastery is a haven opulent with traditional Buddhist paintings and statues. Surrounding the monastery are mountains, farmland, and the deep blue South China Sea.

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