Tian Tan Buddha, Hong Kong

The Tian Tan Buddha (天壇大佛, pronounced in Mandarin as Tiāntán Dàfó, "tian tan" meaning "altar of heaven"), sometimes also called the Big Buddha, is one of Hong Kong's biggest tourist attractions. The 34m tall bronze statue of a sitting Buddha is located on the Lantau island (close to the airport) and was completed in 1993 (Info: Source). People usually take a ride on the Ngong Ping 360 cable car (read my previous post about that) from Tung Chung. Right next to the statue they built a small village in old Chinese style, but of course it's just a replica. It's full of small souvenir shops and restaurants. And there are tourists everywhere. Within few minutes of walk, you arrive at the statue and you have to climb 268 steps to reach to the top. The size of the statue is simply overwhelming. It's simply huge and impressive, probably one of the most impressive sights I've ever seen. The size however is calming and reassuring. Although there are tons of tourists, you feel at peace, you forget everything around you. The statue has a huge aura, an aura that seemingly outshines all the tall surrounding mountains. It's purely magical. I can show you photos and describe the feelings, but luckily I can't recreate the atmosphere for you. You will have to go and visit the Big Buddha for yourself. Until then, enjoy some of my photos:

The Ngong Ping village.

It was close to Chinese new year, hence the red lanterns.

The Big Buddha as seen from the village.

Approaching the Big Buddha.

I love this photo of the sun finding its way through the trees.

And then I was close to the statue and took tons of photos.

The big palm.

Statues of devout followers donating offerings to the Buddha.

The nearby mountain as seen from close to the Buddha.

The Tian Tan Buddha from the side.

I love this photo.

The area near the Buddha.

The Buddha from another angle.

My Hong Kong 2009 tour - NEXT: Mongkok>>

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