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Why the Tian Tan
Buddha is special
This enormous copper Buddha statue - nearly as high as a 10
story building - serenely sits on a mountain top
overlooking the land and sea far below.
Tian Tan
Buddha insights
 The
statue took 10 years to build and was completed in 1993.
The
Tian Tan Buddha is sometimes called the
"Po Lin Buddha" because it is part of
the Po Lin Monastery.
Some
travel books call the figure "the world's
tallest seated outdoor Buddha statue". That
would be true if you insert the word "copper"
(the seated Leshan Buddha stone statue in Sichuan
province is almost three times as high).
To reach the Tian Tan Buddha from Hong
Kong, take the metro to the Tung Chung station. Nearby is the terminal for a new
6 kilometer (4 mile) long cable car system, which transports you to Po Lin.
Once
you are on the Po Lin monastery grounds, you climb 268
steps to reach the base of the statue (top of
stairway can be seen in photo).
Tips for your
vacation tour or trip
Choose
a reasonably clear day for your visit. Otherwise,
clouds might obscure the panoramic vista below and the
head of Buddha above.
If
you do not bring something to eat, the monks serve
a vegetarian lunch to tourists in a large dining
hall. The cost is modest, but so is the food quality.
Pronunciation guide
Tian Tan: tee'ahn-tahn
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