Originally published Tuesday, April 6, 2010 on my blog News From Italy
Hong Kong Trip Part Four
This post brings us to our first weekend in Hong Kong when we were able to have a weekends exploration with our local guides Selina and Chris. On the Saturday we had a very interesting day visiting Lantau Island, the largest outlaying island in Hong Kong, almost twice the size of Hong Kong Island. More than half of it has been designated as Country Park area. Its tranquil and green environment makes it a popular spot for nature's lovers and hikers. We took the MTR out to Tung Chung and then the Ngong Ping Skyrail, actually a cable car which takes you up to the Lantau Peaks and the Ngong Ping Village in around twenty-five minutes.
The walk through this traditionally built village takes you to visit the amazing Giant Buddha or Tian Tan definitely worth the climb up the 268 steps and the adjacent Po Lin Monastery which is fascinating.
Tian Tan is the world's tallest, outdoor, seated bronze Buddha The eyes, lips, incline of the head and even the right hand (raised to deliver a blessing to all), combine to lend great depth of character and dignity to this extraordinary statue.
The majestic figure of the seated Buddha is 34 metres high, was cast in China and took over 10 years to complete. Weighing 250 tonnes, it was unveiled in 1993 amid deeply religious ceremonies.
I have posted just a small selection of the many photos I took that day, so if you would like to see more please visit my Flickr account. http://www.flickr.com/photos/mctumble/
The next day, Sunday we headed out to lunch in Lei Yue Mun a fishing village southeast of Hong Kong where after a walk through the village and out to the temple we headed for the fish market to choose our lunch! You buy the fish fresh from the market traders and then take it to the restaurant of your choice for cooking.
I took photos of the fish Garoupa, Scallops and Prawns,, they were all still alive at this stage.
and some more when they appeared after cooking on our table in the restaurant.
After lunch we took the MTR to Diamond Hill to visit the Chi Lin Nunnery and Nan Lian Gardens One of the most beautiful and arrestingly built environments in Hong Kong; this large Buddhist complex is built completely of wood without the use of a single nail. It is intended to demonstrate the harmony of humans with nature and is pretty convincing, until you look at the skyline! The gardens are peaceful and serene in the midst of the urban hustle and bustle.
I took many more photos of these beautiful gardens which if you are interested in seeing you may view at http://www.flickr.com/photos/mctumble/
How awe inspiring to see that great seated Buddha in the mist. Even the picture gives me shivers and it must have been so much more impressive in real life!
ReplyDeleteWonderful!
ReplyDeleteI love it!
The photograph yourself with the Buddha in fog, is very nice!
And the dishes I love!
Thank you for the interesting trip!
many greetings
Fantastic work...gave me good memories of my trip that i took some time ago!
ReplyDeleteCheers,
My Third Eye
Hi! This is a beautiful blog! Loved your photos.
ReplyDeleteI visit Hong Kong almost every year but I've never been to those places you mentioned in these post. I'll save them for the next visit.
Blessings!
Been HongKong so many times but never visited this island before. Lovely coverage on this part of the island.
ReplyDeleteI have never been to that part of the world and probably will not. I am glad I was not walking in those stairs. I would have sour legs after that. :) But I love that waterlily. I think you need a lot of time when you go to China.
ReplyDeleteWhat a cool place to visit, I love the photos. Did you go on the sky ride. I enjoyed your post and photos.
ReplyDeleteWhen we would go to Maui, Hawaii, we would always visit the Buddha shrine..My favorite saying from Buddha.."Hate is like a hot coal, it only burns the one holding it."....I just think that says it all..a good man..
ReplyDeleteAhhhhh, finally something I have seen from Hong Kong! The Giant Buddah and the Monastery have the advantage of being quite close to the airport and easy to reach by public transportation, so I spent a couple of hours visiting them on my Hong Kong layover on my return trip from New Zealand... A very impressive place indeed! :o)
ReplyDeleteOn my way up in the funicular I was intrigued by the paths I could see below me, making their way up to the peak with thousands of steps... I would love to climb up that way some day! Did you notice them?
For me they go hand in hand. When I travel it makes me want to write, when I read it makes me want to travel.
ReplyDelete