Po Lin Monastery & Big Buddha

Top choice


Po Lin is a huge Buddhist monastery and temple complex that was built in 1924. Today it seems more of a tourist honeypot than a religious retreat, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors a year and still being expanded. Most of the buildings you'll see on arrival are new, with the older, simpler ones tucked away behind them. The main compound has several areas to peer into, such as the Main Shrine Hall of Buddha.

The big draw is the enormous seated bronze Buddha, a must-see on any Hong Kong trip. Commonly known as the "Big Buddha," the Tian Tan Buddha is a representation of Lord Gautama some 23m high (or 26.4m with the lotus), or just under 34m if you include the podium. It was unveiled in 1993, and today it still holds the honour of being the tallest seated bronze Buddha statue in the world.

How to get to Po Lin Monastery

The Ngong Ping 360 Cable Car offers the quickest and most scenic route (HK$270 round trip for standard cabin). The "Crystal Cabin" features a glass bottom (and runs HK$350 round trip). Rides start at Tung Chung, which is easily accessed on the MTR. Alternatively, the No 23 bus takes the terrestrial route.

 


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Yin Hing Monastery

1.46 MILES

There are good views of the mountains from this small Buddhist monastery, hidden away inside the South Lantau Country Park.

2. Hau Wong Temple

2.24 MILES

Facing Tung Chung Bay is this double-roofed temple, founded at the end of the Song dynasty. It contains a bell dating from 1765 that's inscribed by the…

3. Tung Chung

2.27 MILES

Before 1994 Tung Chung, on Lantau’s northern coast, was an inaccessible farming village. Less than four years later, it was transformed into a new town…

4. Tung Chung Fort & Battery

2.55 MILES

Annals record a settlement at Tung Chung as early as the Ming dynasty. There are several Buddhist establishments in the upper reaches of the valley, but…

5. Tai O Tin Hau Temple

2.67 MILES

The main gods here are Tin Hau, Goddess of the Sea, and notably, Madam Kam Fa, the Goddess of Fertility and protector of infants and pregnant women. Every…

6. Tong Fuk

2.76 MILES

The beach at Tong Fuk is not Lantau's nicest, but the village has holiday flats, several shops and restaurants, and its distance from Mui Wo means it's…

7. Shui Hau Beach

2.77 MILES

Lantau's largest stretch of mudflat, Shui Hau Beach, is lovely, with rippled black sand mirroring the sky and mangroves teeming with crustaceans and clams…

8. Stilt Houses

2.9 MILES

Tai O's remaining stilt houses stand over the waterway, scrunched up against each other for support. Some have ladders descending to boats, the vehicle of…