A Big Buddha in Hong Kong
My first impression of Hong Kong is of skyscrapers shooting into the hazy sky. Then, when I was taken to the other side of the island, I was amazed that there can exist such exotic beach alcoves in proximity to the vastness of the neon sign topped scrappers. Plus, to add another dimension, someone told me that on a hilltop sits the biggest bronze Buddha’s on the planet. It’s the third largest Buddha known to be in existence. My mind boggles.
I had to confirm this with my own eyes, so yesterday, is when I began my spiritual journey to the Tian Tan Buddha. The Buddha is located on Lantau Island, west of Hong Kong Island, which can only be reached by ferry. I wish I could have reached it by the Mass Transit Rail, it’s one of the cleanest and most efficient public transport rail systems I’ve ever be on. But, not to change the subject, but the MTR is really worth mentioning.
I arrived safely via the ferry in Tung Chung on the island of Lantau. The second part of my journey was to take the cable-car up to see the giant Buddha. I calmly surveyed the jungle covered foothills below. I was expecting to see something like Table Mountain style capacity in the cable-car, fifteen to twenty people, standing room only and a box attached to hundreds of meters of cable, but what I found was an Austrian ski slope gondola system that stretched from the heart of a 30-story residential district, almost 6 kilometers over an opaque turquoise lake and heading into the jungle clan hills.
It was during the decent that I saw the big bronze Buddha for the first time. It’s on a hilltop, outlined by a grey sky. A sitting Buddha overlooking the valley before him. As I climbed up the 250 steps to get to the base of the statue, I wondered how on Earth did this get here. As I walked about a bit, I was overcome by a sense of contentment. I was also wishing that there was one of those Hong Kong luxury hotels near by, like the one I’m booked at, well not so near, so I can visit here instead of the concrete jungle of Hong Kong Island.
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