I know I keep saying it, but fuck it: Hong Kong is Awesome! Every time I decide to sit down and write about it I get happy and excited. It is truly a place of wonders. So, today, we will explore Lantau and the Tian Tan Buddha.
First of all, grab yourself a good breakfast, you are about to embark yourself pretty far away from the city (this is really a figure of speech, nothing is really that far away from anything else in this town). So, assuming you have filled your belly with awesome food, get to the nearest MTR station and navigate to Tung Chung Station (It is in the same line that would take you to Disney Land HK), once there take exit B and follow the signs to the Ngong Ping Cable Car.
- Ngong Ping Cable Car (www.np360.com.hk) The cable car will take around 25 minutes to reach Lantau Island. I would recommend you to come as early as possible to avoid the huge (an I mean HUGE) lines that could set you waiting in line for about 2 hrs; around 8-9 in the morning is a safe bet. The ride is 150 HKD for standard cabin and 235 HKD for Crystal, the crystal cabin is pretty awesome as you get to enjoy the views a bit better, but for this you also need to wait for a bit longer, your choice. The views are astonishing regardless of the type of cabin you choose.
You will see the airport and part of Hong Kong on your way up, pass through some park areas, see the bays and suddenly you will see the Big Buddha, it’s a pretty awesome view.
There is a pretty awesome hiking trail that runs just below the cable car and I would highly recommend you taking it, its pretty easy and not that long, it might take you couple of hours to hike it but the views are amazing.
You will arrive to the Cable Car station which, to be honest, looks like one of those fake villages you can find in any amusement park across the world, it even has souvenirs and a Starbucks… I guess it makes a bit of sense being so close to Disney… But whatever, ignore that and direct yourself to the first exit you will find on your right, this leads to the Parking Lot and to the bus stop. Resist your urges to visit the Buddha now, trust me, it is worth it.
- Tai O is a traditional fishing village with a lot to offer. Once in the parking lot, you will see the bus station right outside, you are waiting for bus 21 which in 10-15 minutes will take you to Tai O, it runs every 30 min so you will not wait that much.
The village is famous for its fishing (duh!) and for its dry sea products. Loose yorself in its streets and markets, it is filled with interesting people and produce, by now you might be getting a bit hungry, why not take a snack at the market? The fish balls and grilled squid are off the hook.
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| Some seafood goodies in the Market. |
You can take a boat ride for 100HKD, it will take you around the village center canal where you will find the beat up houses made with sailing scraps, I find them hauntingly beautiful, but I've been told that I'm a bit weird, so I don't know if you will like it. It is a clear example of how modern living has fucked things up for people that like living in a more traditional and austere environment. Whenever I find myself strolling around the narrow corridors and streets of Tai O, I can't help but wondering how much better their lives would be without the pressure to join modern civilization, living their simple lives, and then I find a family living in a small shack with a big ass 70 inch TV drinking cold beer and watching a football game…
The tour will later take you around the bay in hopes to catch a glance of their famous Pink Dolphins, this is actually pretty exciting and you most probably will get to watch one of them. Turns out that all the dolphins that live around the area, are gray when they are babies and slowly turn pink thorugh their journey into adulthood. They are pretty sneaky so, unless you have a very nice zoom lens on your camera, you might not catch a good photo, my suggestion is to ditch the camera and enjoy the view. Sometimes the best photos are the ones we don't take.
Tai O holds one of the most important Dragon Boat competitions and the whole village dresses up for the occasion. Dragon Boat is an exciting team sport very famous in these parts of the world, very soon you will find an entry about this. This is a very exciting moment to visit the village, but you can expect a lot more people than during regular times.
Getting back to the Ngong Ping Piazza is just a matter of catching the same bus you took to get to Tai-O.
Once you are back at the parking lot simply walk back into the Piazza and take a right, keep going towards the Big Buddha, don’t worry, there is no way you can miss this magnificent bastard.
It is a pretty impressive sight. Turns out that at almost 35 m this is the tallest sitting Buddha in the world. You will have to climb a shit load of stairs, but this is a good exercise.
Right in front of the stair there is little round platform that faces the Buddha, it’s a great place to get some pictures, and the coolest part is, that if you stand up right in the middle, and speak, the sound will bounce back from the Buddha in an amazing echo, try it, it is like saying hello to him and getting a reply. At the bottom of the stairs, there is people selling "Meal tickets" which also include access to the inside of the Buddha and the upper level. It is NOT worth it. The food ain't great and the view is just as impressive as one level below. Save your food cravings for later at the Monastery. From the top you will get an amazing view of the surrounding area.
Once you get down, it is time to get to the Po-Lin Monastery, it is pretty impressive, it actually still works as a monastery, so you will see the monks walking around in their daily routines and most probably be able to catch one of their chanting sessions, pretty impressive to say the least. The other amazing part about the Monastery is that it offers amazing food. There is a little food shack where you can get sweet and savory dishes and drinks for a very reasonable price and also there is a restaurant that offers an amazing menu, it is all vegetarian and it is all amazing.
Right in the middle between the Monastery and the Big Buddha, there is an inconspicuous little sign that says "Wisdom Path", if you follow it for about 10-15 minutes (depending on your pace) you will find yourself in one of my favourite places in Hong Kong: The Wisdom Path. It is a little path with a series of wooden steles that have passages of the Heart-Sutra arranged in an 8 shaped path that symbolizes infinity. It is breath taking. Right here is the start of a couple of hiking trails that take you further into the mountains.
You are probably tired by now, it is time to get back. Walk to the piazza, take the cable car back and find yourself something to eat, this will not be hard to do. Trust me.
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