Hong Kong Tour: Ngong Ping 360, Giant Buddha, Po Lin Monastery, Wisdom Path, Cable Car

Lantau Island hosts not only the Hong Kong International Airport, the carefully Feng Shui-planned Disneyland, and Citygate Outlets but also the tourism village of Ngong Ping, featuring the Tian Tan Buddha, popularly known as Giant Buddha, the Po Lin Monastery, The Wisdom Path, Tung Chung Fort and Lantau Peak.

Tutubi hopped into a gondola of Ngong Ping Skyrail, an almost 4 mile long cable car, formerly called the Tung Chung cablecar that ferried the flightless Tutubi from Tung Chung to the village of Ngong Ping on the plateau.




View of Tung Chung Bay

Ngong Ping Village consists of coffee shops (touristy Starbucks included), restaurants, and souvenir shops.

According to the official site:
"Ngong Ping Village is set on a 1.5 hectare site on Lantau Island, adjacent to Ngong Ping Skyrail's Ngong Ping Terminal and the Tian Tan Buddha Statue.

This amazing cultural themed village has been architecturally designed and landscaped to reflect the cultural and spiritual integrity of the Ngong Ping area. It boasts several major attractions - Walking with Buddha, Monkey's Tale Theatre and the Ngong Ping Tea House - as well as a diverse array of retail, dining and entertainment experiences.

Walking with Buddha is an immersive, multimedia attraction allowing guests to follow the life of Siddhartha Gautama - the man who became Buddha - and his path to enlightenment. Here you will discover the origins of Buddhism and track its expansion across the globe. You will also be enlightened as to the essence of Buddha's teachings through a variety of themed scenes and activities."



the clearly visible footpath: the trail that leads to Ngong Ping with waterfalls for nature lovers to explore



the Tan Tian Buddha, known as Big Buddha, is the world's largest seated outdoor bronze Buddha statue, surrounded by a ring of Bodhisatvas offering various gifts




Bodhisatvas offering various gifts to Lord Buddha

A giant arch welcomes all visitors to Po Lin Monastery (寶蓮禪寺, Literally "Precious Lotus Zen Temple) founded in 1906 with various images of Buddha and scripts on display.



It is here at Po Lin where the Buddha Bathing Festival is celebrated annually by bathing ritual performed even by visitors during Buddha's birthday in May.




Nearby Po Lin is a trail that leads to the Wisdom Path, where the Mahayana Buddhism's Heart Sutra is inscribed on wooden poles.



The poles are arranged seemingly in a figure of eight or Mobius strip to signify infinity.




One of the wooden poles of the Wisdom Path. Unfortunately, Tutubi can't read Chinese; can only recognize a few Kanji characters though



the path goes uphill up to Lantau Peak, the second highest peak in Hong Kong, great for mountaineers and trekkers, and the ancient Tung Chung Fort.

Tutubi didn't trek all the way up to the Peak due to an imminent rain threatening to fall.


Ngong Ping Skyrail is slower than the Genting Skyway cablecar in Malaysia, and not recommended for the faint-hearted.

Note: The cable system is currently suspended indefinitely due to a recent incident where an empty gondola fell.

How to get to Ngong Ping:

Commute via MTR: take the Tsuen Wan line and alight at Tung Chung, the end of the railway in Lantau then get your tickets for the Ngong Ping Skyrail.

for those with acrophobia, you may take a 45 minute bus ride New Lantau Bus NLB no 23

Alternatively, you may board a ferry at Central to Mui Wo (Sivermine Bay) and take the #2 bus to take you there.

Access to Ngong Ping village is free (no entrance fee). For other pricing and packages, click here for the official prices.