Tian Tan Buddha, better known as the Big Buddha on Lantau Island, Hong Kong, is one of the world’s largest sitting Buddha’s and a very popular tourist attraction in Hong Kong.
Peacefully nestled on the hills of Lantau Island, the 34 meter Buddha statue was build in 1993 and is looking towards China, in the Northern direction, and symbolises the harmonious relationship between people, nature and faith.
Not only is the Big Buddha on Lantau Island a major centre of Buddhism in Hong Kong, but it draws tourist, monks and pilgrims in from all over the world.
We have always been interested in Buddhism, and as soon as we knew we were going to Hong Kong again, we decided to visit Lantau Island, The Tai O fishing village and the Big Buddha in Hong Kong this time.
What to do at and around the Big Buddha in Hong Kong
Visiting the Big Buddha on Lantau Island is one of the many things to do in Hong Kong with kids. You can spend one part of the day or the whole day exploring around here. If you are keen on hiking, there are some great hikes around the area of the Big Buddha as well.
The Big Buddha
Climb up the 268 steps to reach the top of the Big Buddha and take in the stunning panoramic views over Lantau Island and the Po Lin Monastery.
You can walk all around the Big Buddha and also take a look inside. But as our own little buddha Semmie was in a naughty ass mood, we were out before we knew it haha. He constantly wanted to touch the statues, which was prohibited of course, but as a tiny human you can easily walk under those protection ‘ back off ‘ lines and past the ‘ no touching ‘ signs ; ) With a bit of tumult we headed back down the 268 steps after shooting some pictures of the view.
Ngong Ping Village
When you arrive at the Big Buddha at Lantau Island, you will first notice the cosy little village of Ngong Ping.
It is almost like a European skiing village, but without the snow. There are restrooms, souvenir shops, boutiques restaurants, cafe’s, and a Starbucks ( of course )
When you wander through the small main street of Ngong Ping Village, you can see the Big Buddha peacefully sitting on it’s statue.
As we took the first bus from Mui Wo, all the shops where still closed when we arrived at Ngong Ping Village. Perfect to make a few pics, then head off to the Big Buddha, while it was still cool and not to crowded, and then enjoy a cool drink after walking all those stairs.
From Ngong Ping Village, it takes only about 10 minutes or so to walk to the Big Buddha.
Po Lin Monastery
Located opposite the Big Buddha statue, the Po Lin Monastery is one of Hong Kong’s most important Buddhist centres. A beautiful and colourful Monastery with a lovely garden full of birds and scents of flowers and incense.
The Po Lin Monastery became a popular attraction when the Tian Tan Buddha ( Big Buddha Hong Kong ) was build in 1993
How To Get To The Big Buddha
There are several ways to visit the Big Buddha in Hong Kong.
We stayed already on Lantau Island, so we just took the bus from the main station in Mui Wo. Lines and bus numbers change regular, so just ask for the bus to de Big Buddha at it will take you around half an hour via a stunning route.
If you are visiting the Big Buddha from Hong Hong city, you can easily take the MTR ( Subway ) to Tung Chung Station.
From Tung Chung Station, you can take the Ngong Ping 360 cable car, which takes you in 25 minutes to Ngong Ping Village. When you exit the cable car in Ngong Ping Village, it’s a ten minutes walk to the Big Buddha and Po Lin Monastery.
You can walk to Tung Chung town centre and take the bus to Ngong Ping Village if you are not that keen on cable cars, or want to explore more of Lantau Island.
Nearby Sights on Lantau Island
Lantau Island has lots more to offer than the Big Buddha. Stay tuned as we will share our adventures of our trip to the Tai O fishing Village, and our stay in Mui Wo very soon.
Don’t forget your Lonely Planet for Hong Kong 🙂
Exactly right Mal. It is so interesting, that were ever we are in the world ( from decadent Dubai to the poor streets of a third world country ) there is always a Starbucks around. Sometimes you almost feel guilty that you are sipping your coffee, while people on the streets have nothing… But I think that is part of travelling and the world in general too..
The views definitely made up for all those stairs! Especially for Lion, who carried Sem all the way up and halfway down 😉
Have a lovely weekend!
X Jo
Oh my goodness, Starbucks in such a place feels so surreal! Can’t imagine of a better example of two things symbolising completely different lifestyles! The views are absolutely spectacular and definitely worth all that climbing! And your little Buddha is my all time idol, such a rockstar from the very young age! <3
Thank you Harsh,
The Big Buddha in Hong Kong is amazing, and there is so much to do on Lantau Island, you can spend a week here! Keep an eye out as we will launch more articles about Lantau Island and Hong Kong soon!
Hi Jithin,
You are more than welcome, Hope you can visit the Big Buddha in Hong Kong some day soon 🙂
The Big Buddha in Hong Kong looks magnificent. And with so much do to in and around Lantau Island, a day trip here would be awesome. Your pictures are great.
The big buddha in Hong Kong looks incredible. Never heard of Big Buddha before. This is an interesting place to visit. Thanks for sharing
Thanks so much, and yes I Totally agree, Hong Kong is amazing! So much to do in and around the city.
Thank you so much! And yes, that is one of my favourites too. 2 Buddha’s in one picture. One small, One big 🙂
Enjoy your day!
Jo
Hong Kong is an amazing place — such a great blog post!
Your pictures captures the beauty of the Big Buddha Hong Kong. My favourite is walking up the stairs with the baby and the Big Buddha in the background.