Lantau Island: The Tian Tan Buddha bound Adventure

When I heard the news about our trip to Hong Kong, I immediately did a research about the interesting places that can be seen all over that country. 

I've read that Hong Kong has busy cities similar to that of Manila and I can say that the reviews were true, minus the air pollution and the humid weather that is.

I wanted something unique for the trip, and since Hong Kong is rich in terms of Chinese culture, I told myself to make the itinerary more focused on going to peaceful places like monuments, statues, and temples.

That was when I found out about the Tian Tan Buddha in Ngong Ping, located on the Island of Lantau on the west. So on our third day, we were all packed up to go to the destination.

From our hotel in Waterloo, we walked several blocks away to the MTR station in Monkok to ride the train going to Lai King station to transfer to another line bound to Tung Chung in Lantau Island. This is also the line towards Sunny Bay station, the terminal for people going to Disneyland Resort.

Kids who boarded the train from Sunny Bay wore Mickey Mouse hats, accompanied by their parents who carried with them souvenirs from their trip. It was really an amusing sight, you can see the smile on their faces, a testimony of how fun their day was. Another attraction is that HK Disneyland has its own MTR, and the amusement park-bound train's front has Mickey Mouse ears on it.

We arrived in Tung Chung to have a quick lunch in Citygate which is just a stones throw away from the station. The mall is huge with shopping outlets for branded sportswear and clothing and the foodcourt has a vast display of both Western and Asian cuisine.

In order to get to Ngong Ping, we needed to ride a cable car so I headed to the station via Tung Chung terminus. The long line made us wait for a few minutes but it was all worth it. A round trip ticket costs about HK$106.00 for a single adult while kids ages 11 and below can enjoy the ride for more or less HK$50.00, both are inclusive of a trip to Ngong Ping village. Or, you can upgrade your trip to ride the glass-bottomed crystal cabin!

The aerial view of the whole island was amazing! The 25-minute ride will let you see the green fields and mountains of Lantau, the whole of Hong Kong International airport, the infinite blue waters of the South China Sea, Hong Kong's vast horizon of skyscrapers, and a few hikers along the hills' trails.

Thick clouds were enveloping us along the way but the gondola wasn't ceasing its ascent as it passed between two gigantic mountains. I was in awe the whole time, halfway through the trip, the clouds have cleared away, restoring my sight of luscious green forest and several waterfalls and streams.

After a few minutes, I saw a speck of a figure sitting on top of a hill, finally, there it was, the Tian Tan Buddha statue. we could also catch a glimpse of the Po Lin Monastery along the way.

We hopped off the Ngong Ping 360 cable car to be welcomed by several village staff. The statue was getting bigger as we got nearer and nearer.

I separated myself from my folks and I walked along hundreds of tourists flocking the village as we all helped ourselves in taking photos of the place.

The whole stretch of the village houses several cafes, restaurants, and the popular Monkey Tale Theater, there are also stalls and shops that sell shirts and other souvenirs.

I was welcomed by 12 "guardian" statues as I passed under a huge arch at the end of the village, more tourists  and stores were seen, and the winding road where tourist buses cross ends here.

I looked up at the main attraction from below where the statue faces down, it was a spectacular sight and it looked far more dramatic as a thick cloud shrouded the image, baring only its silhouette form.

I began to climb up the 268 steps towards the giant Buddha statue, some tourists were panting like hell while I continued my ascent. The only thing that got in my way was my teeth-gritting hyper-acidic stomach which I endured for almost half of the day. It didn't stop me, I went up, to hell with it, I waited for months for this.

Spent, I caught my breath while I waited for my folks to arrive at the destination.

I was only browsing through the foggy image of the statue online for the past few months, and I couldn't believe I was finally given a chance to get near this gargantuan icon. I felt so blessed.

With my DSLR strapped around my shoulder, I took photos of the man-made marvel, I have finally fulfilled my dream. I conquered Lantau Island with a few clicks of my shutter.