Our next destination on Lantau Island was the giant 100 foot (over 30 m) bronze Buddha atop one of the hills. This statue is so huge and heavy it was cast in 32 separate pieces, which were then lowered into position by helicopter and welded together. The giant sculpture was donated by Japan on the proviso it faced Japan. Instead the government ensured that it was facing Beijing. But because it faces north, its front was in shadow. The only decent image I could obtain was from behind. The main single set of steps leading up to its base from the large Buddhist temple below, constructed for Buddhist pilgrims, consists of 268 steps, all three digits considered to be very lucky by the Chinese.
However, we drove up to its base and probably only climbed up about 60 steps, mostly inside the base, where we saw beautiful works of art, a statue carved from wood, a giant gong and a special sealed glass vessel, all over three levels. The gong is only rung on special occasions - and then its sound rings out across the mountains and valleys. The glass vessel contained two tiny white fragments left after the cremation of the first Buddha, which were donated by a Buddhist temple in Sri Lanka at a special ceremony to which the leaders of many major temples from many regions were invited. We could not see the fragments ourselves, only the vessel, as it was mounted in a special display in a special room, well back from the roped-off entrance. We then climbed out onto the balcony and saw spectacular 360 degree views and other statues at the foot of the giant Buddha, but still not its face which was way above us. (We were at the wrong angle.)
Next we drove down to the temple complex. This is known as the Temple of a Thousand Buddhas and eventually we saw why: in one of the several pavilions, a thousand small gold Buddhas lined all the walls, and large gold Buddhas were at one end. As well there were people working at tables, each table covered in golden silk. The effect was stunning! We were not allowed inside, but were able to take a photograph from one of the two narrow entrances. Even the outside of that pavilion was beautifully decorated by brightly coloured ceramics and intricate stone carvings. And that was not the main pavilion, but to me was the most impressive.
Whilst we were there, we had a delicious vegetarian feast in a big dining complex. I can only think they grew all their vegetables on the extensive lands there, as they were so fresh. Outside, there were many tourists, more arriving with each busload - including excited school children squealing with delight at the sight of the tame cattle wandering around.
It was a a long drive back to the ship, and we were caught in peak hour traffic, but what a worthwhile trip it was!
The only problem with the peak hour traffic was we returned to the ship at 5.15 pm and I had to be back out of the terminal by 6 pm to catch the bus to Victoria Harbour and our evening cruise. (The convoluted walk from the ship to the bus station outside the terminal is about 500 m and takes about 15 minutes.) Victoria Harbour is the narrow body of water separating Kowloon peninsula and Hong Kong Island. We were told it is one of the deepest natural harbours in the world.
It was Saturday night, so of course the streets were full of residents and tourists looking for a good night out. Many buses kept arriving at Victoria Harbour, where large numbers of Chinese were boarding small ships that would take them to the international waters offshore so they could spend the night gambling - the nation’s favourite pastime, though banned by the mainland government. A lot of teenagers were also around, going to entertainments venues and markets, not to mention the ubiquitous McDonalds. But we waited patiently for our small ferry to cruise around the harbour where a light show takes place in the evening. Jumping onto the ferry was quite precarious - the sea was rather rough so the boat kept bobbing up and down quite a bit - and climbing up the steep stairs to the upper deck likewise was a challenge. There were a number of other passengers besides our group of 45, so getting a good view was not easy.
But the view of the harbour at night was quite dazzling. It certainly made you realise how densely packed and how extensive the buildings are when they are all lit up at night. Many boats were cruising around besides ours of course. However, the light show was mainly a display of lights on a number of larger buildings on the harbour front - one after another - and patterns of colours. The ferry played some recorded accompanying music and commentary in both English and Cantonese, which was hard to hear over the sound of the people and the engines. I regretted not having taken my mobile for the photos, as my camera was set for night vision, which meant it could not also be set for taking shots from a moving object. So I am afraid my photos are very disappointing.
I must confess I was exhausted by the time we got back on board, and far too tired to eat a late tea. But what a day! I learned so much!
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| Climbing up to the base of the bronze Buddha. |
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| Looking down from one of the balconies around the bronze Buddha - the red buildings just seen on the far left in the distance are part of the temple complex. |
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| Some of the ornate work on the roof of the pavilion containing 1000 golden Buddhas. |
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| The larger golden Buddhas in the pavilion of 1000 Buddhas, |
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| More of the ornate work outside the pavilion of 1000 golden Buddhas. |
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| At the landing spot for the ferry on Victorian Harbour. On the right is the back of the big performance centre, where a ballet was about to be performed. |
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| A junk promising a romantic trip for couples, which set off just before our ferry arrived. |
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| A view of some of the harbour lights. |
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| A big wheel at another landing point on the harbour. |
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