Buddhist Nunneries and the BIG Buddha !

A friend, Gillian, and I have been doing weekly excursions to various places around Hong Kong.  A couple of weeks ago, we went to a stunning oasis in the city.  The Chi Lin Nunnery and Nan Lian Gardens are nestled amid a busy area in Kowloon.  A simple metro trip across the bay, and we were blown away with the beauty and tranquility of this place.  They were both built in the ancient style of the Tang Dynasty architecture (618 AD - 907 AD).  Although they aren't that old, you could certainly feel the history and wisdom roaming around the gardens and walking through the Buddhist Nunnery.

Last week, we decided to 'up our game' and venture out to the Big Buddha, on Lantau Island.  This Buddha's claim to fame is as the 'largest outdoor bronze seated buddha' in the world.  The Buddha was built outside of the Po Lin Monastery, up in the mountains of Lantau.  To facilitate tourism, a lovely cable car (gondola) was built to bring the masses.  As an optional upgrade, you can get a glass bottom cable car.  Gillian and I decided that since neither of us were afraid of heights and since that line was shorter, it was worth getting the upgrade.  What I meant to say was, we didn't THINK we were afraid of heights.  Geez. My stomach was in knots if I looked through the glass floor. It's like my mind was suddenly convinced that since I could see through the floor, it was clearly not safe and I was likely about to fall right through it.

Gillian & I - a bit giddy with fear.

Buddha in the distance.

glass bottom... gulp.

After about 15 minutes in the (pulse racing) gondola, we could finally see the Big Buddha from a distance.  He was pretty amazing, even from afar.

The Big Buddha (officially named the Tian Tan Buddha), is 34 metres tall and sits upon a lotus flower, at the top of a 240 stair climb.  The Big Buddha is surrounded by 6 smaller statues holding offerings of flowers, incense, lamp, ointment, fruit, and music.  The offerings the 6 'devas' hold symbolize charity, morality, patience, zeal, meditation and wisdom (but I'm not sure which is which).  All six of these are required in order to enter (sandman) nirvana.*  The Buddha's raised right hand is delivering a blessing to all... and delivering a 'high five' for a tacky tourist (ahem... moi).

Sooo many steps up to the Big Buddha.

Thanks to my 200mm zoom lens, we can see Buddha's beautiful features up close.

Offering a flower.

The Big Buddha (also called the Giant Buddha), was built near the Po Lin Monastery.  This little monastery used to be a quiet, secluded place of peace, according to people who have been here for many years.  Although it still felt peaceful to me, the dynamic has changed dramatically since the cable car and the Giant Buddha statue were built in the 90's, bringing with them throngs of tourists each day.  The ornate interior and dragon carvings on the exterior of the temple were extraordinary.  No wonder this beautiful place is one of the 'must sees' when visiting Hong Kong (or living here!).

* research from the highly reputable wikipedia, as well as a couple of tourism sites... exception of 'sandman', that I couldn't resist.