A ferry from pier #6 in Central takes me to Mui Wo, where a bus leaves for Ngong Ping and the Tian Tan Buddha. We pass Cheng Shan beach, a large strip of white surrounded by tropical foliage (and maybe less garbage than other Hong Kong beaches, maybe).
Tourists stream up the steps to the Buddha like ants on an anthill. I go up, then down, and visit the Po Lin Monastery. The Monastery dates back to 1927, while the giant statue was built in 1993.
The monastery features a restaurant, but I merely pass through, look at the environs and snap a few photos.
A hostel sits by the base of the Buddha, near a path that leads to the “Wisdom Path” where 38 tree trunk slices exhibit the Heart Sutra (a 5th century Buddhist prayer exploring the virtue of emptiness, or so my guidebook says). There is no translation, but the little circular path is pleasant, and it sits beside the trailhead for accessing Lantau Peak (If it weren’t already late afternoon, I’d like to do this, as well as visit the beach!)
The 360 Skyrail runs to Tung Chung from the Ngong Ping (tourist) Village (full of trinkets and souvenirs). I take the bus. The gondola lift has both an expensive ticket price and a bad reputation (delays on the 2006 trial run, in 2007 an empty car fell 50 m to the ground, and a too-recent suspension of operation) to dissuade me.
From Tung Chung, the metro return to Hong Kong Island.
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