By Grace McGillivray
Day 3 was an experience for the books. Wendy our tour guide has made the tour incredibly interesting so far – throwing us facts left and right. Our drive to Lantau Island, our destination for the day, was an educational experience learning about the Giant Buddha and the Po Lin Monastery. Interestingly the face of the Buddha is made up of 2kgs of gold, you learn something new every day.
Upon arrival, we had a 25 minute ride on the cable car to where the Monastery and Buddha were. A ride that gave us the most incredible breathtaking views of Lantau, thankfully it was a good day. As we arrived at the destination it was ‘Happy room’ time, in other words, bathroom break – ‘Happy room’ being a local saying I’m sure some of us will take back home, I definitely will.
We first went to the Po Lin Monastery, first impressions being that the architecture was very intricate and colourful. Entering the worship area stood 3 gold painted clay Buddha’s representing the Past, Present and Future lives. Offerings such as fruit, incense and flowers each symbolise a different gift such as generosity and wisdom, also were within the temple.
Finally for what we were all anticipating, the 268 stair climb to view the Giant Buddha up close and personal. Although packed with locals and tourists from afar, being so close to a monument with such great meaning behind it was an incredible experience. One I am sure we won’t forget.
Lunch was also a cultural experience like no other. We enjoyed a traditional Chinese meal where waiters placed multiple plates full of different foods on the Lazy Susan, for us all to share together. To end our time touring the destination we had a look around Ngong Ping Village before catching the cable cars back to the bus. Overall, the experience was a breathtaking highlight for most of us and I highly recommend the experience for any future Hong Kong travellers!
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