Hong Kong Lantau Island Day Tour

This morning, the guide and the driver will pick you up at the hotel and take you to start your tour from Hong Kong. We will first head to Lantau Island, which is located in the southwest of downtown Hong Kong, about thirty-five kilometers away. We will drive for nearly thirty-five minutes to get there. It is the largest island in Hong Kong, covering an area of 147 square kilometers. Its main peak, Fenghuang (Phoneix) Mountain, is 935 meters above sea level, which is the second-highest peak in Hong Kong. We will take the Ngong Ping 360 cable car to the top of the mountain. Connecting Tung Chung and Ngong Ping on Lantau Island, the Ngong Ping 360 cable car has the world’s largest cable car scale. The cable car is divided into the standard cabin and the crystal cabin. We will take the crystal cabin with a transparent bottom, from which you can take a panoramic view of the mountain and the beautiful sea.

Polin Monastery is located on the Ngong Ping Plain on Lantau Island, built in 1924. We will see the majestic Main Shrine Hall, the Hall of Heavenly Kings, and other Buddhist buildings here. And there are rooms offered for tourists to rest. At the top of Muyu (a percussion instrument used by Buddhist priests) Mountain, which is directly opposite to the memorial archway of the monastery, stands a new bronze statue of Sakyamuni. Sakyamuni is the founder of Buddhism. There are many stories about Sakyamuni. Sakyamuni used to be a practitioner who practiced Buddhism in the mountains. One day, he saw a female tiger on the way. After feeding her son with milk, she wanted to eat her cub because of fatigue and hunger. Sakyamuni was merciful and thought that when he died one day, his body would only be abandoned for nothing, so it’s better to use his body to save the tiger cub. Therefore, he put his head into the tiger’s mouth. Finally, the tiger had a full meal and the mother and son were both alive, while Sakyamuni lost his life. The statue, called the Big Bronze Buddha, is 34 meters high totally, which is the world’s largest bronze statue of Buddha. The base of the Buddha has three floors and there is an exhibition hall inside. You will find a big clock in the hall is carved with images of the Buddha and religious scriptures. Besides, there is a Merit Hall at the base of the Buddha. The statue of Kshitigarbha carved from nanmu of more than 500 years is enshrined here, standing on the lotus seat with a tin stick in his hand. 

After visiting you will be transferred to the Ngong Ping Village, covering an area of 13,400 square meters. The buildings on both sides of the village are very distinctive, such as arch bridges and pavilion buildings with Chinese characteristics, as well as a Bodhi Wishing Pavilion. You can buy wishing wooden cards nearby and write your wishes on them. Then you can hang them in the wishing Pavilion. Besides, you can buy special souvenirs or see a film in a 3D cinema. You also can taste jellied bean curd, sesame paste, noodles made from beans or potatoes, fish ball, and other local snacks. If you are lucky, you can see street performances such as Kung Fu, variety shows, or Cantonese opera.

Free Time Suggestion:

If you’re not too tired in the evening, you can go to the Avenue of Stars. It was built in 2003 to commend outstanding figures in Hong Kong’s film industry. The attraction follows the example of Hollywood’s Avenue of Stars. The names and palm prints of outstanding filmmakers are embedded in special commemorative plaques, which are arranged in chronological order. The Avenue of Stars can accommodate the commemorative plaque of 100 filmmakers. In addition, the Avenue of Stars also has many statues with the theme of film shooting and well-known artists in Hong Kong for tourists to take photos. You can also walk to visit Harbour City, about 800 meters away from the Avenue of Stars. As one of the largest shopping malls in Hong Kong, it comprises more than 50 restaurants, 2 large-scale cinemas, and about 700 retail stores. Besides, it has performance areas and exhibition halls. If you are lucky, you can watch the performance by the band.

Polin Monastery

Lantau Island

Author: Zhang Xuelei