Today we are going to see a big Buddha statue. It is on Lantau Island, the largest island in Hong Kong. While it was once a hangout for pirates with a few fishing villages, today Lantau is where the airport and Hong Kong Disneyland are located.
After taking the subway, we line up to take a cable car. Oh this looks scary!!
We have set off! Look at the buildings! Or don't look!
They are getting smaller and smaller!
There is the airport! The planes look so small!
We have to go over the sea and the mountain! Just a little cable car swinging in the wind!
Look, we are almost there! Can you see the Buddha statue in the mist? I am so happy because I don't think I can stand it anymore!
We arrive at the Ngong Ping, home of the big Buddha!
This is not a real village but a collection of shops for tourists. The buildings are built in the traditional Chinese style.
Some of the shops sell Buddhist souvenirs.
This is a wishing tree.
We continue on to the monastary.
The Buddha is just up the stairs!!
Being a small bear it's not easy to make it up the 268 steps, but I did. The Buddha is 34 metres (112 ft) tall, weighs 250 metric tons, and is among the world's tallest seated Buddha statue.
Surrounding the Buddha are six small statues: "The Offering of the Six Devas", posed as offering flowers, incense, lamp, ointment, fruit, and music to the Buddha.
This is the main hall of the monastary. In front of it is a white statue of Kwan Yin.
We help our host's mom make an offering. First, we have to light the incense.
People then kneel here to say their prayers.
I guess the huge joss sticks are for some really big wish!
The small incense sticks are placed inside the burner.
Cough! It's very smoky!!
Near the temple is a small tea plantation.
Further up along the path is the Wisdom Path, where the Heart Sutra is inscribed onto 38 wooden columns arranged in a figure 8 symbolizing eternity.
Afterwards, we take a bus to Tai O, a small fishing village on the western end of the island.
Besides fresh fish, they also have dried fish (kind of like a bacalao), scallop, shrimp and other products for sale.
We wonder what this is? Our host tells us that it is a wooden bucket of soft tofu, it's made a bit sweet to be eaten as dessert.
