Tian Tan Buddha

When the aerial tramway dropped us off at the Ngong Ping Village, the area was entirely shrouded in fog. A local restaurateur/hawker enticed us into his establishment with promises of a dry seat, air conditioning, and “authentic cuisine”. While the baked rice spaghetti in tomato sauce is allegedly a Hong Kong dish, it was pretty unappealing to me. I’m not sure if it always tastes like someone who has never eaten pasta describing it to a chef who has also never eaten pasta, but it wasn’t the most enriching cultural experience.

With renewed vigor, we made the short walk from the village to the base of the Buddha. Up to this point, the fog had mostly obscured the statue, robbing it of it’s grandeur. Standing at the base, looking up the stairs towards the Buddha, we could still clearly appreciate that it is one of the largest Buddhas in all of China and hoped that we didn't come all this way only to see a misty silhouette. 

We made a pilgrimage up the stairs, admiring the detail in the stonework and assorted smaller statues. The visibility didn’t change much on our walk, but shortly after reaching the summit the clouds broke and the sun was shining across the valley. The statue is meant to symbolize the “harmonious relationship between man and nature”, and seeing it in the sun, surrounded by green valleys, dotted with the monastery buildings, really brought the symbolism to life.

The Buddha sits atop a lotus, and is surrounded below by “Six Devas”, bronze statues posed offering flowers, incense, lamp, fruit, music and ointment for the Buddha.

Even though there was no special religious significance for us specifically, we marveled at the ambition, craftsmanship, and views. - Alex