Panorama taken from the circular dias a the bottom of the hill leading to the Tian Tan sitting Buddha at Ngong Ping. From here the Buddha looks deceptively small. The image also shows the coach parks, indicating how popular the Tian Tan Buddha has become a major tourist attraction of Hong Kong. With this and the cable car, this site is no longer the serene place of pilgrimage, but then, built in 1993, it was probably never expected to be.

Hong Kong virtual tour with a 360° panorama of 'Tian Tan Buddha at Ngong Ping' linked to a Google map. A Hong Kong attractions travel guide.

Ngong Ping on Lantau Island, Hong Kong is most famous for the giant sitting Buddha statue on the top of a hill. This is the Tian Tan Buddha, and is the most popular tourist attraction on Lantau Island. Opened in 1993 at a cost of $63M, the Tian Tan Buddha is the largest seated, outdoor, bronze Buddha statue in the world. Made of some 202 pieces of bronze, 34m high and weighing 250 tonnes, the Tian Tan Buddha sits on a lotus flower facing mainland China to the north east. This is unique - normally Buddhas are placed facing south. 268 steps lead from this level up to the Buddha.

At the top of the steps, visitors are welcomed by large statues on either side facing the Tian Tan Buddha. They represent various deities. Beneath the Tian Tan Buddha are the The Hall of Universe, The Hall of Benevolent Merit and The Hall of Remembrance. Inside is a relic of Sakyamuni, consisting of some of his alleged cremated remains. A large bell sent from Shanghai hangs in here. It rings 108 times a day, each ring representing release for man from one of 108 tribulations or vexations.

With over one million visitors coming to Ngong Ping each year, a company recently built the Ngong Ping 360 cable car to rapidly transport tourists up the hill from near the skytrain terminal at Tung Chung. While this is much faster than the bus over the island, it is also very much more expensive, and has, at times, been out of order. Visitors are advised to check before making the journey. Bear in mind that the buses from Ngong Ping do not run that frequently.

Bus: Mui Wo to Ngong Ping (NLB 2), Tung Chung to Ngong Ping (NLB 23).
Gondola / Cable Car: From Tung Chung to Ngong Ping.
From Hong Kong Central either catch a ferry to Mui Wo, or the sky train to Tung Chung.