Big Buddha!

We were up early Saturday morning for our only full day in HK.  We indulged in the fabulous buffet spread at the Langham and were ready to explore.  First, we headed to Lantau Island via MTR, the rapid transit system.  Lantau Island, the largest island in Hong Kong, is home to the HK International Airport, Disney Land HK, and the Tian Tan Buddha.  

MTR - when can I call myself a photog?

Our agenda for the day was to visit the "Big Buddha" atop Ngong Ping.  We decided to take the the 25 minute ride in the Ngong Ping 360 cable car to the top of the mountain.  We opted against the glass bottom cable car, as Adam as some height issues.  It was a great ride, with beautiful views.

Ngong Ping 360 cable car

Cable cars over the water

At the foot of the Tian Tan Buddha

I'm not sure this site is really comparable to the Great Wall of China or the Statue of Liberty, as it was only built in 1993, but it was BIG!

Buddha with distances to some
of the world's other landmarks

The Tian Tan Buddha is located near the Po Lin Monastery and symbolizes the harmonious relationship between man and nature, people and religion.  At its base is a model of the Altar of Heaven, as we saw at the Temple of Heaven in Beijing.

The Buddha is 112 feet tall and was the world's tallest outdoor seated Buddha prior to 2007.  A lot of qualifiers, but it was a pretty amazing site.  We climbed the 268 steps to the top and enjoyed the view.  The air was clear and the sun shining down on us!

base of Tian Tan Budha

Beautiful views of the countryside

Me with the Big Buddha

We are funny with our INDIANA and
USA t-shirts!

Awesome views of the airport on the way down! What a beautiful view!