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In 1906, three monks visiting from Jiangsu Province on the Chinese mainland founded a monastery located on the Ngong Ping Plateau on Lantau Island.
Named Tai Mao Pung, or “The Big Hut”, it was renamed eighteen years later to it’s current appellation.
Today, Po Lin Monastery, as it is presently known, attracts thousands of visitors each year, in conjunction with the Tian Tan Buddha, an extension of the monastery.
After completing our visit to the Tian Tan Buddha, we languished in the plaza and admired the massive entrance gate for the monastery. Approaching the compound, the first thing we noticed was that it is not just a tourist attraction, but a frequented temple, still maintaining its original character and traditions. Many people were observed paying their respects, praying and lighting incense offerings in the front courtyard of the temple.
Making our way around the complex, we noticed the pristine condition of the grounds and buildings and the artistry of the colorful architecture. There are many pronounced structures, including the Main Hall of Buddha and the Hall of Bodhisattva Skanda, with the older buildings at the rear of the property.
As we approached the main courtyard, we first encountered a smaller temple leading to the main courtyard that faces the Temple Gateway. Inside the temple there are deities and guards safeguarding the entrance.
The Great Hall of Treasure is truly a magnificent structure with breathtaking, high ceilings decorated with paintings, hangings and lamps. Holding court in the center of the Great Hall are three Great Golden Buddhas, which represent Buddha’s past, present and future lives (Sakyamuni, Dipamkarara and Maitreya). Also housed here are a number of Buddhist scriptures. Even the exterior is astonishing with carvings and beautiful architectural details. Take note of the Chinese characters on top of the main temple which spell out Po Lin Monastery or Precious Lotus (a special symbol in Buddhism meaning purity).
In the Hall of Bodhisattva Skanda, we observed a bronze statue of weighing approximately 441 pounds in addition to a 2,200 pound bronze bell.
The most recent structure to be added to the complex is the Hall of Ten Thousand Buddhas, which includes, of course, an impressive number of Buddhas, a shrine hall, a Meditation Hall, an abbot’s chamber, a Scripture Library and other multi-functional facilities for a wide variety of events. An Exhibition Hall for Buddhist relics is also located within which houses many precious items including the Longcang Sutra and the Monk Huayan Preaching Buddhist Sutras (a painting).
The entire complex is awe-inspiring and one should take the proper amount of time to inspect each of the buildings within, discovering minute details at each venue. Photography is not allowed in the main buildings, though we were able to take a few quick photos.
There are a few eateries located near to the monastery’s main buildings as well as reasonably-priced souvenir shops. One thing I learned later, however, was that the monastery is known for making wooden bracelets. They are only sold near the Tian Tan Buddha. I wish I had been privy to this information as we would have purchased a few, to not only subsidize the monastery, but to remember the tranquility experienced here.
You can continue your path to wisdom and enlightenment by taking the Wisdom Path, a short walk from the monastery. Here, is a sort of a colonnade where a series of wooden posts forming a figure eight are engraved with the Heart Sutra, a revered prayer by Buddhists, Taoists and Confucians, which is generally chanted during the morning services or other occasions such a funerals. The path is well-marked and can be accessed from either the monastery or the Big Buddha.
No matter what your religious affiliation, you will certainly appreciate why the Jiangsu Province monks chose this site.
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Po Lin Monastery
- http://www.plm.org.hk/
- Address: Ngong Ping Lantau Island, Hong Kong
- Hours: 1000-1730, daily
- Admission: free
- Getting There: Option 1: Take Lantau Bus No. 23 at the bus station outside Tung Chung MTR Station to Ngong Ping Bus Terminus (travel time: about 45 minutes). Option 2: Take Ngong Ping Cable Car at the Cable Car Station outside Tung Chung MTR Station (travel time: about 25 minutes); take an additional 10-minute walk to the Monastery. Option 3: Take First Ferry from Central Pier to Mui Wo, and take Lantau Bus No.2 to Ngong Ping Bus Terminus (travel time from Mui Wo to Ngong Ping: about 35 minutes). Option 4: Take Lantau Bus No. 21 at the bus stop in Tai O to Ngong Ping Bus Terminus (travel time: about 15 minutes). Option 5: Take a Lantau Island taxi.
As I made my way through the gate, I made a stop to inspect the sentry box on the coastal side of the wall. Following Paseo del Morro’s flawlessly paved path, I marveled at the waves sometimes pounding the shore on one side and the ancient wall on the other, repeatedly marked with garitas. At the end of my one and a half mile trek, I suddenly realized that the path ended. Many people will tell you that you should retrace your steps back to the San Juan Gate, however, along with a German family, I found an entrance to the grounds of El Morro fort, a remarkable structure that was next on my list.
We noticed that our cruise itinerary included a stop in San Juan. Speaking with my travel representative, I was told at the time of booking that while Puerto Rico was still recovering, they were anticipating being able to accept tourists and cruise ships by the time of our arrival.
Although a few buildings were still boarded up, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the most of the Spanish colonial buildings in Old Town appeared to be in good shape and open for business, their colorful architecture standing strong with Puerto Rican flags proudly flying in the morning breeze.
A central plaza spread before us with a large, covered pavilion, lined with brightly covered flags. A nearby covered structure contained a large number of inscribed benches and there were a few vendor’s storefronts as well as the Hacienda Tequila Museum, which offers tequila tastings.
Hearing the church bells toll from a nearby bell tower, I headed into Old Town and to the 18th century church of the Immaculate Conception (Antibes Cathedral). Here, I discovered a brilliantly hued structure built in the 11th century on the site of an ancient pagan temple and with stones used from earlier Roman fabrications. The interior was not as impressive as I had hoped, but contained some notable pieces such as a Baroque altarpiece, the 16th century Virgin of the Rosary by Louis Bréa which depicts Christ as a child, being held by Mary with cherubs in the background. You can also observe a life-sized wood carving of Christ’s death.
Moving on from the cathedral, I soon found myself at the Marché Provençal, a covered market close to the harbor which offers fresh selections of meats, fishes, cheeses and vegetables every day. As I wandered through building, I also discovered many local craftsmen offering handicrafts available for purchase as well as some artists displaying their talents.
The day was drawing to a close, and I wanted to visit the Castle of Antibes, which is home to the world renowned Picasso Museum. Containing one of the greatest Picasso collections, the museum draws hardcore fans from far and wide to view the twenty-four paintings, forty-four drawings, thirty-two lithographs, eleven oils on paper, eighty pieces of ceramics, two sculptures and five tapestries. Visiting the place where Picasso lived on the sea for six months, however, was not to be. Having written down the incorrect closing time, I arrived as the doors were being locked!
