Visiting the Giant Buddha was the most exciting thing that I and my sister looked forward to. For my part, I have failed to visit this landmark during my first trip to Hong Kong and for my sister’s part, she just has that deep interest in Buddhism and Chinese all because of her love of Jet Li and his Once Upon a Time in China movie series. Getting there was not easy. We ran out of Hong Kong dollars and were short of budget so we had to wait for the money changer in Tung Chung to open up. We took the bus (Bus 23), which was the long way to get to the Giant Buddha, yet the more interesting one, I guess, because of the beautiful views we passed by. When we got there, all we could see was fog which made us feel that we were walking in the clouds.

Po Lin Monastery was enveloped with white that made the setting look dreary yet serene. We found our way to the 268 steps that lead to the Giant Buddha. At the bottom we found the giant incense urn, but there was no trace of the landmark we were looking for. I think we covered two-thirds of the steps before we got a glimpse of the majestic figure of the seated Buddha or Tian Tan, the biggest Buddha statue in Asia which sits at 26 meters high, 371 meters above sea level, and weighs 220 tons. It took 10 years to complete the Giant Buddha which was unveiled in 1993. At the top was like really being in heaven especially with the cold temperature and the zero visibility caused by the heavy fog. There were six figures of ladies, three on each side of the Buddha, which offers different kinds of things to him.

Inside the Giant Buddha were stores and prayer walls as well as a vegetarian restaurant. But being on a budget, we had our lunch in one of the eateries in the souvenir shops near the bus station and had a cup of noodles for HK$10, a dumpling at HK$10 and a can of Coke at HK$8. Not that cheap either but better than the expensive meals or than having none at all.

Since I was there during the Chinese New Year, many families from mainland China were also visiting there. They were burning incense and praying. The incense was quite large and in every area, and the smell could be overwhelming for some.

Although there is also a monastery there, there wasn't much to see. The focus of the trip was really around experiencing the culture and religious expression.

Po Lin Monastery was built in 1920 by three Zen masters and has an attached tea garden. Tian Tan Buddha was built in 1993; the monks of the world were invited to the opening ceremony.

The monks want to charge for admission to the Buddha but can't because of their beliefs, so they get around that by charging HKD 20 for a vegetarian meal. By the time we arrived, it was getting late and the vegetarian meal was closing in less than half an hour. The person at the ticket booth in front of the steps allowed us through without selling us meal tickets. We just had to climb up the 260 steps to the Po Lin Monastery, where the Buddha rested on top. By the time we were done, the last bus service going back had finished for the day, so we queued up for a taxi and waited maybe half an hour for our turn. MTR plans to have service here in the future.

No photos are allowed inside the monastery.

Hours: 10am to 5:45pm, vegetarian meal 11:30am to 5pm.

Ferry from pier no.6 in Central to Mui Wo/Silvermine Bay - take NLB No. 2 to Po Lin.

MTR to Tung Chung station - take NLB No. 23 to Po Lin.

Feeling adventurous, we collected several fellow travelers and set out to pay homage to the Big Buddha and visit the Po Lin Monastery on the outlying island of Lantau.

To reach Lantau, we took the Star Ferry from Kowloon to Hong Kong Island, a high speed ferry from the ferry terminal there to Lantau, and finally a bus from the ferry terminal on Lantau to Buddha. The trip took about two hours total and was in itself a fun travel experience.

The first sight of the Big Buddha is astounding. Standing, or rather sitting, 72 feet high, the magnificent bronze statue is perched atop 260 steps straight up. The experience and view are worth the exercise.

At the top, Buddha is surrounded by Bodhisattvas, statues of Buddhist saints. Legend has it if you toss a coin into a Bodhisattva's upraised hand you will have good luck for all your days. After numerous tries, we succeeded and our luck has been great!

Helpful hint: Start early and plan your visit so that you arrive back at the Star Ferry terminal before afternoon rush hour!