Po Lin Monastery is a must-visit destination once you set foot in Hong Kong. After you ride the Ngong Ping Cable Car and climbing stairs of Big Buddha in Lantau Island, it is best to rest and relax. Po lin is famous for not only its richness in culture, but also mesmerizing overall scenery. With a heavenly garden and sophisticated temple, this place gives inner peace to whoever comes inside.
Brief History of Po Lin Monastery
When it was built in 1906 for the first time, the temple was just a small thatched cottage in the middle of nowhere. The idea came from three monks who traveled to Lantau island to find peace. At first, they just wanted to set up a place to pray. But as they fell in love surrounding scenery, they gave name ‘Po Lin Monastery’ to once a small cottage. They also renovate it to become a much bigger place.
Fast-forward, Po Lin Monastery sent a representative to China’s Buddhist Association in 1979. The representative then formed powerful ties with China’s Buddhist community. This played an important role in the construction of the Big Buddha Statue. The Big Buddha started the construction site in 1981 and finished in 1193. As one of the biggest monuments in Hong Kong, thousands of visitors came to visit Big Buddha and Po Lin Monastery annually.
How to Get to Po Lin Monastery
As a famous destination, the Po Lin monastery is easily accessible. Located in Ngong Ping, Lantau Island, there are few ways you can reach it. First, if you are going from the center of Tsim Sha Tsui, my recommendation is to not take the MTR. Go straight from Kowloon Park straight to Ngong Ping by 1R bus. Meanwhile, if you are going from the airport, Take Take S56 (CTB) from Cheong Tat Road to Tung Chung Station. After that transfer to 23(NLB) to Ngong Ping Village, then walk southeast to your destination. It costs HK$21 with around 70 minutes. For a faster and easier direction, click here.
Beautiful Scenery and Soothing Experience
I can no say enough about how beautiful this place is. The Temple is not that huge actually, but the overall decoration is definitely stunning. There are plenty of trees and flowers inside this little pot. It looks like the temple has been very well managed all this time. Serving for religious purposes, the temple has a lot of visitors coming to pray. You can buy some incenses here and burn it to pray. As you stroll around the temple, you will smell the fragranced incense and just feel soothing and relax. The best way to come here is in the morning when the air is fresh and the sun just rose.
There are more places to visit while you are in Hongkong, check out Kowloon Park and Kata Beach now!
Salsabila Nasution