Tian Tan Buddha

The Tian Tan Buddha is a large bronze Buddha statue that was completed in 1903 and now sits at Ngong Ping, Lantau Island, in Hong Kong. It is located near Po Lin Monastery and symbolises the harmonious relationship between man and nature, people and religion. Construction began in 1990 and finished within three years on December of 1993, which is also the day that the founder of Buddhism attained Enlightenment, the statue was formed out of 202 separate pieces of bronze. In addition to the exterior components, there is a strong steel framework inside the statue to support the heavy load. When the statue was completed, monks from around the world were invited to the opening ceremony. Distinguished visitors from mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, India, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, and the United States all took part in the proceedings.

Po Lin Monastery and the Buddha are open to the public between 10:00 and 17:45. Access to the outside of the Buddha is free of charge, but there is an admission fee to go inside the Buddha.
Visitors may also see the nearby monastery, known as the "Buddhist Kingdom in the South," which serves as an international Buddhist retreat, and is one of the largest and most well known in Hong Kong. The monastery was built by three Zen masters in 1920. The main temples have painted vermilion interiors with dragons and many other different Chinese mythical figures on the walls and ceilings. Visitors often spend time in the attached tea garden, the only tea garden in the territory. A five minute walk past the tea garden leads to the "Wisdom Path" - a very large wooden inscription of the Heart Sutra set within a figure 8 to symbolise infinity. One of the main attractions of this Buddha statue is climbing 268 steps and circling the platform (the lotus) where the Buddha sits.

Some facts about the Tian Tan Buddha:
- Constructed from 202 bronze pieces
- Weighs over 250 tonnes
- Is 34 meters high
- Sits atop 268 steps