Tian Tan Buddha

Why Tian Tan Buddha is special
This enormous copper Buddha statue - nearly as high as a 10 story building - serenely sits on a mountain top overlooking the land and sea far below.

Tian Tan Buddha tips and insights
How to pronounce
Tian Tan: tee'ahn-tahn

When to come
Choose a reasonably clear day for your visit. Otherwise, clouds might obscure the panoramic vista below and the head of Buddha above.

Construction
The statue took 10 years to build and was completed in 1993.

World's tallest?
Some travel books call the figure "the world's tallest seated outdoor Buddha statue". That would be true if you insert the word "copper" (the seated Leshan Buddha stone statue in Sichuan province is almost three times as high).

Other name
The Tian Tan Buddha is sometimes called the "Po Lin Buddha" because it is part of the Po Lin Monastery.

Getting there
To reach the Tian Tan Buddha from Hong Kong, take the metro to the Tung Chung station. Nearby is the terminal for a new 6 kilometer (4 mile) long cable car system, which transports you to Po Lin.

Stairway
Once you are on the Po Lin monastery grounds, you climb 268 steps to reach the base of the statue (top of stairway can be seen in photo).

Lunch
If you do not bring something to eat, the monks serve a vegetarian lunch to tourists in a large dining hall. The cost is modest, but so is the food quality.