Lantau Island Holiday and Sightseeing Guide

Lantau Island China Travel, Holiday and Sightseeing Guide.

Holiday Sightseeing on China's Lantau Island visiting the world famous Big Buddha, Po Lin Monastery and then by bus to Tai O fishing village before returning to Mui Wo.

Lantau Island China. Situated at the mouth of the Peal River Lantau Island is the largest island in Hong Kong with an area of around 145 kms - apart from the 85 foot high Giant Buddha statue - Tian Tan Buddha - the Island contains Hong Kong's Disneyland and also Hong Kong's International Aiport. Po Lin Monastery and the Big Buddha are open to the public between the hours of 10:00 and 17:45

Star Ferry Hong Kong tug boat at Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong cargo boat Hong Kong Getting to Lantau Island. If you are staying at Kowloon you have to take the Star Ferry across to Hong Kong Island - then take the Lantau Ferry which leaves from just along the jetty. Once at Mui Wo the bus station is right next to the terminal ferry with buses leaving frequently for the Monastery and the Big Buddha - you need to catch bus no.2. The ferry option makes quite an enjoyable hour long way to get over to Lantau Island with - smog permitting - really good views of both Hong Kong Island and it's huge skyscrapers and the Kowloon side whose skyscrapers anywhere else would be equally impressive. There are also loads of boats crossing and going through the Victoria Harbour area from junks to ferries to small container ships - this waterway is so busy that it's almost like watching a "boat motorway" at times.
Another way to get to Po Lin Monastery and the Big Buddha is via MTR - this is on the Tung Chung Line from Hong Kong - get off at Tung Chung Station and then take bus 23 to Ngong Ping.

 Po Lin Monastery - also known as the "Buddhist Kingdom in the South" - was built in 1920 by three Zen masters and is an international Buddhist retreat. The Monastery is really colourfull and impressive with the many dragons and other Chinese mythical figures painted on the walls and ceilings - it's easy to take lots of photographs around and inside the building.

Po Lin Monastery The Bell at Po Lin Monastery Lantau Hong Kong Lantau Island - Po Lin Monastery Po Lin - Lantau entrance to Po Lin Monastery Outside Po Lin Monastery Lantau Island Hong Kong

Once you have visited the monastery it is not too difficult to spot the Big Buddha - this impressive statue was completed on the 29th December 1993 which also marked the birthday of Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism. You have to pay a small entrance fee but this does include the right to a free vegetarian meal once you finsihed looking round. The 268 steps of climbing up to the top is quite significant if the weather is hot and/or humid but well worth it of course with excellent views across the island.
        The Big Buddha at Po Lin Monastery smaller statue at Po Lin      statues around the Big Buddha at Lantau      small buddha at Po Lin The massive Big Buddha at Po Lin Monastery Lantau
When back down the steps make sure you retain your entrance ticket - head back to the Monastery and you will find on it's left a vegetarian cafe where your ticket entitles you to a meal and a drink. Actually this vegetarian meal plus a nice sweet was really delicious - heaped plate full and most tasty.
The plan was then to head over to Tai O and the bus for this fishing village leaves on the road leading out from the bus terminal (not at the bus terminal) at a bus stop on the left hand side of the road out.

The Chinese fishing town of Tai O is situated on the Northwest of Lantau Island and is over 300 years old - it has quite a few really interesting houses particularly because they are built on wooden stilts out in the water - there is also a fish market on it's narrow main street selling amongst other things salted fish and shrimp paste.

fishing boats at Tai O - Lantau net fishing at Tai O, China Tai O fishing boats market stalls at Tai O Tai O street Houses on wooden stilts at Tai O - Lantau Island
side street at Tai O Tai O Lantau Island - Tai O Town Hong Kong - Lantau - Tai O Tai O Market stall at Tai O

You can easily wander around the side streets for some time just picking up the atmosphere of the place - the various waterways, fishing boats and stilt houses (pangwu).

From Tai O a frequent bus service takes you back over the island to the ferry at Mui Wo. However if time permits do not just head back to Hong Kong, instead walk out inland alongside the river - apart from lots of wildlife on the river itself you also soon reach the centre.

small boats at Mui Wo on Lantau Island path to the old town at Mui Wo countryside around Mui Wo - Lantau Island Hong Kong - Lantau - Mui Wo Mui Wo the beach at Mui Wo, Lantau, Hong Kong

By the bridge there are several paths marked out to follow - for instance if you continue on you can walk out into some pleasant countryside and then on to the old village - along here we saw many butterflies and birds.

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