About Big Buddha (Tian Tan) and Ngong Ping
Getting there is half the fun. From Tung Chung, the Ngong Ping 360 cable car takes about 25 minutes to reach the plateau, over the green slopes of Lantau. Up top, 268 steps separate you from the Buddha, seated on a lotus on a three-tiered altar and surrounded by six bronze figures representing offerings. The raised right hand symbolizes the removal of suffering.
Completed in 1993, the statue was assembled from 202 bronze pieces over a steel frame and weighs more than 250 tonnes. Inside there are three floors of exhibits and a relic that, according to tradition, holds the cremated remains of the Buddha. Next door is Po Lin Monastery, which rounds out the visit.
