After taking the cable car up and walking through the shopping center, I saw the Big Buddha with…read morethe stairs leading up on one side and the Po Lin Monastery on the other. After passing through the path of lanterns and into the courtyard, it seemed simple at first glance, then I got closer and could see the burst of color and details in the building. Truly beautiful. I walked around the entirety of the building just admiring it, I even found a lovely spot with a view of Buddha. If you face the building, and go towards the left, there is a lovely food stand that the monks and volunteers also dine at. Food is affordable and there are plenty of tables. It's a nice place to rest when visiting Lantau.

Po Lin Monastery / Lantau Island (Hong Kong) -- Make no mistake, we came for the Big Buddha…read more However, from my limited perspective, the scene stealer on Lantau Island was this monastery complex which originated as a thatched hut in 1906. The complex starts with the Pai Lau, an elaborate entry arch designed in traditional Chinese style (photo: https://yelp.to/A--vWlmM8S), followed by a tunnel of paper lanterns in different colors (not just red) (photo: https://yelp.to/VGnM9WQ3-Q). The incense-intensive plaza leads to the Hall of Skanda Bodhisattva where the Four Heavenly Kings watches over the four directions of the world as royal protectors (photo: https://yelp.to/dYW3khXqCs). Right behind the Hall is the Main Shrine Hall of Buddha where we saw a trio of bronze Buddha statues representing his past, present, and future lives surrounded by a number of sacred scripts (photo: https://yelp.to/c75CRmyB9S). The most impressive building is the Grand Hall of Ten Thousand Buddhas. Just built in 2014, there are truly ten thousand glowing Buddha statues in the expansive hall (photo: https://yelp.to/pJY9kdtLY8). A stunning sight and the security guard appeared lenient about taking photographs despite a sign that stated otherwise. Either that or he was resigned to the reality of Instagram. There's a popular vegetarian restaurant on the premises, but we took a pass. RELATED - Exploring Hong Kong? Here's my collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/3AGgadg

I love the ancient temples, it speaks with volumn without saying anything since it's right there in…read morethe walls, the structures, the gates, the set up, the statues, the burning incense, the folks that comes over the years, decades...it's such a peaceful, tranquility and calmest being there.

A must visit treasure in HK. Pretty easy to get to if you take the MTR. Walk from Sheung Wan stop…read morefor about 15 minutes. Lots of local markets to visit. Plenty of coffee shops around.

In my two years of being in Hong Kong, booking a reservation to visit the Tsz Shan Monastery was…read moreone of the most difficult things I had accomplished. It was seriously such a hassle because available reservations open up every day at around 9AM, but the reservations fill up very quickly due to the high demand; everyone is trying to visit. I would have to remember to check for availability every morning because I really wanted to visit this monastery. It was nearby where I lived/worked, so it would be an utter shame if I couldn't visit it given its proximity. I was sitting in the restroom one morning when I suddenly randomly remembered to try to make a reservation. Thankfully, I finally did. It was part of my last few weeks of being in Hong Kong, and it was such a beautiful experience. Very hot though, because it was the summer. If you're planning to visit Tai Mei Tuk/Tai Po, try to fit Tsz Shan Monastery into your itinerary. After we left Tsz Shan Monastery, we ended up in Tai Mei Tuk for paddle boating and a BBQ dinner. This was one of those days where every thing we did was unforgettable. A type of day that I hope comes around more often in my life.

What's up: Are you looking for a quiet temple to visit? Or maybe you want to see the tallest Guan…read moreYin statue in Hong Kong? This is the place! Transit: Minibus, Bus, or taxi. Per the staff at the temple, Minibus times are not consistent, but they are easily accessible from MTR Tai Po Station; we tried to get 20T but we wouldn't have made our appointment. There were other minibus options, but this one would have dropped us off right at the entrance. The guarantee is to take a taxi, but it will cost a bit more vs the minibus. Their website lists several options to get there. Environment: Reservations are required to enter and can be done on their website. When you arrive, present your confirmation / QR. It's self guided with plenty of descriptions around to describe what you're seeing. Be sure to take a bowl and fill it with water to offer the Guan Yin statue. It's recommended to take mindful steps towards the collection bowl. What was ordered: Free to visit, but reservations are required. Yay/Nay/Meh: Yay. If you're looking for a quiet and peaceful place to visit, this is the place. The reservation system ensures that the place is not too crowded and it's fairly easy to get a spot. Only issue is figuring out how to get here since there are multiple options. Oh, and their cafe gives out free drinks and a piece of cake that you can enjoy in their outdoor resting area.

If you happen to be taking the West Rail to Turn Mun, between Tin Shui Wai station and Siu Hong…read morestation, try to look outside the window and you may see on your left there are two very iconic and eye-catching yet contrasting establishments. The two major structures are actually Miu Fat Monastery, as known as the Ten Thousand Buddhas Hall that was erected in 1980; and also a more modern architecture of glass and concrete that was constructed in 1999. Together they are the most popular Buddhist monastery complex in Hong Kong that attracts countless tourists each year. Today let me talk about the old building as that was the one that caught my eyes right away. Walk through the garden and you may see two regal stone lions and majestic stone elephant offering you a warm welcome. In front of you lies the three storey Ten Thousand Buddhas Hall that is colorfully and elaborately ornated with dragons and all kind of traditional mythical creatures. Inside the Mahavira Hall, and you can see three gold statues of Saktamuni, the Buddhas and they all are so gigantic that put visitors at awe. Reliefs and murals can be found on the walls. Columns are carved with gold dragons that are rather imposing. I am no Buddhist myself but Miu Fat Monastery does intrigue me a lot just because of its nicely adorned façade. I strongly recommend one to come here and you simply cannot miss this majestic building in Hong Kong.

Our family of four visited on a Sunday morning in November. It was not busy which is ideal for our…read moretwo young daughters, 6.5 and 5 years old. The main journey up to the monastery is an attraction itself, as the path is lined on both sides with golden Buddhas, each unique and in different poses. The path has over 400 steps so it's a lengthy one for our girls. However, they did most of the walking on their own and they paused several times to marvel at the different Buddhas. When we reached the top, we taught our girls to be respectful at a temple by being watchful of their noise level and body language. We also lit incense and paid our respects to the different Buddhas. It was a wonderful and educational experience for our girls.

Mink and I didn't have much time together to do things by ourselves because of family obligations…read more On our last day in Hong Kong, we made time to do some activities alone. We woke up early and went to Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery. It was the first time either one of us has been here so we were excited. I did a little research and knew there were a lot of stairs to climb so we dressed accordingly. It also helped mentally prepare Mink for the trek up. While walking up, we saw people of all ages so that was inspiring to see older people being able to get to the top. We also passed by countless gold statues, not one like any other. It was a peaceful and beautiful climb up to the monastery. When you get to the top, there are many photo opportunities but there are some areas that they ask you not to photo or video out of respect. We were fortunate with the weather because it was raining prior to our last day and it would have definitely made things challenging if it did rain. Although this is a free activity, there are places at the top where you can make monetary donations. This is a great outdoor activity and we highly recommend it.

A perfect garden to spend at least half a day on your visit to HKG. The garden is walking distance…read morefrom Diamond Hill MRT station which is very convenient. There is no entry fee to the garden and all the exhibits are free as well. The exhibits specially the wooden and rock structures are a must see, specially the wooden replicas of Chinese Timber Architecture is one of the best we have seen. If the replicas are so good, we want to see the real ones. The rockery is also very nice. The gift store is so nice and very interesting things on sale.

Such a beautiful place to visit in a hustling bustling city. It literally is so perfect your…read morepictures look like AI Don't forget to try the 2 restaurants serving delicious vegetarian food. If you want a quick bite there is a cafe with snacks as well highly recommend this place and it's free but you can make a donation

The Big Buddha was at the top of our list of must-see attractions while visiting Hong Kong. Located…read moreon Lantau Island, this iconic landmark is truly impressive and something you have to experience in person to fully appreciate. Although my husband and I chose not to climb the 268 steps to the statue, we were still in awe of its sheer size and presence. The surrounding scenery is beautiful, peaceful, and makes for some great photo opportunities. Whether you're interested in the cultural significance, the architecture, or simply taking in the views, it's well worth the visit.

This is a must-see place when you visit Hong Kong. We are so glad we changed our schedule to visit…read moreLantau Island on a sunny day. The morning weather was not hot at all. It was much better than the next week, which was rainy and cloudy. The Big Buddha is a giant bronze statue built in 1993. It is located at Ngong Ping, near the Po Lin Monastery. Even though this was not our first time visiting (our daughters' first time), it was still an unforgettable trip. After we rode the Ngong Ping 360 cable car, we arrived at the beautiful village. Then, we saw the Big Buddha right in front of us. The area felt very peaceful. We climbed up more than 250 steps to reach the bottom of the statue. From the top, we saw amazing views of the green mountains, the blue sea, and other smaller statues. If you want to avoid big crowds, I highly recommend going early in the morning!

The temple has a mid autumn festival of lights while we are visiting this week. They were giving…read moreout free lighted flower lanterns to all visitors on this night of the 2026 mid autumn festival. They have the entire grounds decorated in gorgeous colorful lights.

I come by to pray and wish for good fortune during lunar new year. This temple is located in Wong…read moreTai Sin, and it is located next to the MTR station (B2 exit). It was super crowded, but it was organized that there is only one way in, and one way out. There are a lot of different section that was set up, so I stopped by each station to pay respect and pray for my wishes. Staff were friendly and available to help when needed. This temple is not only for praying, but it is also a symbol of the traditional Chinese culture. I would say this is one of the must visit spot in Hong Kong.