Popularly referred to as simply H.K, Hong Kong is located on the southern side of China and is run as its special administrative Region. But the place is not as popular for tourism as it should be. I believe it deserves more attention and appreciation than it gets. The place is ideal for tourists. It has abundance of natural beauty, the region is generally secure and the culture is quite unique. All in all, it is a place worth discovering. If you are planning a holiday, do give Hong Kong a chance. It does not disappoint.

Lantau Island

The Lantau Island has the privilege of being the largest Island in it. It is located in the beautiful Pearl River. The Island has been developed especially to attract tourists.

Ngong Ping 360

The government has made a lot of efforts to promote tourism. Npong Ping 360 is a result of such efforts. The name refers to a cable car system that connects Tung Chung and Ngong Ping on the Lantau Island. The journey is beautiful and the whole project has been a successful one.

Madame Tussauds Hong Kong

Yes, you hear it right. The renowned chain of wax museums has a branch in it too. It has the honor of being the only Madame Tussauds museum in Asia. Here you will get to see figures of more than 75 celebrities and famous personalities. Most these are Asian personalities. Some of the most popular figures are Jackie Chan, Bruce Lee, Mahatma Gandhi, Pablo Picasso, Angelina Jolie, Muhammad Ali, Michael Jackson, Amitabh Bachan, Marilyn Monroe, Alfred Hitchcock and Albert Einstein.

Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre

Housed in a complex and unique looking building, the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre hosts numerous events. Inside the centre are big halls, meeting rooms, theatres and restaurants.

Disneyland

Hong Kong Disneyland is the most visited and most popular destination of it. The theme park is divided into different zones and each one has a unique outlook. The park attracts children and adults alike.

Ocean Park

This oceanarium and amusement park is part of the ’50 most visited World’s attractions” and is extremely popular. From animal zones, roller coasters to aquariums, the park has loads of things to entertain its visitors.

Victoria Park

Victoria Park is named after the Queen Victoria. The public park is bordered by the Victoria Harbor and has wonderful surroundings. The famous Lunar New Year Fair is held here every year.

Many of the passengers who pass through Hong Kong every year, are either spending their short stopover holiday in the city centre, or simply prefer to stay at the airport, not knowing that some of the city’s most spectacular attractions can be found just near the airport. This article will show you how you can enjoy your short Hong Kong stopover without getting too far from the airport.

Lantau Island, right next to the airport, is Hong Kong’s largest and most scenic island, and other than beautiful nature sceneries of steep forest-clad mountains and sandy coves, it is home to some of Hong Kong’s most spectacular tourist attractions.

After clearing with Immigration and Customs, you can deposit your trolley luggage at the baggage storage facility, in the “Meeters and Greeters Hall” (Full details can be found in my other article: “Hong Kong Stopover – the Easiest Ways to Get From the Airport to the City’s Main Attractions”).

Now you can catch a bus to the new town of Tung Chung, on Lantau Island.

Bus routes S1, S52P and S64 are all traveling to Tung Chung Bus Terminus and the journey takes something like 10 minutes. You can also catch a blue-colored Lantau Taxi or a red Urban-taxi. It’s only a short ride and the price is not likely to be more than HK$ 35-40

Tung Chung’s Bus Terminus is located right next to Citygate Outlets (some of the buses have a stop within the mall). This modern shopping complex is Hong Kong’s first and (so far) only outlet mall, which means that international brand names can be bought here at significant discounts, all year round…

Citygate is also a good place to enjoy a cup of coffee or a light meal, as the mall boasts 14 restaurants and cafes, as well as a cinema and other entertainment venues. From here, you can start your cable-car journey to Ngong Ping and its attractions.

A visit to Ngong Ping Village, Po Lin Monastery and the “Big Buddha” is definitely one of Hong Kong’s must-dos. The 25 minutes long cable-car ride covers a distance of almost 6 km, from the lower terminus, next to Citygate, all the way up to the mountain, and the panoramic views are simply spectacular.

Up on the mountain, you can see the famous “Big Buddha”: An immense bronze statue of the seated Buddha, soaring to a height of 34 meters above its Lotus-shaped base, and the Po Lin Monastery, with its beautiful golden statues, lavish Chinese decors and lovely vegetarian restaurant.

Ngong Ping Village spans from the cableway’s top terminus to the monastery and the Big Buddha’s base. It’s a “culturally themed village” with restaurants, souvenir shops and some cliche attractions, related to the life and philosophy of the Buddha.

If you love nature and you do have a bit of time on your hands, you might want to pop to the Ngong Ping Nature Centre and join one of their free nature guided walks. The walks are only 1 hour long or so, but they are really nice.

Depends on how much time you have, you can either catch the cable-car back to Tung Chung and Citygate, and proceed to the airport from there, or you can continue your Lantau Island journey. Ngong Ping cable car operates seven days a week, from 10am to 6pm (weekdays) and from 9am to 6:30 pm on weekends.

New Lantao Bus Co. offers a “package” that includes One day of unlimited Lautau-bus rides (on almost all the island’s routes) + One-way cable car journey. It’s not a bad deal, if you have plenty of time and want to venture to places like Tai-O and Mui Wo. But if all that you want is to travel to Ngong Ping and the Big Buddha and spend some time at Citygate, there’s no need for you to bother about it.

Bus No. 21 travels from Ngong Ping through one of Hong Kong’s most scenic roads, to Tai-O: A picturesque fishermen village that is built on stilts above the water and popularly nicknamed “The Venice of Hong Kong”. You can easily spend an hour in Tai O… There is a lovely little market (with strong seafood smells), some excellent seafood restaurants and one or two old Chinese temples…

From here, you can board bus No. 11 back to Tung Chung and Citygate, or you can hop on bus No. 1 and travel with it along Lantau’s beautiful coastline to Mui Wo, a sleepy seaside town with some good seafood restaurants, nice nature walks and relaxed ambiance. Bus No. 3M travels from Mui Wo back to Tung Chung Terminus/Citygate, or you can board A35 and travel directly to Hong Kong International Airport (N35 at night).

Before I conclude this article, here are a couple of other options you might want to know about: From Ngong Ping directly to Mui Wo: take bus No. 2. From Ngong Ping back to Tung Chung Terminus and Citygate: Take bus No. 23 (that is if you don’t want to go down with the cable-car)

Continuing with Hong Kong the city (Lantau island Monasteries)

Po Lam Zen Monastery

This monastery can be found on the Ngomg Ping to Tung Chung trail.

Setting out fro Ngong Ping I went through an arch with inscriptions on it (sorry I cant read Chinese) finding out what it means with have to be later. After walking for about an hour I came across a rest area with views of Tung Chung and the surrounding mountains what a great sight it was also peaceful all that could be heard were the birds. Having been on many a walk I found this to be one of the best because it was a good path and just peaceful. then out on nothing I came across Po Lam monastery (Po Lam meaning “jewel of the forest”) and what I found was space, no fences or gates. Following the path I walked right into the monasteries gardens, vegetables of course and flowers with such wonderful color, monks working away.

They acknowledge me by smiling and a waving. Where else would you get such a friendly welcome, straight away I could feel at home, where else Po Lin monastery I don’t think so. Having been to a number of monasteries I found this to be different, tucked away on a mountain side surrounded by trees and the peace and quite was something else. Having just left Ngong Ping tourists by the hundreds, hustling camera clicking to come to the tranquility of Po Lam where meditation would not be hard to find. This monastery is used as a retreat for visiting monks (bhiksus) and nuns (bhiksunis) as I was told by a nun who approached me and asked if I wanted to talk, so I did. The nun told me about why it was a retreat for monks and nuns from china and farther afield. Prayer and meditation are there way of live and occasionally you need to separate yourself so coming to Po Lam where the way of live is so simple lets that happen. Reading one time a heard of a visiting monk who brought a cassette player with him but was reminded that it will clutter ones mind and it was taken away. While talking to the nun I asked about wars, her reply was, greed man always wants more, there’s enough on this earth to please all, just a simple sentence meaning so much. That’s why being a monk or nun possessions our of the mind not of the price tag. Thinking of what she just said, how true even I have to admit I always want more but there is a right and wrong way of obtaining more.

The monastery is run on rules which comprise of prayer and meditation and an early start 3, 30am, morning pray 4 to 5am meditation 5, 30am and so the day goes on with walking meditation from 6. 15 -6. 30pm there day finally finishing at 9:00pm. The building are not the best monastery ones but they are still well worth a visit some beautiful flowers like I have never seen before and the monastery itself is a beautiful building.

My time there taught me how to relax because it was so easy in such a tranquil location, the question will I return most certainly. Mentioning how I got here earlier, meeting hikers coming the other way and its only about 1 hour from NgongPing (less if you walk quicker than me which wouldn’t be difficult) but if you want to see and feel a sense of satisfaction then this is the place to visit.

The inscription on the arch, there to remind us all of the letting go of the dust of samsaric life (of course a buddhist saying).

My next article will be on the lantau trails.