Po Lin Monastery is situated in the western region of the Lantau Island, which is also referred to as the Buddhist Kingdom in the South. The Po Lin Monastery is in fact one of the most well settled monasteries in the entire city of Hong Kong. It was originally constructed by three monks in the year 1920. There is a single shrine dedicated to Lord Buddha at this monastery. The monastery was then renamed as the Po Lin Monastery. In the year 1930, additional halls and large temples have been added to the Po Lin Monastery, Hong Kong. Since 1970, the Po Lin Monastery of Hong Kong has become one of the top ten Buddhist monasteries in the city of Hong Kong.
The decor of the main building of the Po Lin Monastery is done in a rather simplistic way, which is quite different from that of the other traditional monasteries. Another special feature of the Po Lin Monastery is the Sakyamuni – Tian Tan Buddha statue that is placed on the top most point of the Muyushan Mountain. The statue of Sakyamuni – Tian Tan Buddha is in fact considered as one of the largest one of its kind across the globe. The statue stands as tall as 34 meters and projects the meditating posture of Buddha.
There is a three story exhibition hall that is placed right
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at the base of the Po Lin Monastery. This hall is mostly famous for the engravings of the Buddhist scriptures and the Buddhist figures displayed here. One of the characteristic features of the monastery is that the bell is under the control of the computer and it rings after every seven minutes. Therefore, the bell completes the circle of one hundred and eight rings, so as to relieve the one hundred and eight vexations. A tiny museum is placed at the end of a flight of 268 stairs. Many relics have been kept at the Hong Kong Po Lin Monastery, which are not available at the main museum.
Although the silence of the monastery is broken only by the visitors on the weekends, the monks still manage to spend a peaceful and secluded life. There are also special arrangements for the Chinese dishes at the Po Lin Monastery. However, meat and alcohol are prohibited inside the monastery.
Reaching the Po Lin Monastery in Hong Kong is quite comfortable via the ferry service from the Central Pier, towards the Silvermine Bay (Mui Wo). Regular bus service can also be availed to Po Lin as bus no. 2 connects Po Lin with other regions across the land. The MTR bus service can also be availed from the Tung Chung station. Bus no. 23 also offers its service to and fro the Po Lin Monastery.
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