Hong Kong - The Spiritual Bit

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The first impression of Hong Kong is of concrete scraping the hazy sky and hazy revellers scraping the concrete pavements. Then you’re taken to the “other side” of the islands where you’re amazed that such exotic beachy alcoves exist in such close proximity to the vast arrays of neon sign topped towers. Then to add one more dimension you find out that on a hill top sits the biggest bronze Buddha on the planet, the third largest Buddha known to be in existence. The mind boggled. I had to confirm this with my own peepers and so began Tuesday, the day of my spiritual journey to the Tien Tan (I think) Buddha. The Buddha is located on Lantau Island West of Hong Kong Island which is reached by ferry, for those who wish to skim across the waves, or for those from London who can’t seem to shake the idea of the efficiency of the underground, by train. I chose the latter - naturally. While on the topic of the train system in Hong Kong - wow! The Mass Transit Rail or MTR can only be heralded as the cleanest, most efficient public transport rail system I have ever had the privilege of being transported by. Not a hot topic so I will not subject you to a full digression hailing the achievement, but the Hong Kong MTR was worth a mention... I arrived safely and comfortably, as you do on a quiet air-conditioned train, in Tung Chung on the island of Lantau. This was the first part of my journey. I was then to take the “cable car” up to see the giant Buddha calmly surveying the jungle covered foothills below his perch. What I expected to see was a Table Mountain style, fifteen to twenty person capacity, standing room only, box attached to a three hundred metre cable. What I found was an Austrian ski slope gondola system stretching from the heart of a thirty story residential district almost six kilometres over an opaque turquoise lake into the jungle clad hills of the Lantau interior. For three quarters of the gondola ride the suspended carriage is climbing, however, the last little section is a very gradual decent to the top station. It is during this decent that I saw the big bronze guy for the first time. On a distinct hilltop, outlined against a grey sky, I could see the unmistakable cross-legged plump figure of Buddha gazing over the valley before him. You would think that a thirty metre tall bronze seated figure atop a mound of green and surrounded by other naked hilltops would seem out of place, and I wouldn’t blame you, but you’d be wrong. One thing that struck me as I got closer was how natural the scene appeared. I wasn’t subconsciously questioning why it was there. It should be there. As I climbed the two hundred and fifty steps to get up to the base of the figure I was not wondering how on Earth it was placed there in the first place. Buddha simply walked up the hill and sat down. While I was strolling around the temple grounds in the valley below the Buddha and welcomed into the buildings to admire the grandeur of the altars and the carvings I was not contemplating the necessity for any of it. Instead I was overcome by an undeniable sense of contentment. That little world in the Lantau mountains, and here I exclude the tacky purpose built tourist village at the bottom of the gondola, was just very simply as it should be.

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