It’s been a while since I used a travel agent to plan a trip. But a major travel agent in Belgium posted a deal one can’t refuse in a newsletter in June 2023. Flights from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol to Hong Kong with Cathay Pacific and three nights at the four-star Park Hotel Hong Kong in the Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon area. So I messaged Oriol in ‘panic’ and pressured him to decide quickly (as the deal was popular and the the offer limited in time and availability) to come along to this Special Administrative Region (SAR) of the People’s Republic of China. Being four days in Hong Kong, we used one of these days to Macau (also often spelled Macao) the other SAR. We were there in November 2023.

Our last activity of or 2023 Hong Kong & Macau Trip was a visit of The Big Buddha or Tian Tan Buddha on Lantau Island. To get there, you take the Ngong Ping 360 gondola.

Ngong Ping 360

“Ngong Ping Cable Car ride connects Tung Chung with Ngong Ping and offers the serene panorama of Lantau. Ngong Ping Terminal is right next to Ngong Ping Village – the best starting point to reach other Hong Kong attractions such as The Big Buddha, Po Lin Monastery, Tai O fishing village, etc. Ngong Ping Village is the home to recreation, shopping, and four entertaining themed attractions loved by locals and tourists alike”, the Ngong Ping 360 website says.

Intended to improve tourism to the area, the aerial lift was previously known as Tung Chung Cable Car Project before acquiring the Ngong Ping 360 brand in April 2005. It consists of the Ngong Ping Cable Car, formerly known as the Ngong Ping 360 Skyrail, and the Ngong Ping Village, a retail and entertainment centre adjacent to the cable car’s upper station. So a lot of rebranding. 

Ngong Ping 360 connects Tung Chung, on the north coast of Lantau and itself linked to central Hong Kong by the Tung Chung line, with the Ngong Ping area in the hills above. This is home to the Po Lin Monastery and the Tian Tan Buddha, both already significant tourist attractions in their own right. 

Before Ngong Ping 360’s opening, the only access was via a mountain road and bus service.

Ngong Ping 360 is owned by the MTR Corporation, the operator of Hong Kong’s rail system. It was built by Leitner Ropeways.

Riding Ngong Ping 360

How is Ngong Ping 360 to ride? Well, firstly you need tickets. Better buy them in advance, because the queue for tickets is really, really long and slow. The queue for people with pre-purchased tickets is also long and slow, but less so. 

There are different types of tickets, but we took the basic ones. 

So after a long wait you get on board and you share the gondola with other people. It can get windy and cold up there, but the ride and transition moments are  actually really smooth and not scary.

The views are amazing, for sure. Certainly those over Hong Kong International Airport. 

So, as blasé as I am, Ngong Ping is a pretty good cable car ride. 

The Big Buddha

The Big Buddha, officially known as Tian Tan Buddha, is a large bronze statue located on Lantau Island. It is one of the most iconic and popular tourist attractions in the region.

The Big Buddha stands at a height of 34 metres (112 feet) and weighs over 250 tons. The statue is made of bronze and consists of 202 separate pieces.

Tian Tan Buddha is a symbol of harmony, spirituality, and Buddhism. It is a representation of the relationship between man and nature, people and faith.

The statue is strategically positioned facing north, looking over the Chinese people. Its placement on Ngong Ping Plateau is believed to enhance the harmonious energy of the area.

The Big Buddha is located near the Po Lin Monastery, which was built in 1906. Visitors can climb the 268 steps to reach the platform where the Buddha sits. The surrounding area is scenic, with lush greenery and panoramic views of Lantau Island.

The statue is surrounded by six smaller bronze statues known as the ‘Offerings of the Six Devas‘, which are posed offering flowers, incense, lamp, ointment, fruit, and music to the Buddha.

Visitors to The Big Buddha can explore the nearby Po Lin Monastery, enjoy vegetarian meals, and experience a serene and spiritual atmosphere. It’s a significant cultural and religious site in Hong Kong and attracts tourists and pilgrims alike.

A visit to The Big Buddha

Unfortunately we only had time to climb up the hill. Ngong Ping 360 stops operating at 6 PM-ish and we started this excursion at 3 PM. But the queues were so ling and slow.

Anyway. Yes, it’s an imposing statue. The Village is too touristy for our taste, but I feel it’s something Chinese people like very much. If we had more time, we would have done the Monastery as well. 

Hong Kong & Macau 2023

1. REVIEW | Cathay Pacific Airbus A350 in Economy – Amsterdam Schiphol to Hong Kong.
2. HONG KONG | Tsim Sha Tsui – Golden Mile & Nathan Road – Kowloon Park – Sneaker Street & Fa Yuen Street Market – A Symphony of Lights – Temple Street Night Market.
3. REVIEW | Park Hotel Hong Kong in Kowloon.
4. HONG KONG ISLAND CENTRAL DISTRICT | Man Mo Temple – Lan Fong Yuen – Central–Mid-Levels escalator – Victoria Peak & Peak Tram – tram – Victoria Park – Star Ferry.
5. Gay Hong Kong.
6. REVIEW | TurboJet high-speed ferry from Hong Kong to Macau.
7. Macau.
8. MACAU GRAND PRIX | Trying to catch glimpses of the Guia Circuit, Formula 3 and GT cars.
9. CATHAY PACIFIC | Free In-town Check-in Service at MTR’s Hong Kong Station and Kowloon Station.
10. HONG KONG | Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery.
11. Learning about life in Hong Kong by visiting IKEA at HomeSquare in Sha Tin.