Lantau Island, Hong Kong

We passed through Victoria Harbor and docked at the Kai Tak cruise terminal, which is the site of the old airport.  Hong Kong is densely populated, 7 million people living within 405 square miles, so the skyline is studded with skyscrapers. Once a British colony, Hong Kong was given back to China in 1997 and is known as a global financial center. It is the most expensive city in the world to live!

We spent day 1 on Lantau island visiting a traditional fishing village, the Po Lin monastery and riding the Ngong Ping 360 cable car.  Tai O is a fishing village where houses are on stilts next to the water and the small shops sell live and dried fish of every kind.  We saw dried puffer fish and octopus.

Skyline of Hong Kong as we sailed into Victoria Harbor

Chinese Junk in the harbor

Drummers and dancers outside the ship when we docked

Dried puffer fish in the market

Small shops line narrow alleys in Tai O fishing village

Inside a small Buddhist temple at Tai O village; lots of incense was being burned

Next we went to the Po Lin (means Precious Lotus) monastery. It contains a beautiful Buddhist temple and a giant bronze Buddha statue (Tian Tan) that sits at the top of the highest hill on Lantau. The seated Buddha is 100 feet tall and cost $60 million Hong Kong dollars (equals about $8 million US) in 1993.  Buddhist monks live and train at the monastery, but it is also a major tourist attraction.

Finally, we took the Ngong Ping 360 cable car from the top of the hill near the monastery down to the bottom of the island.  The ride provided panoramic views of the island and the Hong Kong skyline.

100 foot bronze Buddha at Po Lin monastery

Po Lin Buddhist monastery

Gold Buddhas inside the monastery temple

Getting on the Ngong Ping 360 cable car

Panoramic view of airport and harbor from the cable car