A Poets View

And I call him my buddy because I truly made a connection with him while in Hong Kong.  He is called Tian Tan and is over 250 tons of bronze sculpture at over 80 feet tall and sits upon elaborately carved bronze lotus petals.  There are over 280 steps to reach his magnificence.  I snapped this photo of him while climbing the stairs.  When I gazed upon him at the foot of the stairs I thought to myself there is no way I’ll be able to climb all the way up there however it was much easier than I had expected.  He is atop a mountain in an area which is located right near Lantau Peak on Lantau Island which is one of Hong Kong’s outlying islands and is also home to their airport.

I wanted to visit Tian Tan when I was there in 2005 but due to time constraints I missed him.  So, when I visited Hong Kong this past March, Tian Tan was first on my list.  I decided not to take a tour because I wanted to spend as much time as I wanted visiting the Buddha.  

In this same general area is the Po Lin Monastery and Wisdom Path which I will be blogging about in the days to come.  Lantau island, because of the Buddha and monastery and the fact that the island is virtually unspoiled, vehicles are not allowed unless they have special permission from the government.  Buses and taxis are plentiful to serve the tourists but getting around if you live there can be difficult.  I took the bus to get to Tian Tan which was about a 45 minute journey up and around the mountains.  It was absolutely beautiful. The green forests, the blue waters and white sands are just breathtaking.  While driving up one of the roads the bus came to a screeching halt as there was a cow in the middle of nowhere lunching on some brush on the side of the road.  We had to wait until she was done eating.  Pretty funny.

While climbing those mountains on the bus I could see the Buddha from a distance.  It was all so exciting.  I had been waiting three years to see him.  When we arrived I exited the bus and when I saw him atop that mountain I just stood there in awe of his massive presence.  I bought my ticket and began  climbing the stairs while resting a couple of times to get photos of the surrounding area.  When reaching the top I stood breathless, not only because of the stairs but the sheer massiveness of Tian Tan.  The platform in which he is housed is in a circular formation with his deity court statues offering lotus flower and incense to him also sculptured in bronze.  I walked the entire platform many times taking photos and just experiencing the sheer tranquility of the entire scene.  The views from that platform around Lantau Island are spectacular to say the least.  

I watched while worshippers climbed the stairs, knelt before Tian Tan and said prayers.  Though I am not a religious person I felt a very strong spiritual connection while visiting Tian Tan.  I really did not want to leave and I spent quite a while just experiencing being there with the Buddha atop that mountain and absorbing the peace and serenity I felt while there.  Below the Buddha there is a memorial shrine which houses pictures and dedications to those who have passed on.  There is also Buddhist chanting within the hall which I really enjoyed.  Though a somber setting, it was inspirational.  

I had spent about two hours with my Buddha buddy and it was time for me to leave and visit Po Lin Monastery and Wisdom Path.  I said a few prayers to him and offered my thanks for this incredible experience.

I will go back to see him again someday hopefully in the near future.  More pics can be found at http://joshongkong.tripod.com