big buddha 'experience'

This is the big buddha on Lantau island in HK. It's rather aptly named, being a giant buddha on top of a hill, seated and made of bronze etc etc... Built in 1993 as part of the Po Lin monastery.

Very serene and very beautiful... contrasted with the purpose built 'village' of Ngong Ping at the base of the buddha and near the monastery. No one actually lives in this village. Think disneyfied tourist trap with suitable numbers of fast food and coffee places, a van pumping out 'snow' (well, it is Christmas), and if you pay extra you can partake of two museum-type audio-visual experiences of the buddha and the messages of buddhism (complete with gift shops)... The place was packed with people photographing everything but the buddha or surrounding scenery.

We left rather quickly