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Ngong Ping 360 is a cable car system in Hong Kong that connects Tung Chung Town Centre on Lantau Island with Ngong Ping Village. The cable car offers scenic views of the island and the surrounding waters, and the Ngong Ping Village features a number of cultural and tourist attractions, including a bronze statue of the Buddha, a traditional Chinese village, and an exhibition on the history of the area. And because we bought the 360 Tai O Pass, we will also visit Tai O the traditional fishing village, and explore the narrow streets and look at the unique architecture of the stilt houses.
The cable car ride in the Crystal Cabin is more expensive than the standard cabin, but it offers a more immersive and exciting experience for visitors. Since we are both scared of heights and wanted to save some money, we went for the standard cabin.
So we arrived at the Ngong Ping Village. The main attractions here are the Po Lin Monastery, a Buddhist temple, and also several shops, restaurants, and souvenir stores. We are gonna explore as many as we can.
Outside the shopping street, we arrived at the main Ngong Ping sightseeing area. At entrance we are welcomed with the twelve divine generals, they are a group of gods in Chinese Buddhism. They are considered protectors of the Buddhist faith and are depicted as fierce warriors. Each of the twelve generals is associated with a specific animal and is believed to have the power to protect against different types of evil.
Then we arrived at the biggest temple in Ngong Ping, Po Lin Monastery. It is one of the most important Buddhist temples in Hong Kong and is known for its serene atmosphere and beautiful architecture. The Po Lin Monastery was founded in 1906 by three monks and was originally a small temple. Over the years, it has grown in size and popularity, and it is now one of the most visited tourist destinations in Hong Kong, and it can get quite crowded, especially during weekends and holidays.
Right next to the temple, we can see the Giant Buddha, known as the Tian Tan Buddha. The statue is 34 meters (or 112 feet) tall and sits on a lotus throne. It is the largest outdoor bronze seated Buddha statue in the world and one of the most iconic symbols of Hong Kong. The statue was completed in 1993, and it took 12 years to build. The statue is made of 202 bronze pieces and weighs over 250 tons. The statue is located at the top of a hill, and visitors can reach it by climbing a series of steps. There are a total of 268 steps to get to the top. It took us about 30 mins to walk up. There are six smaller bronze statues known as the "Six Devas" which are standing on the lotus pedestals. They are representations of the offerings of the six perfections to the Buddha by the gods. The view from the top is quite decent.
To go to the next stop we have to take a 40 mins shuttle bus that takes us from the top of Ngong Ping down to the bottom of the hill, a fishing village called Tai O.
Dried fish is a traditional delicacy in Tai O. The fish is cleaned, salted, and then dried under the sun for several days, which gives the fish a unique texture and flavor. The dried fish is known for its intense and savory flavor, and it is often used as a seasoning in traditional Chinese dishes. The dried fish can be used to make soups, stir-fries, and even porridge. The dried fish is also a popular gift item, as it has a long shelf life and can be easily transported.
Since I didn’t know much about cooking using dried fish, instead I bought some grilled Pork Jerky for snacks. It is made from lean pork meat, which is marinated in a mixture of soy sauce, sugar, and various spices, then dried and grilled over a charcoal fire.
Tai O is famous for its stilt houses and traditional boat rides. The boat rides offer visitors a unique and scenic way to explore the village and its surroundings. There are several boat tour operators that offer different types of boat rides, such as traditional boat rides, dolphin-watching boat rides, and sunset boat rides. These boat rides typically take visitors on a tour of the Tai O River and its surrounding waters, where they can see the traditional stilt houses and fishing boats, as well as the local wildlife such as dolphins, and sometimes pink dolphins.
Siu mai, also known as shumai or steamed dumplings, consists of a wrapper made from wheat flour dough, filled with a mixture of fish meat, and various seasonings. It is my wife's favorite. The one I got is half tofu pudding, and half black sesame seed soup. It has a nice flavor of black sesame seed, and is not too sweet. I also ordered another dessert here. It was my favorite childhood dessert.
That is it for today. I will be posting more videos of my travels. That can take quite some time to edit a video. Subscribe to see me again. You can comment something down below and I will feature one of the comments in the next video. I will see you in the next video. Later~