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Lantau island

First time using Animoto for video compilation of photos taken from Lantau island, Hong Kong. Animoto rocks!

Look at the long queue all the way from the town centre to Tung Chung Cable Car Terminal (東涌). It was a Monday morning so we didn’t expect to see so many visitors going to Lantau island (大屿山). The ticketing counters only open at 10:00 am on weekdays; luckily we were already in the line around 9:30 am. Set off early to the cable car terminal for shorter queues!

Basically, there are two types of cable cars: the Standard cabin and Crystal cabin that features glass bottom floor. We bought a pair of Standard cabin (round trip) tickets at HK$107/pax… and followed another QUEUE again to take the cable car to Ngong Ping Cable Car Terminal for the main attraction of Lantau island – Tian Tan Big Buddha (天壇大佛), one of the five giant Buddha statues in China. I’ve seen the world’s largest giant Buddha in China too. Check out Leshan giant Buddha.

Enjoy a 25-min scenic ride from Tung Chung Cable Car Terminal to Ngong Ping Cable Car Terminal. While gliding across Tung Chung Bay, you will catch glimpses of Hong Kong International Airport on Chek Lap Kok island. It is one of the largest and busiest airports in the world.

A distant view of Hong Kong Int’l Airport from our cable car. The shot was taken using a 200mm zoom lens.

Ngong Ping 360 (昂坪360) cable cars.

While we can choose the easy way up to Ngong Ping Plateau via cable car, the tough ones can venture out on the 70-km Lantau Trail that weaves through the lush green forests of the island. It’s a strenuous hike that crosses over two of the highest summits on Lantau island. A Cantonese folk in our cable car even exclaimed that there are many snakes along the trail.

The ever-changing 360-degree panoramic view will keep you entertained throughout the 25-min cable car ride. Watch out for the waterfalls below you!

Soon, the magnificent gigantic Tian Tan Buddha statue looms into sight.

It’s amazing how they built the world’s largest outdoor bronze Buddha statue seated on the plateau.

Ngong Ping Village is just a few mins walk from Ngong Ping Cable Car Terminal. There are some attractions in this cultural themed village: Walking with Buddha (multimedia attraction), Monkey’s Tale Theatre and Ngong Ping Tea House. You can also have your lunch/snacks in this village. There is Starbucks too.

But hang on, if you want to try vegetarian food, walk further down to the popular vegetarian restaurant at Po Lin Monastery. You need to buy your meal ticket at the counter near the restaurant entrance. Basically, there are two sets of meal to choose: ordinary (HK$60/pax) or “deluxe” meal (HK$100/pax). This ticket also includes admission to the three halls right below the Tian Tan Buddha statue.

Our not-so-deluxe vegetarian meal for two persons. It comes with a pot of Chinese tea, 2 big deep fried spring rolls, lot of veggies, corns, mushrooms and soup… and a big pot of rice! :X This spread of dishes cost us around S$20 (HK$60 x 2). My rating for this lunch: 3.5/5. Quite a good meal for a hungry stomach!

Po Lin Monastery is located near Tian Tan Buddha.

Colourful prayer flags.

Tian Tan Buddha overlooks Po Lin Monastery.

To reach the Buddha statue, we have to climb 268 steps up the long flight of stairs. Still not too bad. It’s definitely worth the climb as the view from the top is simply awesome. Access to Tian Tan Buddha is free.

The giant bronze Tian Tan Buddha is seated with folded legs on the lotus throne. His raised right hand symbolises the removal of affliction and his left hand is a gesture of giving. The 34-metre tall Buddha statue was completed in 1993.

“The Offering of the Six Devas” surrounding Tian Tan Buddha.

A close-up view of the Tian Tan Buddha statue using a 200mm zoom lens.

Look at the pair of eyes!

An impressive view of the surrounding islands and South China Sea as seen from the platform after climbing 268 steps!

What a great day with clear blue skies! A view of the giant Buddha as seen from afar. It took us half a day quick tour around Po Lin Monastery and Tian Tan Buddha in Ngong Ping on Lantau island.

The cable car will take you back to Tung Chung Cable Car Terminal. If you need retail therapy, head down to Citygate Outlets (premium outlets) near Tung Chung MTR Station for your favourite designer brands at bargain prices.

How to go to Tian Tan Buddha at Ngong Ping, Lantau island? (Via cable car.)

By MTR: Alight at Tung Chung Station (東涌) and get out from Exit B for a short walk to Tung Chung Cable Car Terminal.

Operating hours of Ngong Ping 360 cable car service: 10:00 am – 6:00 pm on weekdays; 9:00 am – 6:30 pm on weekends & public holidays.

Want to go Cheung Chau 長洲?

Posted by eunice Posted in Hong Kong, Lantau island Comments (18)

Let’s go Cheung Chau 長洲

Guess what is this steel structure tower for?

What about these bamboo towers?

Why is this harmless looking rotten bun being cordoned off?

The stone lion’s got a fresh one, however…

Answer: The three towers are piled with sweet buns believed to bring good luck during Cheung Chau Bun Festival (長洲太平清醮) which is held on the fourth month of the Lunar calendar annually. This year, it took place from 18 to 22 May. The 14-metre tall steel tower is for the “bun scrambling” competition during the festival. The race is about “bun snatching” (抢包山)! Each bun on the tower carries different marks. Twelve finalists clamber up the bun towers and the one who gets the highest score from all the buns grabbed within 3-min win the race.

In fact, the “bun scrambling” competition was banned for 27 years after an accident which occurred in 1978 when one of the bamboo towers collapsed as it couldn’t take the weight of so many climbers, resulting in 100 over injuries. In 2005, the bun-snatching activity that is unique to Cheung Chau is revived after long years of negotiation with the government. Since then, this activity has to observed safety measures such as it is limited to only twelve trained climbers for the race; the bamboo towers have been replaced by a steel structure tower and the real buns on the tower have been replaced by plastic buns for hygiene purposes.

When the clock strikes twelve midnight, the “bun snatchers” will race up the bun “hill” to grab as many buns as possible to win the competition!

Source of the above photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/albertlawkk/4630474409/

As one of Hong Kong’s major cultural events, the Cheung Chau Bun Festival is held in front of Pak Tai temple (北帝廟) aka Yuk Hui temple (玉虛宮) which is the focus of this religious Taoist ceremony. During the festival, it’s a tradition that the islanders become vegetarians for three days. There are different beliefs about the origin of Cheung Chau Bun Festival. A common belief says that Cheung Chau was devastated by storms and haunted by the spirits of the islanders following an outbreak of plague in 1894. Generally speaking, the festival is a ceremonial ritual to pray for peace and to pacify the spirits of the island.

The traditional Chinese temple was built in 1783 and it’s the oldest temple on the island. It’s said that the temple has good Feng Shui as it is situated on the “pulse of the dragon”!

The prayer hall in the temple of Pak Tai, the Taoist Deity. It’s believed that this temple houses some relics of 800 years old.

Other highlights of Cheung Chau Bun Festival include lion dance, dragon dance and Piu Sik (literally means “floating colours” in Cantonese) parade of “floats” where children with thick make-up and colourful folklore costumes appeared to be floating high above the crowd and only to be seen standing at the tip of a sword/bar/rod/whatever! supported effortlessly by another child. I’ve personally seen this act during the “feast of the drunken dragon” in Macau recently (will blog about that in June) and indeed, I was bewildered at first!

We were in Cheung Chau on Sunday, a day after the “Bun Scrambling” Competition. So, as you can see, we still managed to capture some of the “remainings” after the boisterous festival like the bun towers, make-shift stage and … a rotten bun.

Cheung Chau is one of the many outlaying islands of Hong Kong. It’s 10km southwest of Hong Kong island. Here is a map which I took at the pier. Click on the map to view the enlarged map of Cheung Chau. We explored some part of the island on foot.

Fishing fleets thronged around the rustic island.

We were greeted by many cute “peace” buns (平安包), not the edible ones, but spongy bun-like souvenirs which I’ve not seen before! There are “bun” pillows, “bun” fridge magnets, “bun” keychains, “bun” coin purses, “bun” piggy banks, etc. All so lovely!

The hanging “buns”!

Alright, let’s find the REAL ones. The FAMOUS one. It’s Kwok Kam Kee (郭锦记) bakery, the baker of the “lucky” buns for the bun towers during Cheung Chau Bun Festival. I think it’s not difficult to find this bakery which is located in one of the lanes near the pier, but do ask the locals for direction to save time.

The handmade lotus-filled “ping an” buns (平安包; “peace” bun) . They look like ordinary buns but the texture and paste taste great! So, the psychological effect of eating a “peace” bun? I feel at peace! I bought six “peace” buns and they were packed in a box, easy for me to pack the box into my check-in luggage to take home the buns!

If walking around the island seems too much of a daunting task, you can choose to rent a bicycle or a tricycle with your loved ones seated behind you!

BB Kill = BBQ (Barbeque).

You can feed yourself well on this island.

This pastry shop sells really yummilicious pastries, so good and authentic that it’s featured on the local TVB magazine.

Try this fish ball noodle shop (Zhang1 ji4) near the pier. The fish and cuttlefish balls are fresh and have a springy texture that you hardly taste any flour ingredient in them. They are uniquely good.

It’s not difficult to find your way to the attractions on Cheung Chau with clear information signs around the streets.

Cheung Chau is also popular for its beaches among Hong Kongers. Tung Wan Beach is just a few minutes walk away from the ferry pier and Kwun Yam Wan Beach is further down the stretch of coastline. The Ancient Rock Carving attraction is located somewhere in between the two beaches.

It’s pretty easy to explore the island on foot. You can be walking along the lanes lined with eateries and grocery stores, yet after a turn, you might step into someone else’s backyard.

Residents playing ball game at the field in the neighbourhood.

A stall filled with chinaware.

Surprisingly, we came across DBS, our very own Singapore bank on Cheung Chau.

We spent about half a day in Cheung Chau before we returned to Hong Kong island by Fast Ferry. Other attractions on Cheung Chau that we didn’t cover include Mini Great Wall, Ancient Rock Carving and Cheung Po Tsai (張保仔; a famous pirate of Hong Kong in the 19th century who later obtained a government position!) Cave, the cave where it’s believed that he kept his treasures.

How to go Cheung Chau (長洲) from Hong Kong island by ferry?

Get to Central Pier (中環碼頭). If you are taking MTR, alight at Central （中環）station and walk to Pier 5 to depart for Cheung Chau.

Unknowingly, we took First Ferry, the slower ferry that cost us HK$16.80/pax for an hour’s ferry ride to Cheung Chau. If you don’t mind paying more to save time, you can opt for Fast Ferry. It cost us HK$60+/pax for a 30-min fast ferry ride when we departed from Cheung Chau and back to Central Pier in Hong Kong island.

You need to walk quite a bit from Central MTR station to Central Pier.

Look what I’ve got from Cheung Chau. “Peace” bun tees and souvenirs, and six big and REAL “peace” buns filled with lotus and sesame!

Next, more about Hong Kong!

Posted by eunice Posted in Cheung Chau, Hong Kong Comments (17)

Discover Hong Kong again

Following my parents’ encounter with Wind Signal no. 3 during their Hong Kong trip in April 08, my sis visited Hong Kong in June 08 for the first time. She was really “lucky” to encounter Wind Signal no. 8! Fortunately, on the day of her departure back to Singapore, the delayed flight did not cancel. (Visit her blog!)

Dim sum, my favourite!!

Neon advertisment signboards prevail in Hong Kong, and that is one of the unique characteristics in The Pearl of The East.

Hong Kong at night.

Read posts on Discover Hong Kong

Visit my sister Kelly’s new blog – Beyond the Little Red Dot

Posted by eunice Posted in Hong Kong Comments (14)

Discover Hong Kong

For many Singaporeans, Hong Kong (香港) is one of the favourite destinations for first-time travellers by air. The reasons are:

Firstly, many of us watch Hong Kong movies, serial dramas, entertainments, listen to cantopops since very young, so apparently, many would love to see the city one day. And of course, a big reason for I am a Cantonese!

Secondly, Hong Kong is not too near, yet not too far away from Singapore by approximately 3.5hrs of flight journey. Many Singaporeans usually visit Hong Kong for about four to five days, perfectly right for a short retreat.

Thirdly, Hong Kong is also about food and shopping, just like Singapore! And generally, Singaporeans love to eat and shop!

Same goes with me, Hong Kong is the very first country for the very first time I was on board a plane. The city is easy and safe to travel around. In fact, both of us toured around Hong Kong on our own, and we enjoyed ourselves very much. We simply love the Cantonese Dim Sum, deserts, roasted meats, locally made Portugese egg tarts and many more! During that time, I used SLR camera… hmm… unless I were to scan all the photos one by one… and I wouldn’t do that!! Fortunately, I got some digital photos taken by my parents who visited Hong Kong this April, the period when the first typhoon in 2008, typhoon Neoguri, slammed into southern China!

Ocean Park Hong Kong (香港海洋公园) is ranked the 7th most popular amusement park in the world by Forbes in 2006. Based on the theme park attendance report in 2007, Ocean Park even has more visitors than Hong Kong Disneyland!

The real panda is sleeping, the fake pandas are watching you… Want to see lots of lively pandas in Sichuan Giant Panda Sancturary?

Colourful young performers out to entertain visitors…

Victoria’s Peak (太平山) is Hong Kong’s most conspicuous landmark and the highest point overlooking Kowloon and Hong Kong island.

An overcast day on Victoria Peak in April, and the very next day tyhoon Neoguri, the first of its kind in 2008, approached Western Guangdong, giving off a no. 3 strong wind signal! It’s said to be the earliest arrival of a typhoon since 1949! No wonder people have been saying that it’s a disastrous year for the 2008 Olympic host!

Apparently, typhoon Neoguri struck at the areas that my parents just departed. Once, they were fortunate enough to catch the last ferry from Southern China just before the strong wind approached and the port closed for the day, with hundreds of unhappy passengers stranded at the port! The last ferry that my parents boarded was practically tossing and bobbing in the rough sea. According them, the no.3 wind storm was so strong that they felt like they could be blown away! They had to put up a strong resistance to walk against the wind. What an experience!

Photo depicts strong winds at a harbour in Southern China, April 18 2008 ~ source taken from Xinhua news.

Update on Lantau island (June 2010): http://travelerfolio.com/lantau-island-tian-tan-big-buddha/

Lantau Island (烂头 | lantau literally means “ragged head” | 大屿山) is the largest island in Hong Kong. Tian Tan Buddha (天坛大佛) situated in Lantau island is the world’s tallest outdoor seated bronze Buddha.

Tian Tan Buddha is also one of the five large Buddha statues in China. It’s a popular tourist attraction.

River cruising.

You shoot me, I shoot you!

Let’s move on to mainland China. This beautiful waterfall is located in Knight Valley, OCT East resort in Shenzhen, Guangdong province. OCT East resort has three themeparks and Knight Valley is a newly opened park in 2008.

Big pumpkins! Never seen such big ones in my life before, although I have seen many giant pumpkins photos from the U.S.A during the autumn season.

This little pumpkin reminds me of Cinderella’s horse carriage, just before it was turned into one!

What are those little red houses? For butterflies?

This is the coolest toy of the day! This aircraft carrier Minsk (明思克號航母) is a decommissioned relic of the Soviet era. She was first bought by a Chinese company for scrap metal, but was then sold to an entertainment firm which turned it into a tourist attraction. However, this firm declared bankrupt last year, but fortunately, the military theme park continues to stay in business in Shenzhen.