Tian Tan Buddha, Bronze statue in Ngong Ping, Hong Kong.
Tian Tan Buddha is a 34-meter bronze seated Buddha on the 520-meter peak of Muyu Feng above Po Lin Monastery on Lantau Island, Hong Kong. The figure sits cross-legged on a lotus atop a three-tier altar modeled on Beijing's Temple of Heaven, with its right hand raised and left hand open on its lap. Six smaller bronze devas stand before it, and 268 stone steps lead up to the platform.
Construction began in 1990 and lasted three years, requiring engineers to assemble 202 separate bronze pieces weighing 250 tons in total. Completion in 1993 marked the end of a project intended to affirm the Buddhist presence in Hong Kong.
Six smaller bronze figures encircle the base of the statue, each presenting a symbolic offering: flowers, incense, lamps, ointment, fruit, and music. These figures represent gifts that mark the journey toward enlightenment.
Visitors reach the figure after climbing 268 steps leading up to the platform. Access to the site is available via the Ngong Ping 360 cable car or bus line 23 from Tung Chung.
Unlike most seated Buddha figures facing south, this one looks north toward the Chinese mainland. It remains among the largest seated bronze Buddhas in the world.
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