Po Lin Monastery, Buddhist monastery in Ngong Ping, Hong Kong

Po Lin Monastery is a Buddhist temple complex situated on the Ngong Ping plateau of Lantau Island in Hong Kong. The compound includes the main prayer hall, residential quarters for monks, a dining facility, and retail shops arranged across the mountain plateau.

Three monks from Jiangsu Province founded the monastery in 1906 as "The Big Hut" (大茅蓬). In 1924, its first abbot, Shi Jixiu, formally renamed it Po Lin Monastery. The Tian Tan Buddha, a 34-metre bronze seated Buddha weighing about 250 tonnes, was built by the monastery from 1970 and completed in 1993.

The main shrine holds three bronze Buddhas of past, present and future, and the monastery keeps its Chan Buddhist practice. The name Po Lin replaced "The Big Hut" in 1924. Visitors can see the white three-opening stone archway and the golden-roofed halls; wooden bracelets are made here and sold only near the Tian Tan Buddha.

The site can be reached via the Ngong Ping 360 cable car from Tung Chung station or by bus line 23 through mountain roads. Wear sturdy shoes, as the location sits on an elevated plateau and involves walking between buildings and viewpoints.

The white three-opening stone archway at the lower edge of the complex faces the Tian Tan Buddha, built so the layout follows the old Chinese idea of a southern heaven and northern earth. It works as an echo wall: stand at its centre and speak, and the sound returns to you.