The Po Lin Monastery
by traveldave
A pleasant day trip out of Hong Kong involves a visit to the Po Lin Monastery on Lantau Island, the largest outlying island in Hong Kong. Getting there requires taking a ferry from Hong Kong Island to Mui Wo, or Silver Mine Bay, a small seaside village on Lantau Island. A bus then transports visitors through the countryside to the monastery.The monastery was founded in 1906 by three Buddhist monks visiting from Jiangsu province on the Chinese mainland. It initially consisted of a small hut and was called the Da Maopeng Monastery. In 1924, the name was changed to the Po Lin (meaning "Precious Lotus") Monastery. Since then, several buildings have been added to the complex. The main temple, called the Great Hall of Treasure, contains three bronze statues of Buddha, representing his past, present, and future. Other Buddhist relics housed in the main temple include a 2,205-pound...