The Big Buddha ranks highly in all Hong Kong guidebooks. Rightly so, he is a splendid sight sitting atop his mountain welcoming thousands of visitors from all over the world. We regularly visit him as an integral element of our popular Lantau Tour. However, did you know that there is another equally fabulous statue further North? It’s at Tsz Shan Monastery in Hong Kong’s New Territories?
Come and see Hong’ Kong’s bronze statue of Guan Yin (Kwun Yam), Goddess of Mercy, she stands a whopping 76 metres tall. To give you a comparison, the statue of liberty is 93 metres tall.
However, only 46 metres is statue (including the torch that she holds aloft) and the rest is plinth.
Guan Yin has a 6-metre plinth and she herself is 70 metres tall, so side by side would tower over Lady Liberty. Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro is only 38 metres (or 30 without his plinth) and the Big Buddha is 34 metres. She’s worth a visit.
Guan Yin wards over tranquil Tolo Harbour. Here you will see small fishing boats pootle by, Black kites wheel overhead and egrets congregate and dive for fish. Painted bright white she gleams in the sunlight you can spot her from from afar.
Visit Guan Yin, her home is the grounds of the tranquil Tsz Shan Buddhist Monastery. This calm and peaceful Buddhist complex is backed by lush green mountainside. Like the Guan Yin statue, it faces the water which is excellent Feng Shui.
Although you can spot Guan Yin from many miles away, it is of course most impressive if you see her up close. Tsz Shan is a working monastery rather than a tourist attraction. Their visits are consequently restricted in number and you can only book in advance.
To learn more, don’t hesitate to contact us at info@hkgreeters.com we are Hong Kong tour experts. If you’re interested in a tour, we can look at how we can work this into your itinerary. Tsz Shan Monastery and the Guan Yin Statue are most easily reached by car, so we would recommend booking one of our car tours of the New Territories to see Hong Kong’s hidden gems and best kept secrets.
Did you know that the guest accommodation at Tsz Shan has bullet proof glass. We think this is both fascinating and slightly puzzling. Guan Yin, Goddess of Mercy and bullet proof glass are an unusual combination. Most probably, you would need to ask billionaire Li Ka-Shing? He is Hong Kong’s richest man, generous philanthropist and benefactor of Tsz Shan Monastery.
