Ten thousand Buddha Monastery

As a local, I admitted that I never heard about this Monastery until quite recently I went to the cermentry (which is just next to the Monastery). When I got downhill, I passed through a path that are flanked by different gold statues in the Monastery. This is how I knew about this Monastery the first time. And I decided to take a trip to there.

The Monastery is actually quite close to the Sha Tin MTR station. Just turn left when you get out of the station. After you cross the foot-bridge, you will see the Ikea ahead of you. Turn to the back of the building and walk till the end of the asphalt path to the side of the government building. And then you will see a yellow sign of the monastery.

 

Following the sign, and you will arrive at the steps that are flanked by different gold color statues. The gold statues are actually the 500 Arhats. (500羅漢), they are like the disciplines of Buddha which have realized certain high stages of attainment.). They are all in different pose and interesting expressions.  I can actually rate some of them as following.

                                                                           The friendliest

                                                                            The   _______
After a 20 to 30 minutes walk ( I stopped a lot of times to take picture and admire the details of the statues), I arrive on the grounds of the temple which consist of a main temple, four pavilions, a vegetarian restaurant and a pagoda.

                                              

Main temple

In the main temple, there are over 13,000 pieces of small gold budda statues filling up the wall. Although they are in the same size, they are all in different posture. As a main highlight of the temple, The perserved body of the reverend Yuet Kai, as a founder of the temple, is situated in the central portion and rest in a glass case to let people to worship.  There is also an ancestrator worshop hall inside the main temple.



Just in front of the main temple, there is the Vitaoda and Kwun Yun Pavilion.



Vitasoda is the guardian of the temple



Kwun Yam is the goddess of Mercy



There are also a few other pavilion in the places, the same delighting. There are not much visitors in there probably because I went there on  weekday. I also think this monastery is like a hidden pearl in Hong Kong. It was really worth the trip.

Little facts about the Monastery:It was established in 1949 and completed in 1957.
The pagoda was also printed as a symbol of the Hong Kong on a $100 note.
(I didnot pay attention to that until now. lol)

Lunar New Year Special: Lunar new year fair

The Lunar New Year just pasted last month. I planned to write about it earlier but I was too lazy. Anyway, I finally got to write about it now.



Kicking off the Lunar New Year celebration is the annual New Year Fair. It is usually held a week before the Lunar New Year. There are over 150 stalls in the fair selling different stuffs such as flower and New Year decorations, sundries item, foods etc. It was interesting even just to look around.
  

People from Hong Kong flocked to the fair buying New Year items and some like

to go there to feel about the festive atmosphere.

 Every year vender sell products in different theme. Last year was Tiger. And this year I saw Rabbits everywhere because this is a year of RABBIT!!

Vendor sat on a tall ladder to make sure you
won’t miss their products in this crowded fair.

This is not Rabbit but its favorite food Carrot.

Sparkling bunny ears and people wearing rabbits’ hat.

    
A lot of merchandises in here are for decoration, not that practical.You will mostly throw them away after this year, or right after the new year’s celebration. But Who Cares?? Enjoying the New Year’s spirit, it is only once a year. People are willing to splurge.
Other hot items:


One of the many flowers stalls there

Windmills with different designs.

Fortune Teller Services are available too.





Lantau Peak- A good place to see sunrise



There are quite a lot of hills and mountains in Hong Kong. And Lantau Peak is well known for being a good place to watch sunrise as well as its steep slope. To make the 2011 to be a more memorizable new year, I joined my friend  to go to the Lantau Peak the night before the new year to witness the first sunrise in 2011.



 POSTCARD: LANTAU PEAK 


We took a taxi from Tung Chung to a place near the PO Lin Monastery around 1:00am. The sky is so dark in there. All the stars looked so brightflul. We encountered a lot of hikers on the way, guess lots of people planned to see the sunrise on the first day too.

We started our journey at 3am. Frankly, I started to regret it after the first half hour when my leg suffered a minor cramp. I didnot do any exercise for a year. I think it was a sign for me to pick up exercise again.

And a lesson for me and all of you--- WARM-UP exercise beforehand IS VERY IMPORTANT especially for hiking at night under a cold weather. But I was lucky to be with a group of friends, if not, I probably just turned back in the middle of the way. It was not a long climb but the road is quite steep and hard to walk.

       <--Lantau Peak--The second highest Peak in HK-                        934m. --> Get Ready to the Sunrise

However, all difficult path begin with a single step! We took a few breaks and finally got to the Peak around 5am!!!!! There was already full of people at the Peak that early, eating, cooking, chatting, playing video games(yes, some people just won't forget their PSP or NDS), and ALL waiting for the first sunrise in 2011.

It was my first time to see the sunrise in Hong Kong. I was so excited too.

After a long wait, finally it came.......

                         Hurray!! The First Day has started in 2011 !!!

"It was worth the trip!"

Stanley



 



Stanely is located in southeastern part of Hong Kong Island. You can get to Stanley by taking a mini- van in Causeway Bay.
 
Place to visit

 Murray House 

• 
  Murray House is a Victorian-era building in Stanley in Hong Kong with over 150 years history. IT was originally built in Central in 1846 as officers’ quarters of the Murray Barracks during the early years of British rule. The building was relocated to the Stanley in 2001.
  
   
  
  
  
  Nowadays, Murray House already became the landmark of Stanley. You can visit the Hong Kong Maritime Museum located on the ground floor of Murray House. There are also few exquisite restaurants at the upper floors. It is also a hot photo shooting point. Last time when I visited there, also came across bride and groom taking wedding photo in there.
•  Stanley Market
  
  If you are looking for some souvenirs for your friends and relatives, one of the must go location is the Stanley market. The have all kind of souvenirs rich in Chinese favor, like linen Chinese embroidered clothes, bags, silk garment, jewellery, ornament etc. There are a few gallerys selling paintings. I found some nice paintings in there too.
  
  
   
  
  
  
         You can get your Chinese name engraved chop here, with different
  kinds of stone stamps available.

 The man is carving a name on the base of a Chinese stone Chop with hand tools.



•    Stanley Main Street
  Past the Stanley Market, you will get to the Stanley Main Street. It is good to take a stroll there and enjoy the ocean view across the main
  street.
   

Stanley is renowned for its many bars and  restarurants on its     waterfront.People can enjoy different foods  in there, like Thai, Frech, Spanish, Italian etc.

            

Bars and restarurants at Stanley Main Street
Relax with a beer and enjoy the ocean view in this place.

Tai O- a small and unique fishing village

-Tai O is a small fishing village at the western side of Lantau Island. It's the only stilt-house community in Hong Kong. It is also a home to the community of fisherfolk. They built their homes on stilts above the tidal flat for safety reason.

Nowadays most of the Tai O residents do not earn their income by fishing but still you can trace the fishing history there. The village is seperated by a creek and you can go to the opposite side by crossing the drawbridge. (In the past, they have to cross to other side by rope- drawn little boat)

Some people say that Tai O is the eastern version of Venice. It maybe an overstatement because except the creek, there is actually nothing alike. However, I would say Tai O is a place with strong character,  beautiful is probably not a right word but  enchanting. And it is my top-listed favourite place in hong kong. usually get a very simple and peaceful feeling just by strolling along the place ,  hardly find in other part of Hong Kong. 

 

Walking through Tai O, there aren't no huge buildings here, just some stilt house and some dilapidated hut.
The air is flesh . There are also mangroves growing up in the area at the back of the village.





The New SNOW WHITE STORY.

 
A store with Snow White and Seven Dwarfs at front. Snow white is hanging a sign "SPOUSE WANTED" ,白雪公主徵婚,  HAHA.. I wish she will get her love one soon!!
We were told by the store manager that there were no Snow white but only Seven Dwarfs in here before................

OTHER Things to do at Tai O

• Take a motor boat ride trip
   It is a about 20 minutes boat ride trip which can join in Tai O. The boat first cruise along creeks past stilt house , including a spot of dolphin watching at the sea. (If you are lucky, you may have chance to see the dolphin over there. I saw it once.)
  
• Visit the local museum
  There are two museums showing the old history of Tai O by the bus terminal, showing some local traditions  including the fisthermans' traditional paraphernaila and clothes. It is fun to visit.
  
•  Enjoy the sunset (it is a good location to look at the sunset. When i was a student, i like to go there to take picture.)
  
  
  

Annual Bun Festival

Bun Festival in Cheung Chau

Every year there is an annual Bun Festival holding in Cheung Chau, an outlying Island in Hong Kong. (in Chinese, called 太平清醮, literal meaning: "the Purest Sacrifice celebrated for Great Peace"). It is the busiest day of the Island in a year. Flock of people went to the Island to witness the festival celebration on that day, including a very unique parade on the afternoon, Chinese opera performance, and the most renowned bun scrambling competition at the midnight (‘Bun Festival’ is named after it)


The origin of Bun Festival

It is a festival to pay tribute to the “Pak Tai”, the Taoist God of the Sea and to placate the spirit of the deceased too.  Beside a thanksgiving to god, it is also said that the festival is to placate the spirit of the deceased, those who is hurt by the pirate few hundred years ago. In time, the thanksgiving to Pak Tei and the ghosts' placating ceremonies were merged to become the Bun Festival.

Experience it myself


Having heard the Bun Festival, especially the famous Piu Sik parade for a long time. I have never went there until this year. At the moment I got off from the ferry, hearing the sound of gongs and drum already got me excited. The parade started to begin and the emotions of visitors were so high. The parade was led by elaborate floats of temples for various deities, floating colors as well as lively lion dancing. There was also people dancing, music and kung fu performance during the parade. It was the same as I expected-very crowded and hot. I can only see the parade quite far away but I still think it was worth the trip.

To me, the most striking highlight was definitely the ‘Piu Sik’ (literally meaning in chinese, "floating colors") featuring adorable four to six years old kids dressing in colorful costumes playing characters in Chinese history, popular culture and political. They were hoisted up high and glide by slow moving floats. (I guess it is named “floating colors” because they look like floating in the air. ) The little kids were all so cute and some dressed so funny.

Two little firemen-another firemen is 'standing' at the top of the ladder.

A loverly little performer is taking a rest.

.


A festive food can't miss is the bun with lucky meaning-- “Pin an” bun, a steamed white bun stamped with the Chinese word ’平安’ –meaning peace and well being.

A white steam bun with blessing

I was happy but exhausted at the end of the day, and my camera broken in the middle of the way but luckily my friends got some photos before which I can still show it on here. The Island was packed with hundreds and thousands of people on that day. It seemed that every itch of the Island was filled with people. There was quite a long time that I got stuck in the middle of the crowds, and people started to joke about if the island would sink with too many people on top of it

some  sourvenirs i got for myself and friends----
postcards,a very cute "pin an" stamp and phone strap.