Lantau Island

HK 2nd day 18/4/12. Today we want to go to Lantau Island 大嶼山 because both SM and I have never been there before. We catch a MTR to Tung Chung Station (东涌）and find that the station is situated next to a big shopping mall outlet - the Citygate Outlets. You have got to give it to the Hongkongers because they know how to provide seamless transportation and retail services. We hop on an MTR at Mongkok and then we are whisked to Tung Chung within a par 5 shot of the airport; for a fare of only HK$14.5 per person. No wonder we see all these Mainland shoppers coming from the airport still with their hand luggage and doing their shopping at Citygate which you can get all the world brands here. If not for the Mainlanders HK retailers would be in a lot of strive.

And no wonder we do not see any tourists at 女人街和庙街 except the angmohs and Asians because the Mainlanders are not interested in fakes, but the expensive branded stuff.

SM is a bit apprehensive but I manage to convince her to catch a cable car ride up to the top of Lantau Island - Ngong Ping 昂坪. For me I would prefer aerial transport anytime.

 Breakfast at Mackers before our trip out to Tung Chung

There is a bus station next to the Tung Chung MTR station.

 We could have caught a bus ride (Bus #23) up to Ngong Ping but a cable car ride would be more fun

The cable car ride up to Ngong Ping plus a bus ride down to Tung Chung station costs us HK$104 per person and they even give us $40 worth of cash value for exchange for food, drinks or souvenirs. Awesome.

Approaching the Big Buddha about 20 minutes after launching from ground

From Ngong Ping up to the Big Buddha we need to climb 250 steps

 The BIG BUDDAH 天坛大佛 is one of two 景点 on 大嶼山

 

Two different picture perspective of the same structure

I think the whole Buddha structure was made of bronze. I have no statistics about the structure. Just playing tourist today - quick in and out of this hot spot. I enjoy the views of the surroundings though.
And this is the other 景点 - 宝莲禅寺。Basically a Buddhist temple.

We have these suckers in Australia as well. These ornamental doors and lamps are so beautiful objects.

 Our lunch 素食餐 - 豆付玉米， 豆付+ cucumber，小白菜+ mushrooms, spring rolls and soup

SM loves 豆付花

Lantau Island is a huge island. From what I can see from the map one can actually trek up to Ngong Ping from the MTR station  on foot. In fact we met some trekkers and one of them told me it took them more than 3 hours. And there are quite a number of other attractions on the island - Tai O fishing village (seafood restaurants and stilt houses) and some other beaches that you can lie down on. I think one can spend a few days just on the island alone to do some eco tourism activities. Camping is allowed.

Back to doing a bit of shopping at Citygate Outlets before heading to Time Square in Causeway Bay just to visit my old playing ground back in the days when I hung out there when I was on business.