Ngong Ping 360 is a Skyrail cable car ride that offers panoramic views of North Lantau Country Park and Tung Chung Bay.
Lantau is the largest outlying island in Hong Kong, almost twice the size of Hong Kong Island. More than half of Lantau is designated as a Country Park Area, which attracts nature-lovers and hikers.
Lantau Giant Buddha
Lantau Island is also home to the Giant Buddha statue that gazes serenely on the Po Lin (Precious Lotus) Monastery from its hillside site at Ngong Ping. Visitors can combine a visit to the Giant Buddha with a Skyrail ride.
The Giant Buddha is 34 meters high and weighs 220 tons. It was cast in China and took 10 years to build. The landmark statue has attracted both Buddhists and non-Buddhist visitors since it opened on Lantau Island in 1993.
Shadow of the Buddha trail
There are terminals at both Tung Chung and Ngong Ping, with nearby shopping, dining and entertainment. Passengers can buy return tickets from either station or choose one-way rides so they can hike the Shadow of the Buddha trail.
Shadow of the Buddha trail runs from the statue to Tung Chung Town Centre via Po Lin Monastery, Lantau Peak, Lo Hon Temple and the Tung Chung Fort. The hike offers spectacular views over Shek Pik and the northern slopes of Lantau Peak before descending into Tung Chung Valley, past woodlands, mountain streams, hillside monasteries and an old fort.
Heart Sutra Wood Inscription
The Heart Sutra Wood Inscription, known as the Wisdom Path, is another Lantau Island attraction. This outdoor wooden replica of the centuries-old Heart Sutra, carved with one of the world's best known Buddhist prayers, has 38 wooden rectangular beams or obelisks varying in height from eight to 10 meters, arranged in a figure-eight shape to represent infinity.
The Wood Inscription is based on the calligraphy of Chinese scholar, Professor Jao Tsung-I, who first saw the Heart Sutra at Mount Taishan in Shandong in 1980. It inspired him to create the calligraphy of the prayer. In 2002, Jao Tsung-I presented it to the people of Hong Kong. The Hong Kong government reproduced the artwork in this large outdoor display.
