英文oral

Po Lin Monastery
Po Lin Monastery ( 寶 蓮 寺 ) is found in the beautiful plateau of Ngong Ping ( 昂平 ) on Lantau Island. Nestled between the hills, this grand monastery was founded in 1927 and is a major center of Buddhism in the region. The main temple houses 3 bronze statues of the Buddha representing his past, present and future lives as well as many Buddhist scriptures. The highlight of Po Lin Monastery however, is the Tian Tan Buddha ( 天 壇 大 佛 ), otherwise known as the Giant Buddha ( 大 佛 ), who is seated on the hilltop, up a flight of 268 steps. The 34 meter (112ft), 250 ton sculpture is the world's largest seated outdoor bronze statue of the Buddha. The statue was opened to the public in December 1993 after 10 years of construction. The views of the surrounding countryside from the base of the statue are simply stunning and there are also small exhibition galleries for view inside the statue.