The Po Lin Monastery is a Buddhist monastery that is located in Hong Kong on Lantau Island. This monastery was originally started by a few monks from Jiangsu in 1906, and was initially named Da Maopeng. It was renamed the Po Lin Monastery in 1924. It is a very well-known monastery in the city and many Buddhists and tourists visit the monastery every year.
Monastery Features
The main temple has three Buddha statues made from bronze that represent his past life, present life and future life. The temple also displays many Buddhist scriptures. The complex has the Maitreya Hall, Ti-tsang Bodhisattva Hall, Banruo Hall, Da Xiong Bao Dian, Weituo Hall and the Sutra-Collection Hall. The temple also has a 2,200 lb bronze bell. It is rung over one hundred times a day. Many believe the bell has powers to cure people.
The Popular Tian Tan Buddha
In 1993, the giant Tian Tan Buddha statue was completed and went on display. It shows Sakyamuni, sitting on top of a pedestal in the meditation position. It covers an area of over 21,500 square feet. The Buddha, including the pedestal, is nearly 112 feet high.
The pedestal is made up of a three story exhibition area comprised of Fajie Hall, Gongde Hall, and Sakyamuni Memorial Hall. Exhibited in the Fajie Hall is a wooden book that has over one hundred bodhisattvas discussing the sutras. The Gongde Hall has a Ti-tsang Bodhisattva which is standing on a pedestal and is holding a cane. The Sakyamuni relic is displayed in the large Sakyamuni Memorial Hall. The Buddhist Relics Display takes place regularly. Many treasured Buddhist relics, such as the Longcang Sutra, along with the painting of Monk Huayan are shown there. Many Buddhist disciples throughout the world have visited these relics.
