OFW Tales HK Special:  Side Trip at the New Territories

(Part 3)

Once-sleepy villages became concrete jungles virtually overnight. This is primarily because close to one-half of Hong Kong’s population—about 3.3 million people–lives in the New Territories.

As for getting around the area, the Kowloon-Canton Railway (KCR), divided into an East Rail, a West Rail, and two smaller lines, is the fastest and most convenient way to reach major destinations. Subway lines also serve some satellite towns in the New Territories.

Jimdel Macapagal, a travel buddy, and Abi Francisco, a Filipino expatriate based in mainland HK, and I enjoyed a morning of sightseeing in the rural side of Hong Kong and its urban development. I have always been fascinated to learn about the lifestyle, customs, and beliefs of our neighboring countries.

For years, every visitor to the New Territories took the train to the border for a look into forbidden and mysterious China. Now, of course, it’s easy to get permission to enter China, and the border lookout has lost its appeal. Still, you might want to take the train up into the New Territories just for the experience, as well as for the interesting stops you can make on the way.

Having a very limited time to roam around, we have decided to visit the Monastery of 10.000 Buddhas, one of the most popular temples in Hong Kong.  We were able to reach the Monastery with the Canton-Kowloon- Railway.  The trains leave from Hung Hom to Kowloon Tong in Kowloon connection.

The train station for the Monastery of 10.000 Buddhas is Sha Tin, one of the so-called New Towns. It is a 15 minutes walk from the KCR station to the entrance of the Monastery at the foot of the hill. When we left the station, we turned left and walked until we reached Pai Tau Street. At the end of Pai Tau Street, we were able to locate the signs that led to the temple.

High above the lush hillside, the Monastery is one of the most dramatic sacred sites in Hong Kong. Jim, Abi, and I have managed to squeeze in this visit to the Monastery before going to Disneyland.

For us to reach the Monastery, we had to endure climbing over 400 steps up the hillside. The entire path upwards was lined with Buddha statues — different from any Buddha I’d seen at other temples. Each Buddha is unique — there were slim Buddhas, chubby Buddhas, Buddhas with walking sticks, bald Buddhas, smiling Buddhas, etc.  The only Buddha we didn’t see, though, was a sweaty, tired Buddha — which is exactly what we looked like by the time we reached the top of the hill!

But all in all, the payoff was well worth the climb - the monastery itself contains a beautiful giant pagoda and a temple with more than 13,000 small Buddha statues lining the walls.

Fact Facts:

The metropolis of Sha Tin is one of Hong Kong’s fastest-growing New Towns, offering plenty of recreation for visitors’ pleasure. Extensive housing projects are now being pursued at areas that were once rice paddies, and the New Town Plaza - a huge shopping mall and entertainment complex - offers cinemas, designer boutiques, and a musical fountain that attracts myriad of mall-goers.