lantau

Lantau is a very large island characterized by green mountains, sandy beach, fisherman villages and Buddhist monasteries. You can easily go there by train and then explore the many interesting spots traveling by bus. Here there are pictures of Tai O hamlet, Po Lin monastery and the wonderful beach that stretch along the coast. Po Lin is a Buddhist monastery famous for its large sitting Buddha statue, the biggest one in the world that can be reached climbing 260 steps. Moving around the island it is easy to see the statue shining in the sun at the top of the hill. In spite of the many tourists who crowd this place, a visit to the monastery is worth because of the pleasing panorama of the whole island that you can appreciate when you arrive at the end of the long stairway. In Tai O the houses are built on stilts, the rope-drawn ferrybridge, the fishing boat anchored on the bay. The main economical activity is fishing and the dry fish industry: walking across the village street it is easy to see many kinds of fish drying in the sun. Local Chinese organize short boat trips on the sea mirror in front of Tai O to see pink dolphins. The best Lantau beach are located on the southern coast: travelling from Tai O to Mui Wo, the two villages at the opposite sites of the island, you can stop and easily reach the shore to take a bath and catch tan. Cheung Sha bay is famous for being the longest sandy beach (3 kms) of Hong Kong. Here there are images taken on the beach close to Tong Fuk: because of the shark the sea is fenced with a double underwater net to permit people to swim without being in danger. The panoramic pictures of Hong Kong archipelago are taken from the top Lantau island.