The Po Lin Monastery is located in western Lantau Island, Hong Kong. Set among spectacular mountainous scenery on the 520 metre high Ngong Ping Plateau, Po Lin (Precious Lotus) Monastery, known  as  the  "Buddhist Kingdom in the South",  is one  of the most
 
well established Buddhist monasteries in Hong Kong. Serving as a Buddhist retreat, this monastery was originally built by three monks in 1920 with only a shrine dedicated to Buddha. In 1924, it was renamed "Po Lin Monastery" and many monks gradually settled down there. Since the 1930s, the monastery has been expanded with more bigger halls and temples added to it.
 

                  However, the temple is most famous for its giant Buddha statue outside of the monastery. The Buddha statue weighs over 200 tons and is said to be the biggest outdoor Buddha statue in the world. From the gate of the temple, you can see the big copper statue of Sakyamuni Tian Tan Buddha, which is located on the top of the Muyushan Mountain. Completed in 1993, the statue along with its adjoining pedestal is about 34 meters tall (111 feet), depicting a sitting Buddha in a mediating position.

                  The pedestal of the statue is a three-story exhibition hall with a big bell inside. The bell is delicately engraved with Buddhist figures Buddhist scriptures. Controlled by a computer, the bell is rung once every seven minutes, 108 times a day in essence to "relieve" 108 vexations. People can walk up the 268 steps to the platform where lies a tiny museum containing all kinds of elegant relics that you cannot find in the main temple.

                  Serving as a place where Buddhist faithful seek enlightenment through mediations, the quietness of this monastery is always broken by visitors, especially on weekends. However, the Buddhist faithful
 
  and monks still manage to live in a secluded world, despite the chaos caused by the tourists.