Think Big - Then Double It.

Tsz Shan Monastery.

Being free on weekdays has some big advantages. One of them is - I can book to go places that it's almost impossible to get into on weekends and public holidays. One thing I managed to book recently was a visit to Tsz Shan Monastery, near Tai Po. This is the monastery with the massive statue of Guan Yin that I kept seeing in the distance on almost every walk I did in Tai Po before the summer.

I made my booking for Tsz Shan Monastery several weeks ago and chose an entry time of one thirty in the afternoon of Wednesday October 5th. I chose a relatively late time, because Tsz Shan is a long way from where I live. To get there I first need to take a bus to Sunny Bay, then travel on the Tung Chung Line to Nam Cheong, where I change to the Tuen Ma Line and travel to Hung Hom. From Hung Hom, I take the East Rail Line to Tai Po Market Station. Then, I walk to the nearby bus station and take bus 75K to San Tau Kok. The monastery is a twenty minute walk from there. Phew!!! With so many changes, I found it quite difficult to work out how long it would take to get there and was absolutely paranoid about being late. Due to this, I ended up in Tai Po about two and a half hours too early!!!

I decided since I had so much extra time that, I would first visit the Old Tai Po Police Station which is located on a small hill at Wan Tau Kok, not far from Tai Po Market railway station. I've been here before, but because it was on a Tuesday, it was closed. This time I was pleased to see it was open.

This police station was the first permanent police station in the New Territories. It was here in 1899 that a Union Jack flag-raising ceremony took place. This marked the official British takeover of the New Territories. There was trouble before the ceremony, as members of the Punti Clans who inhabited the New Territories, burnt down the masthead where the flag was to be raised in protest against the takeover. This led to six days of war, which the British, being much better armed than the locals, quickly quelled. Hundreds of Chinese people lost their lives in this war. However, by the end of it, the local inhabitants of the New Territories were granted land rights, which they still have to the present day.

This police station was the Police Headquarters of the New Territories until 1949. After that it was used by different sections of the police force, before being closed down in 1987 when a new police station was built.

Since 2010 the Old Tai Po Police Station has been the Green Hub for Sustainable Living, operated by a branch of Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden. It now offers workshops and runs a canteen and shop. The historical buildings have been preserved and it is possible to wander around them.

I was met at the door of the police station by a very friendly lady who spoke excellent English. She explained what there was to see and how to move around the buildings. She also told me about some of the workshops they offer here at the weekends. I think I had only said the words: "Hello, and is it all right if I look around?" before this lady said: "You are a teacher, aren't you?" I was surprised and wondered if I had taught some of her children, but she just told me that I look and sound exactly like a teacher and it's just totally obvious that's what I do. I found that very funny. I hadn't known I was quite so school marmish before.

I love old buildings so I enjoyed looking around. There's not much of the original furniture. There are still the original fireplaces, old telephones, old desks and lots of information panels. I was able to go inside one of the original detention cells and read the rules for keeping prisoners here. All in all, if you are in the area, it's a lovely place to visit. At the back of the building, near the canteen, there's a little farm where the Green Hub grows its own vegetables. I did not try the canteen on this visit. Maybe next time.

I passed some lovely flowers coming up the hill here.

Paperbark trees I passed on the way.

The Old Tai Po Police Station.

The Old Tai Po Police Station.

Old radio, desk, old photos.

Arms Cage and cells. There is a small opening in the arms cage door through which guns could be passed out to police officers.

Inside a police cell.

"Let me out I didn't do anything." You can't sit in here without thinking of the many people who would have been locked up in here.

Old dial phones. I think you can listen to historical information on these.

Local Hakka farmer.

Colonnaded Veranda.

Another view of the police station.

One of the workshops involved making structures from bamboo. You can see some of these in the police station courtyard.

The canteen is here.

These are the buildings where the workshops take place.

Old Well.

Organic farm in the gardens of the Old Police Station.

Flowers in the Old Police Station Garden.

This old building is opposite the police station. It used to be The Old District Office North. Nowadays it is home to the Law Ting Pong Scout Centre.

I then set off for the Tsz Shan Monastery. I could have gone by minibus, but I chose to take the 75K bus. I got off at San Tau Kok, walked back a minute or so from where the bus had come from, turned right on Tsz Shan Road, walked along this road for about ten minutes, then turned right on Universal Gate Road. The monastery is about ten minutes walk from here. I was still early, so I stopped in a pleasant little shelter and read my book for a while.

Universal Gate Road.

Shelter I sat in on the way up.

I enjoyed the flowering trees on the final stretch up to the monastery. I reached the gates about fifteen minutes early and was told I must wait for the correct entry time. There were a handful of people waiting already. Gradually, the queue increased as several more people arrived by minibus. I knew it would not get too busy though. The number of people allowed in at one time is carefully controlled to keep the monastery peaceful at all times.

Beautiful flowering trees on the walk up to the monastery.

Beautiful flowering trees on the walk up to the monastery.

Just before one thirty someone came and scanned our vaccination certificates, then our QR codes for entry were scanned. We were all given visitors badges and we were allowed in.

Waiting in line at the monastery gateway.

The construction of the Tsz Shan Chinese Buddhist Monastery was funded by Li Ka-Shing, the richest man in Hong Kong. I don't know if he is famous internationally, but he certainly is here. If someone was trying to persuade you to buy something really expensive here, you might respond by saying: "Do you think I'm Li Ka-Shing?" It's the equivalent of saying: "Do you think I'm made of money?"

The construction of Tsz Shan Monastery began in 2003 and took around ten years to complete. The monastery has been open to the public since April 2015. Although it is a fairly new building, it is traditional having been inspired by the styles of the Tang, Northern Song, Liao and Jin dynasties.

The monastery is situated on a hill and has spectacular views over the sea. There are three main buildings positioned one behind the other. You climb a little higher each building you go into. The three buildings are: The Main Gate, The Maitreya Hall and The Grand Buddha Hall. These contain beautiful golden Buddha statues. There's also a Drum Tower and Bell Tower. You can take photographs anywhere in the grounds, but not when you enter one of the three halls. However, no-one minds if you photograph the statues in the halls as long as you do so from outside. I'm not sure why that is. I thought the no photos rule would be about respect, but maybe it has a large component of not wanting you to annoy others by getting in their way.

I started off by viewing the Main Gate. At the bottom of the stairs leading up to it there were lots of beautiful, colourful flowers. The Main Gate is protected by fierce looking statues and has a Buddha and door gods inside.

Flowers near the Main Gate.

Looking up at the Main Gate of the monastery.

Looking up at the Main Gate of the monastery.

Guard at the Main Gate.

Guarding the Main Gate.

Looking down from the Main Gate.

Door Handles.

Next I went to the Maitreya Hall which also had stunning golden Buddha statues. The Drum Tower and Bell Tower are also on this level.

The Maitreya Hall.

Drum Tower.

After the Maitreya Hall, I climbed up to the Grand Buddha Hall. This was absolutely breathtaking. It was filled with large golden Buddhas and a huge mural. Behind it there was a moon gate.

Grand Buddha Hall.

Buddha in the Grand Buddha Hall.

Buddha in the Grand Buddha Hall.

Mural behind the Buddhas.

Looking back from the Grand Buddha Hall.

Posing at the moon gate.

Mural through the moon gate.

On the right hand side of the Grand Courtyard stands the Universal Gate which has a wish-fulfilling, six-armed Guan Yin statue inside it. In front of the gate is the circular Brilliance Pond. Passing through the Universal Gate leads to the huge Guan Yin statue.

Brilliance Pond in front of the Universal Gate.

Brilliance Pond in front of the Universal Gate.

Universal Gate.

Guan Yin is the goddess of mercy. The Guan Yin statue is made of bronze which has been painted white. It is seventy metres high and stands on a three tier bronze lotus platform which is positioned on top of a granite base. These add six more metres to the overall height of the goddess, making her the fourteenth highest statue in the world. In her right hand Guan Yin holds a pearl of wisdom. In her left, she holds a vase of water. She is pouring this out to cleanse the world.

Guan Yin through the trees.

Guan Yin Statue with humans for size comparison.

Guan Yin and flowers.

Unusually for Hong Kong, incense is not allowed in this temple, as it pollutes the environment. Instead people make water offerings to the goddess. To do this, they fill a bowl shaped like half a coconut with water, hold it in two hands, carry it along the Compassion Path towards the goddess, before pouring it into the Thousand Wishes Pond at Guan Yin's feet. Not being a Buddhist, I did not do this, but I watched other people make their offerings.

Collect water in your bowl here for your water offering.

These people are carrying water offerings.

The Tsz Shan Monastery also has an art museum which contains different styles of Buddhas from around the world. To get in here, you need to queue up and wait for the correct admission time. When I looked at it there were two people queuing and eight minutes till admission, so I walked around the gardens for five minutes and came back to find about forty people queueing and the queue sealed off. I was let in anyway for some reason. To go in you must deposit all your belongings in a locker, though you are allowed to take your phone and you are allowed to take photos except in the room on the second floor. Everyone sat and watched a video about Buddhism before entering the museum collection.

A Buddha in the art museum.

A Buddha in the art museum.

A Buddha in the art museum.

A Buddha in the art museum.

In the art museum.

In the art museum.

In the art museum.

After visiting the museum, I took a stroll in the garden and enjoyed the amazing views from the monastery. I suddenly realised I had been inside the monastery for around two hours. That surprised me as there was so much to see it had passed really quickly. I decided to head back home, after all it was a long way.

Views on the walk back to the entrance.

View.

Hills and Flowers.

Views.

Views.

Views.

Views.

Monastery flowers.

Selfie with view.

There was a queue for the minibus that comes right in to the monastery grounds, so I walked back down to the main road and caught a bus from there. It had been a wonderful visit and I am really glad that I booked it.