The Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery is located in Sha Tin New Territories on the hill which is a little bit of the beaten tourist paths. Founded in the 1950s, Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery is actually not only one temple, but consists of 5 temples, 4 pavilions and one pagoda. Be prepared to walk more than 430 steps and a steep concrete path uphill. Along the long climb up, you will be accompanied by dozens of life-sized golden painted Buddha statues, which lead you up the mountain towards the hall with the ten thousand Buddhas. Take your time uphill and take a closer look at the statues because each of the statues is different.
Buddhas on the way up to Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery with 430 Steps
Buddhas on the way up to Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery
Keep your eyes open while you climb up. Sha Tin area and its surrounding hills and mountains are very well-known as the home of wild monkeys. If you are luckily they will sit along the way or suddenly appear and cross the path. Once you arrive at the top, you will be rewarded with a peaceful environment and some nice panoramic views over Sha Tin and the New Territories.
18 Luohan of Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery on the top of the hill
Buddhas of Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery on the top of the hill
Buddhas of Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery on the top of the hill
Besides the Main Hall (also called Ten Thousand Buddha Hall) with more than 12,800 small golden Buddha figures you have the chance to climb up the 9 floors of the Pagoda (also called Ten Thousand Buddha Pagoda) and enjoy some nice views. If you have a 100 bank note of HSBC printed during 1985-2002, you will find on the back site the picture of ten-thousand buddha pagoda. Between the Main Hall and the Pagoda there is a small terrace with 18 painted, life-sized figures. These 18 figures (18 Luohan) represent Buddhas most important students. Furthermore, you have the chance to discover a white elephant from Pu Xian (the lord of fire) and a blue lion which belongs to Wen Shu. Besides there is an ancestor hall and four smaller temples.
Main Hall of Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery (with ten thousand buddha inside)
9-floor Pagoda of Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery
Pagoda of Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery on the Bank Note
The temple is free of charge and opened daily from 9:00am-5:00pm.
Kwun yam Pavilion of Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery
Skanda Pavilion of Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery
Manjusri Pavilion of Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery
The Eighteen Arhat of Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery
There are many temples in Hong Kong, however Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery to our opinion is one the most impressive ones, but not easy to conquer for the average tourist. The uphill walk takes about 20 minutes (depending on your physical shape) and can be quite exhausting, especially if you are not used to exercise as well as due to the hot and humid weather. If you really opt to visit this temple we recommend you to start early in the morning and make sure to take enough water bottles along the way. Be aware that the temple may close if there is heavy rainfall. Due to the surrounding mountains, the area around Sha Tin gets usually above average rain.
Inside of Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery
How to Get to Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery:
By MTR: Take MTR East Railline to Sha Tin station and take Exit B. Traveling time from TST is approx. 20 minutes and the fare for a single ride is about HK$ 9.0.
When you exit through Exit B turn left and walk down the slope passing some of the old traditional house on your left-hand side towards the Home Center (basically a shopping mall for furniture and interior things, IKEA is located in this mall as well). Cross the street and turn left into Pau Tai Street. Walk toward the Sha Tin governmental building and turn right into Sheung Wo Che Street. Walk towards the end of this street. On the right side is a big parking garage for the Home Center Shopping Mall. The entrance for the 10000 Buddhas temple is on the left-hand side and will lead you through some bamboo groves. You should be able to see already some big signs leading you the right way (if you get confused, please just refer to the map below).
Important: There is a cemetery close by and a lot of people are confused and take this one as the 10000 Buddhas temple and are disappointed if they can’t find it as promised. Be sure to turn right (!) into the Sheung Wo Che Street (where the government building and post office are). If you walk straight you will end up to a cemetery.
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