Hong Kong Yen Ching Temple

Hong Kong Yen Ching Temple

Hong Kong Yen Ching Temple is located on Qiong Mountain in Lantau Island, at an altitude of over 300 meters, and was built in 1966 by Venerable Miao Zhi. It serves as an ideal viewing platform to admire the northwest scenery of Lantau Island and is the most magnificent among the many nearby Buddhist temples on Qiong Mountain. Visitors can choose to stay overnight at Yen Ching Temple to learn about Buddhist meditation practices, enjoy Buddhist music, and—if the night is clear—gaze at the stars.

The garden features a stele inscribed by Venerable Miao Zhi, detailing the origins of Hong Kong Yen Ching Temple. The "Mountain Gate" of the temple boasts red walls and green tiles, while the "Mahavira Hall" features red pillars and yellow walls that complement each other beautifully. Behind the "Mountain Gate" lies the "Memorial Hall of the Two Elders of Tiantai," with the couplet: 'Two venerable elders of the southern heavens, continuing the three contemplations of the northern Qi.' Inside the hall are large portraits and memorial tablets of Venerable Tan Xuan and Venerable Le Guo.

The Mahavira Hall houses a 12-meter-tall statue of Sakyamuni Buddha, a rare indoor Buddha statue in Hong Kong. It was originally enshrined at the "Ten Directions Great Buddha Temple" (formerly known as the觉悟佛学会) in Wong Tai Sin, Kowloon, but was later dismantled when the Hong Kong government used taxpayer money to develop public housing estates, and was subsequently relocated to Hong Kong Yen Ching Temple. In front of the statue stand statues of Ānanda and Mahākāśyapa. To the left behind the main statue is a depiction of the Bodhisattva Manjushri riding a green lion, and to the right is the Bodhisattva Samantabhadra riding a white elephant. The walls also display 18 paintings of the Arhats.

Additionally, a "Three Jewels Hall" is built halfway up the mountain. The ground floor, called "Universal Salvation with Compassion," enshrines a statue of Guanyin along with statues of the Dragon Girl and Sudhana. The second floor, the "Universal Radiance Hall," features the Three Saints of the West at its center, with the couplet: 'Nine grades of lotus flowers, lions roar and elephants trumpet as they ascend the Dharma seat; three golden forms, dragons roar and tigers howl as they emerge from Tiantai.' The ceiling is decorated with a golden dragon coiling around the moon, with its head and a claw grasping a pearl hanging down, and the dragon’s mouth even holds a crystal lamp, creating a vivid image. On both sides are enshrined two different styles of Guanyin statues.

In 2001, a Hong Kong movie titled “Love Is Not a Game, But a Practice” (爱情观自在) was released. It is adapted from a stage play of the same name written by Mr. David Tao in 1966. The story follows childhood friends Xiao Jing and Meina, along with their boyfriends and close friends A Xiu and A Zheng. While Meina and A Zheng are preparing for their wedding, A Xiu suddenly disappears. It turns out he grew tired of worldly life and followed his enlightened classmate Master Zhi Yuan to study and practice Buddhism at Yen Ching Temple in Hong Kong. The picturesque scenery in the film further popularized the beauty of Yen Ching Temple.

Transportation Guide

Location: Luk Wu Estate, Shum Wat Road, Lantau Island, Islands District, Hong Kong

Getting There: Take New Lantao Bus routes 21, 23, or 2, get off at Shan Hoi Ting, and walk to the temple.