The colossal bronze Buddha that took two decades of planning to reach enlightenment

Art · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Perched on Lantau Island, the Big Buddha is a monumental feat of engineering and faith. Standing 34 meters tall and weighing over 250 metric tons, this bronze icon requires visitors to climb 268 steps to reach its base, where it gazes out over the landscape in a gesture of generosity.

The journey to create the Big Buddha began in 1973, when monks from the Po Lin Monastery sought inspiration from similar monumental statues in Japan and Taiwan. After the British government granted a plot of land for the project the following year, the vision took nearly two decades to materialize. Construction officially commenced in 1990, culminating in the statue's completion on 29 December 1993—a date chosen to coincide with the traditional celebration of the Buddha's enlightenment.

Structurally, the monument is a complex assembly of 202 individual bronze pieces, reinforced by a robust internal steel framework designed to support its massive weight. The statue sits atop a three-platform altar and is surrounded by six smaller bronze figures, known as the Offering of the Six Devas. These figures represent the Six Perfections—generosity, morality, patience, zeal, meditation, and wisdom—which are considered essential for achieving enlightenment. Beneath the main image, the monument houses three internal exhibit halls dedicated to the Universe, Benevolent Merit, and Remembrance, the latter of which contains a relic of Gautama Buddha.

The site has become a significant cultural landmark in Hong Kong, drawing visitors through various transit methods, including the Ngong Ping 360 gondola lift. Its cultural footprint extends beyond the physical site, having been featured on commemorative postage stamps and in cinema, notably appearing in the 2003 film Infernal Affairs III. While the exterior remains accessible to the public, the interior halls require an admission fee, offering a space for reflection beneath the gaze of one of China's five largest Buddha images.

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