Tuesday 21st April 2015 - 10,000 Buddha Monastry

If you’re visiting Hong Kong, and fancy a cultural expedition alongside the innevitable partying, I would highly recommend the 10,000 Buddha Monastry in Sha Tin. More so than the Big Buddha, primarily because it doesn’t involve a cable car with a glass floor (some people’s idea of fun, but my idea of hell) or alternatively a deathly bus ride to reach the main attraction.

The path leading up to the temple is lined with life-sized golden Buddha statues. Every single one of which is in a unique pose. There are also wild monkeys running around, which is both cool and unnerving at the same time.

Top Tip – No snacks. One chimp was a little shirty with a member of our group, deciding to send a scary hiss his way, so I assume the cheeky thing would have no qualms about nicking off with your apple.

It is quite a steep hill, so a cashmere jumper (no matter how thin) will not be your friend on this day. I learnt this the hard way. You will experience severe over-heating.

Top Tip – No cashmere.

At the summit of the hill, there is a cool breeze (which I welcomed with open arms) and an amazing temple which houses an awe-inspiring number of tiny buddha figurines. At first I assumed 10,000, but apparently this is the total of all 5 temples on the hill. Anyway, it really is an amazing sight.

So, in conclusion, no cashmere jumpers and no hill-side picnics.