Nestled in the mountains outside the bustling, busy, loud streets of Hong Kong, there lies a beautiful Buddhist monastery just outside the Lo Wai village in Tseun Wan. The Western Monastery is one of those incredible temples that makes your jaw drop and your eyes widen at all the beauty that is in front of you. It’s not a historic temple (it was built in the 1970s and expanded in the 1990s), but it’s one you should not miss when you are in Hong Kong.
Even on a very cold, misty morning like our visit, the temple is extremely dreamy. Driving up the winding road in our red taxi, we no longer felt like we were in Hong Kong but in some dream-like heaven with the buildings below seemingly becoming further and further away. Now we were surrounded by lush green, misty white clouds, and stunning Chinese architecture in vibrant colors of red, gold, and blue.
There are nine stunning palatial buildings throughout the Western Monastery, with lots of stone steps leading you up to different levels of the temple. At Lunar New Year, you’ll see red lanterns displayed everywhere along with several extra guests coming to pay their respects and pray for the new year. Guanyin, the Goddess of Mercy, has several statues displayed here, along with Maitreya, the Buddha of the future. The top floor of center palace is Great Buddha’s Hall, and here is where you’ll find the Buddhist Trinity. Standing tall above the entire temple is the 9-story Ten Thousand Buddha Pagoda that serves as the altar for different statues of Buddha.
It’s very easy to spend an entire morning or afternoon here, and definitely worth a visit if you are spending time in Hong Kong. I can’t wait to go back and bring my daughter when she is a little older (there’s a lot of steps!). This is an active Buddhist temple, so please remember to cover your shoulders and knees when visiting the Western Monastery..
