Lodging in Hong Kong Monasteries Is Divine

To get a break from Hong Kong’s crowds, budget travelers need only take a one-hour ferry ride to this sparsely populated island.

It won’t cost much, either. Three meals a day and plain lodgings are available for less than $25 U.S. a night at the Buddhist monastery.

Hong Kong has a land area of 404 square miles made up of a peninsula tip of southeastern China, Hong Kong Island (with a population of more than 1 million) and more than 230 outlying islands.

Three of these--Lantau, Lamma and Cheung Chau--are popular with tourists and can be reached by ferry. The service is frequent, and fares are $8 to $24 Hong Kong (about $1.10 to $3.30 U.S.).

Lantau, population 30,000, is twice the size of Hong Kong Island. It has a 12-section, 43-mile hiking trail, two youth hostels, camping and the longest beach in the colony.

Trappist and Buddhist monasteries provide inexpensive, overnight accommodations. But to stay at the Trappist monastery, whose monks have taken a vow of silence, you must write in advance.

Independent travelers don’t need to make advance arrangements to stay at the Po Lin Buddhist Monastery, but it’s wise to give it a call before going over. Don’t expect to completely escape the crowds--it is Lantau’s most visited site. However, to avoid the larger crowds (and pay lower bus and ferry fares), visit during the week.

The smell of incense wafts across the temple complex while monks and nuns (there are about 135) tend to chores, youths scramble around the courtyard and visitors line up to be photographed on temple steps.

Accommodations for guests are in plain four-bunk men’s and women’s rooms. Blankets and pillows are provided. The rate is $150 Hong Kong a night. This includes three vegetarian meals. Lunch only is also available for $30 Hong Kong.

The dormitory rooms close at 9 p.m.

Adding to the atmosphere, on the hilltop above the monastery is the almost-completed 111-foot bronze statue of Buddha. The massive seated figure is the tallest bronze statue of Buddha in Southeast Asia. It has cost more than $60 million Hong Kong (about $8 million U.S.), and should be finished within the year.

The best way to reach the Po Lin Monastery is to take bus No. 2 from the main ferry pier at Silvermine Bay. The fare is about $6.50 Hong Kong.

Before leaving the area, buy an island map at one of the souvenir stands. It indicates the locations of the two youth hostels, the hiking trail, campsites, the two-mile Cheung Sha Beach and also gives ferry times. A dockside information booth has free brochures on the hiking trail, plus details on bus service.

A short walk from the monastery is the only tea plantation in Hong Kong. To reach other sites of interest inexpensively, a bus comes by the monastery each hour.

One stop you might want to include is the Tai O fishing village. It was the center of Hong Kong’s salt-panning industry for 100 years. Fish are still dried on racks beside riverside homes built on stilts.

The Tai O village offers visitors a close glimpse of the life style of a community. Many homes are open to the street, and the passer-by can see mirrors in front of doors to reflect evil spirits.

For more information on travel to Hong Kong, contact the Hong Kong Tourist Assn., 10940 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1220, Los Angeles 90024, or call (213) 208-4582.