A trip by the Ngong Ping 360 Skyrail visiting the Giant Buddha and Po Lin Monastery, Tai O

To all friends:

To visit the Tian Tan Buddha and the Po Lin Monastery in Lantau Island, we need not access to there via a mountain road and bus service at Lantau Island Bus Terminal; nor we need take ferry from Central Pier. A ride from Tung Chung Cable Car Terminal along the Ngong Ping 360 Skyrail to Ngong Ping will serve the purpose. Prior to Ngong Ping 360's opening (before April 2005), a long bus trip or ferry's time must be joined as the only access to Tian Tan Buddha. However from nowadays, such route has been changed!

On the 7th day of Chinese New Year Festival, my sister's family took a 1/2 day trip with us to Lantau Island, the trip plan including a single-way ticket from Tung Chung Cable Car Terminal to Ngong Ping Terminal (around 25 minute journey) , and then a visit to the Ngong Ping Village and Tian Tan Buddha, and the end point was Tai O.

Ngong Ping 360 serves to connect Tung Chung, on the north coast of Lantau and itself linked to central Hong Kong by the Tung Chung rail line, with the Ngong Ping area in the hill above. we bought tickets at Tung Chung Cable Car Terminal at 12: 15 p.m. and we took some photos at the cable terminal as record.

During the 25 minute journey, we saw panoramic views over the North Lantau Country Park, the South China Sea, Hong Kong International Airport, the Tung Chung Valley, Ngong Ping Plteau and surrounding terrain and waterways.

(See below: The Ngong Ping Village is built next to the Ngong Ping Cabel Car Terminal, occupies a 15,000 square metre site, there were so many shops and so crowded on the Ngong Ping Village)

The Giant Buddha is the world's tallest outdoor seated bronze buddha, which sits serenely at the top of the Ngong Ping Plateau, and a famous temple (Po Lin Monastery) in Lantau Island can be found there.

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The end-point in Tai O

It was the end-point of our trip, we arrived in Tai O around 4:45pm by a 15 minute bus trip from Ngong Ping Bus Terminal which is next to Ngong Ping Village.

Best Regards

From Ken Ngan

The story about Chinese New Year Festival

Dear friends

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I searched some information from the internet talking the story about Chinese New Year Festival, it is quite interesting and amazing. For showing off, I will introduce the four standardized types of lion costume to you.

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In the old days, there was a monster lived near a village. This monster was called "Year Monster". It doesn't like red and it doesn't like noise. So villagers would stick red paper on their doors and red fire crackers were lit to make loud noises so as to scare the monster. When the villagers knew that the monster had gone, they would greet and bless each other. That's why Chinese people lit fire crackers and stick red blessing note on our door.

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During the early days, the lion costumes were not like what we see today (for example, the lions owned by Ha Chiu Kin). The Ha people performed the lion dance using the newer style and a set of matching pants (see my blog- Lion Dance at the 3rd day of Chinese New Year Festival in California Garden). There were only four standardized types of lion costume during the old days, they were named after the four famous warriors of the Three Kingdom, Liu Bei, Guan Gong, Zhang Fei and Zhao Zhi Long, each of them have their own color scheme.

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Liu Bie (劉備)

The Liu Bei lion is the eldest of the three brothers and has a yellow based face with white beard and fur. It sports a multi coloured tail with black as one of them which encompasses the colors of the five elements, as it was believed that being the emperor, he had the blessings of the heavens and thus control of the five elements. There are three coins on the collar. This lion is used by schools with an established Sifu or organization and is known shui shi or the auspicious lion.
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Guan Gong (關羽-關雲長)

The Guan Gong lion has a red based face, black bristles, with a long black beard. The tail is red and black with white trim and a white underside. He is known as the second brother and sports two coins on the collar. This lion is known as Shing Shi or the Awakened Lion. This lion is generally used by most.
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Zhang Fei (張飛)

The Zhang Fei lion has a black based face with short black beard, small ears and black bristles. The tail is black and white with white trim and a white underside. Traditionally this lion also had bells attached to the body, which served as a warning like a rattler on a rattle snake. Being the youngest of the three brothers, there is a single coin on the collar. This lion is known as the Fighting Lion because Zhang Fei had a quick temper and loved to fight. This lion is used by clubs that were just starting out or by those wishing to make a challenge.

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Zhao Zi Long (趙子龍)

Later an additional three lions were added to the group. The green faced lion represented Zhao Zi Long, he has a green tail with white beard and fur and an iron horn. He is often called the fourth brother, this lion is called the Heroic Lion because it is said he rode through Cao Cao's million man army and rescued Liu Bei's infant and fought his way back out.

-Best Regards

Ken Ngan Chi Keung

Lion Dance at the 3rd day of Chinese New Year Festival in Yuen Long California Garden

Dear friends,

It's bitterly cold and cloudy than the 1st and 2nd day of Chinese New Year Festival, about nine degree in the whole day, but a spiffy lion dance was conducted in an abubble atmosphere. It has been a long time not to see lion dance on the street since the Hong Kong Government had to put a stop to lion dance completely in 1970s. As far as I could understand, people who joined lion dance troupes were 'gangster-like' and there was a lot of flighting amongst lion dance troupes and kung fu schools in 1950s - 60s. When lion dance troupes met on the street, there would be flights between groups. As a consequence, lion dance troupes must attain a permit from the government in order to perform lion dance. Also to this point, we can't see lion dance on the street except in some shopping malls or in some new opened shops.

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Today, it is the 3rd day of Chinese New Year Festival, my mother and I visited my uncle family, my uncle who lives in California Garden of Yuen Long, his property management company conducted a lion dance show for all residents in celebration of Chinese New Year Festival. We arrived upon the scene at around 1:30pm, but eventually it started at 2:15pm due to the performing troupe was late for the show. Anway, it was a good show!
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As for the lion dance costumes, all performers wore a set of matching pants, performed the same lion head. In fact, the styles of lion dance do vary widely, but the lion head designs exhibit greater differences. The traditional Fuo Shan lion has bristles instead of fur and weights more than the current in-fashion ones... Obviously, this performing troupe using the newer style of lion, this style replaces all the bristles wih fur and the tails are shorter than traditional Fuo Shan lion. See pictures below, these lions with the yellowish fur on their eye-lash and mouth, colorful face and on the back there are gold foiled rims and traditional Chinese characters saying the troupe's name 'Ha Chiu Kin'.
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(On the back there are gold foiled rims and traditional characters saying the troupe's name "it means the lion owned by 'Ha Chiu Kin"'s troupe)

(My uncle and my mother taken before the lion show)

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In the old days during the Chinese New Year, lion dancers from martial art school would visit the houses and store front of businesses to 'Chai Ching, the businessmen hanged 'lai see' and lettuce high above the front door for lion dancers to perform 'Chai Ching', it traces my memory back to the old days, I saw lion dancers to move high and down the lion head, right and left again, it looked like a lion feeling the food, the lion approached the lettuce like a curious cat, consumed the lettuce and spit out the leaves.. finally the lion opened its mount and showed to the people a edible characters such as 'Kung Hei Fat Choi', 'Gain for Big Business'...etc.

These three showed the people different wishes, they are 'Kung Hei Fat Choi', 'Everything is going well' & 'Do the big business'.

The tradition in Chinese becomes a mutual transaction because the lion dance is supposed to bring good luck and fortune to the business and the dancers 'must' 'have to' receive the big amount of money as reward.. If someone ask you who said that, please ask him/her, I said!

With Best Wishes in Chinese New Year Festival