Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery
The Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery is a historic temple located on Po Fook Hill in Shatin, with grounds covering over eight hectares. It has a confusing name because, unlike true monasteries, there are no monks in residence on-site, and the complex actually houses close to 13,000 statues of Buddha altogether. The monastery was established in 1951 by the Venerable Yuet Kai and construction finished six years later, though the addition of statues throughout the grounds continued well into the next millennium. Yuet Kai passed away eight years after the monastery’s opening, and his embalmed and gold leaf-painted body is on display in the main hall.
The walk leading up to the main buildings is an attraction in itself. The 431 steps are lined on both sides with 500 life-sized statues of arhats—Buddhist ‘saints’ who have achieved the state of enlightenment—crafted in Yunnan and Guangdong. The lower section of the complex features the large main hall, a nine-storey pagoda, and a few pavilions, while the upper section has four large halls dedicated to an assortment of Buddhist and Taoist deities.
The walls of the main temple are lined with shelves featuring approximately 13,000 small ceramic Buddha statues, each with different poses and expressions. This landmark was famously featured in the opening scene of the lauded Hong Kong crime thriller Infernal Affairs, starring Andy Lau, Tony Leung, and Eric Tsang.
Do note that fake monks have been known to operate around the monastery conning tourists into ‘donating’ money; arrests have periodically been made and the faux monks have been found to be from mainland China. The Hong Kong Buddhist Association has confirmed that genuine devotees are not allowed to beg for money in Hong Kong.
Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery, 221 Pai Tau Village, Sha Tin | (+852) 2691 1067