Ten Thousand Buddhas ‘Monastery’ in Hong Kong
The Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery is a misleading name that significantly downplays the number of Buddha effigies, as there are actually well over 12,000 statues present. Another misnomer lies in the fact that it is technically not a monastery, as no monks live on site to maintain the property. Instead, a team of laypeople handle the day-to-day operations of this Buddhist temple complex.…
The Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery in Hong Kong, despite its name, houses over 12,000 Buddha statues rather than the supposedly 10,000 it inaccurately suggests. Contrary to the name, this complex is not a monastery, as no monks reside there to maintain the property. Rather, it is managed by a group of laypeople. Construction of the monastery started in 1948 on a bamboo forest hillside, overlooking Pai Tau village and its fields.
It was completed in 1957, the same year a market township named Sha Tin Hui, built on the abandoned fields, was established. This township was ultimately demolished in the late 1970s to give way for the Sha Tin New Town development. Spanning 8 hectares, the complex includes five temples, four pavilions, one verandah, and a 9-storey pagoda.
The embalmed body of the monastery's founder, Yuet Kai, is displayed within, exhumed 8 years after his burial. Now overlooking the urban area of Sha Tin town, the monastery offers a tranquil retreat amidst its surroundings. The ascent to the temples is lined with 500 life-size, gilded Arhat statues in various poses, crafted by artists from Yunnan and Guangdong and painted in vibrant gold.
These statues emanate a sense of serenity and spirituality as visitors make their way up the steep path.
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