Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery

The Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery is one of the coolest things to see in Hong Kong.  Located in Sha Tin (out in the New Territories), the Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery is hidden behind an office building with only a spray painted wooden sign to show you the way.  Once you find your way there and get to the entrance you will need to watch out for fake monks.  Entry into the Monastery is free, but there are men, dressed like monks, who hang out by the entrance trying to con people into giving them money.  They seem friendly, but if you stop to shake their hands, they will try to give you jewelry and then will ask for money for the jewelry.  Best option, ignore them and keep walking.  Second option, if you find yourself somehow wearing jewelry they have given you, take it off and give it back to them without giving them any money. 

Once you get past the fakers, you begin the climb.  I'm not sure how many steps it is to get to the top, but it's a lot.  Luckily, there are plenty of benches you can rest on along the way.  I like to get to the Monastery early (it opens at 9 am), that way it's cooler and there are not as many people walking up and down the steps.  As you climb, you might be tempted to start counting the Buddhas lining the stairs.  Feel free to do so, but the name Ten Thousand Buddhas comes from the main worship Hall at the top of the Monastery.  Strangely, there are over twelve thousand Buddhas in the main worship Hall, but I guess they liked the way Ten Thousand Buddhas sounded.

Keep climbing, you're almost there.

Trust me, you can make it.

At least the view on the walk up is interesting

 

Yes, there are a lot of stairs.

You made it!

Everything about this place is beautiful.  The view of Sha Tin is breathtaking, the dense forest the Monastery is nestled in is amazing.  There's a pretty good vegetarian restaurant at the top, so you can refuel before heading back down.  When I went with my sister, we saw several monkeys around the Monastery.  They were really cute, but at one point some of them raided a woman's purse and stole a bag of chips! 

View from the top

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas (but it still feels like September)

The past three weeks I got to play tour guide to my sister, her two friends, and my parents.  My sister and her friends came over  the week of Thanksgiving (we celebrated by eating hamburger sliders).  My parents came at the beginning of December and just left a few days ago.  I might need to spend an entire week in bed recuperating.  I wore my fitbit everyday and we were putting in some serious mileage.  So if you want to visit Hong Kong and have me show you around (which, who wouldn't?!?!?) get prepared to dust off those old walking shoes!!

One of the great things about Hong Kong is the shopping.  Are you looking for $9 pants with elephants on them? Hong Kong's got loads of options.  Or are you looking for something a little higher end?  Just drop by one of the 5 or 6 MASSIVE Louis Vuitton stores around the island.  The street markets are always fun because you get to see a little of everything and you can haggle until you lose your voice.  There are several street markets throughout Hong Kong, but I will give you a low down on the ones we visited.

1. Jade Market: The Jade Market is in Kowloon and sells mostly (you guessed it) jade.  Going here is fun because you can get great jewelry for really cheap.  Not all of the jade sold here is real, so if you're looking to buy a really high quality piece of jade jewelry, head to a jeweler.  I try to never pay more than half the original asking price for stuff here.  Sellers can get a little pushy, but don't be afraid to just walk away.

2. Ladies Market: The Ladies Market has plenty to offer everyone, men included.  It's located in Mong Kok, one of most dense places on Earth.  This market has lots of clothes, purses, wallets, and jewelry. Make sure you bring your haggling skills to this market, it's half the fun.  If someone won't give you the price you want for something, just walk away and head to another stall.  Everything you see at this market is going to be sold by more than one vendor.  Just keep haggling with different vendors until you get the price you want.

3. Temple Street Night Market: This market is located near the Jade Market and might be the most interesting of all the markets.  The stalls reminded us of what you would find at an American garage sale on the last day before everything is taken off to be donated.  We saw tables full of extension cords, reading glasses, and socks.  The best parts of this market were the outside karaoke bars (basically a mic, a bucket of beer, and some plastic chairs) and an entire street of palm and face readers.  I've never heard of a face reader, but I might go back and test it out.

4. Stanley Market: Located on the southern side of the island, the Stanley Market has lots of clothing, bedding, and jewelry.  Getting to the market gives you a great view of Hong Kong Island.  You will pass by a few beaches and some really fancy apartments.  You can also grab a bite to eat while looking out at the ocean.

5. Cat Alley: This is the smallest market and it's only two minutes from my apartment.  Cat Alley has lots of antiques and some really nice knick knacks.  Getting something with your Chinese zodiac is quick and (fairly) painless here.

Here are a few pictures from when my parents were in town.  In the next few posts, I'll post more pictures and talk about some of the sights we saw and let you know which ones we loved and which ones we loved more!

My mother and I at Ozone, the tallest rooftop bar.  It's at the Ritz-Carlton and is on the 118th floor!

 

Drinking beer at Ozone

 

Afternoon tea at the Ritz-Carlton