Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery, Hong Kong

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Where the heck have you brought me? moaned the husband as we walked through some run down iron gates in to some woodland with signs warning us about wild pigs and fake monks asking for money. I gestured at him to keep walking and stop moaning, smiling to myself as this was just the kind of adventure I liked to lead us astray on!

Some places are just so whacky they stick with you and my favourite spot in Hong Kong was the Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery. Lying in the north of the islands within the New Territories, it’s so worth visiting if you get the chance to add it to a stop in Hong Kong.


  1. Table of Contents
  2. How to get to the 10,000 Buddha’s Monastery
  3. What to do at the 10,000 Buddha’s Monastery
  4. What else to do nearby
    1. Hong Kong Heritage Museum
    2. Che Kung Temple
    3. Sha Tin Park
    4. New Town Plaza Mall

The best way to reach the Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery is by Metro. The site lies just a short walk from the Sha Tin metro station, on the light blue line. You can reach it directly from the Admiralty or Exhibition Centre stops on Hong Kong Island in around 30 minutes.

The Buddhas come in to view

Once in Sha Tin metro station, take the bus terminus exit (don’t go in to the mall), and walk out so you’re looking at the bus terminal. Follow this round to the left (as you look at the buses with the metro behind you), down a rounding ramp until you reach Pai Tau village on your left. Keep to the main pavement, and then turn left up Pai Tau road, and right on to Sheung Wo Che Rd. At the end of the road, you’ll see Sha Tin government offices on your left, but keep walking – at the end of the street is a metal gate area leading to some woodland. Follow the path through the woodland and you’ll enter the Ten Thousand Buddha’s Monastery.

More Buddha views


What a place! Although first things first, it’s not actually a monastery as there are no monks. It was founded in 1951 by Yuet Kai who moved to Hong Kong from mainland China to teach Buddhism. He died in 1965 and his intact body is embalmed in the main hall of the monastery.

Views out past the Buddhas

The walk up to the top is steep, so be sure to have suncream, a hat and water with you. I also got bitten to buggery so take some insect repellant too! The walk up is quite entertaining with lots of buddhas looking at you.

At the top is the main temple (which you can’t take photos of) and a beautiful open square which we had all to ourselves, housing ornate statues and a pagoda. We absolutely loved it. In total the site actually has 13,000 buddhas at last count, but I’m not sure that’s as catchy a name.

Approaching the top

The site is open from 9am-5pm every day and entrance is free. In total, we spent 1.5hrs here, plus travel time.

Central pagoda


We made a day of our trip to north Hong Kong, and chose to explore more in the area than just the ten thousand buddhas monastery. There are lots of interesting things to explore nearby:

The Museum is a must for any Bruce Lee fan, with an exhibit on his life and works which was super interesting. There are also exhibitions on Hong Kong’s pop culture, art and various other subjects. The Museum also has a good restaurant where we had lunch, and in total we spent 2.5hrs here (it was also a welcome break from the heat/rain)

The temples here are dedicated to Che Kung, who was a general during the Song dynasty in the 11-1200s in Imperial China. According to legend, during an epidemic that broke out in Sha Tin in the late Ming Dynasty, local residents found out from historical writings that Che Kung was not only merited for his successful suppression of uprisings, but was also known for clearing epidemics. People therefore built a temple to house Che Kung, and the epidemic subsided on the day the construction of the temple was completed. I wonder if it worked for COVID!

In the temple

A lovely waterfront park is perfect for a rest before getting back on the Metro. We enjoyed sitting here and just watching the world go by with a drink.

In the beautiful park

Sha Tin has an amazing mall, New Town Plaza. It’s home to lots of shops, restaurants and bars which we browsed (/got lost in) for over an hour. I bought a new book and dress and my husband went crazy in the sweet store. There’s also a Snoopy World in here, as well as a massive cinema should the mood take you!

A final view from the Ten Thousand Buddhas


So what do you think of the Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery and the surrounding area? We had a great day out here, and really felt like we were getting off the main tourist trail in Hong Kong. As always, thanks for reading and stay safe, happy travelling!

41 responses to “Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery, Hong Kong”

  1. We’ve also visited there Hannah and I agree that the walk to it from the metro station isn’t very inspiring but that all changes once you arrive!

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Totally agree – and it’s a completely unique place so very glad to have visited 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  2. I keep thinking one of the buddhas would jump out at you ha! Looks like. a neat place to visit!

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Haha I totally agree, they were insane!

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  3. Inspiring location, but I am not sure I would go there by myself.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Yes it’s quite isolated to visit alone, though Hong Kong felt safe all over and all the locals were very helpful.

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  4. I love these 10 – 14,000 Buddhas. Hong Kong has some unexpected quiet spots.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. It really does, some off the beaten track gems for sure 🙂

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  5. Haven’t heard of this one, maybe on our next trip through Hong Kong.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. It’s definitely worth a stop if you’re ever back in town.

      Liked by 1 person

  6. I remember visiting there too and leaving my aunt behind because of the descent!

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Sensible – it’s really steep!! My husband and I were sweating buckets.

      Liked by 1 person

  7. I can easily see why it’s called the Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery! It’s pretty impressive how there are so many of these buddhas, and each with a different expression. Sha Tin Park looks like a peaceful spot to enjoy nature.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. It was a very unique experience that’s for sure, and I loved all the buddhas. The park was lovely like you say, and we had it all to ourselves 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  8. It looks like a lot of fun – and so different from what I see in my quotidian American life. How great that you had the place to yourself. And funnily, Minnesota is known as the “Land of 10,000 Lakes,” but we have more like 14,000. As you suggested, “10,000” has a nicer ring to it!

    Liked by 2 people

    1. I felt the same, that it was so far away from my day to day so left its mark on me. Ahh that’s funny, 10,000 definitely has a better ring to it doesn’t it – I had no idea Minnesota had so many lakes!

      Liked by 1 person

  9. The monastery looks very interesting and entertaining too with so many Buddhas keeping watch. We missed this spot during our brief stay in Hong Kong, but will visit for sure if we ever visit again.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. It was a cool spot to visit, we found it a fun day out so worth a visit if you’re ever back in HK 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  10. The monastery looks fascinating. I love how expressive the buddhas are and how individual they all look. It must have taken so long to make them all. Sha Tin Park also looks like the perfect place to escape the hustle and bustle of the city, it’s very pretty.

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    1. I agree, they must have taken an age to make! It was a crazy place, but one that will stay with me 🙂 Hope you’ve had a lovely weekend.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Thanks Hannah! Hope you had a lovely weekend, too 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

  11. That’s a lot of golden monks! Looks like you two had a marvelous time in Hong Kong ~ thanks for sharing, Hannah 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Thanks Phil, hope you’ve had a great weekend 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  12. I love places like this that are that great mix of beautiful and funny. Some of those Buddhas make me laugh. Looks like a great find of a place to stray off the path for 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

    1. I totally agree, such a crazy day out but I loved it! 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  13. I haven’t heard of the Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery, but it looks really neat! And to have it situated on an incline with views of the Hong Kong skyline peeking in the distance, it’s all the more magical! Humidity and insects aside, I’d be keen on braving those hurdles for a chance to check out this awe-inspiring place!

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Yeah the skyline views were a really special backdrop. Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to comment 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  14. I enjoyed this piece Hannah as this is a spot I never made it to in Hong Kong. I think all that greenery, plenty of quirk and the predominantly calm vibe would be right up my street. The views look fantastic too and I would definitely love to see the Bruce Lee stuff in the Hong Kong Heritage Museum. Did Mr. Han agree that it was worth it in the end?

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Thanks Leighton, it was totally crazy and I definitely think you’d enjoy it. I asked Mr Saasdia Travel Gid and his response was ‘yeah it was worth it’. So I’ll take that as a win 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  15. I love all the different poses and expressions of the buddha’s faces at Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery!

    Liked by 2 people

  16. […] Then my half or full day recommendation would be to head to North Hong Kong and the 10,000 Buddha’s Monastery […]

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  17. Wow, so many golden buddhas! I like the pagoda and also the Sha Tin Park (any spot of greenery in a city is a bonus)!

    Liked by 2 people

  18. What a cool thing to do, Hannah! I had never heard of this “monastery” before reading your post. It would probably take me forever to reach the top because I would have to study each of the enchanting buddhas. They look like they’re having a party!

    Liked by 2 people

    1. It was so surreal – took us ages to reach the top as well getting distracted every 2 seconds 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  19. Yes we visited there in Hong Kong and such an amazing site. I love your images and words. Anita

    Liked by 2 people

  20. christinenovalarue

    💝💜

    Liked by 1 person

  21. What a wonderful find! It reminds me of a place in Nikko, Japan where there are smaller stone buddhas, some with knitted hats, lined up along a river walk. But these have such personality and shine!

    Liked by 2 people

  22. What a quirky place. I enjoy the poses of some of the buddhas. And I don’t envy the person who had to do an official count of all 13,000 of them!

    Liked by 2 people

    1. It was absolutely crazy but I loved it none the less 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

  23. Wow, the Ten Thousand Buddhas looks impressive. Hongkong seems to have quite a few interesting off-the beaten-track. Thanks for sharing.

    Liked by 2 people

  24. Informative post, well written.

    Liked by 2 people

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About the author

Hi! My name is Hannah, I’m a travel blogger from the UK who fits travel around a full time (and full on) job. In this blog I share my adventures around the world and hopefully help you to find some inspiration for destinations, things to do or places to stay. Thanks for stopping by – stay safe and happy travelling.

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