The “Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery” (also known as Man Fat Sze) of Hong Kong is a mid-20th century Buddhist temple located in Pai Tau Village near the town of Sha Tin (or Shatin) in the eastern New Territories. Even though it is known as a monastery, in reality, there are no monks residing at the complex which is managed solely by laypersons.
The other misnomer about this monastery is that despite the common translation of its name, the monastery actually contains closer to 13,000 Buddha statues. So why the difference between 10,000 and 13,000? It’s all in the interpretation of the Chinese characters. The Chinese word for “ten thousand” does not refer to the exact number 10,000, but rather means “a lot” or “a big number”.
The temple was constructed beween the late 1940’s and early 1950’s.
The monastery has no resident monks but is maintained by laypersons from the nearby villages
Among the many interesting places to visit at the complex, the 10 to 15 minute steep walk up the steps to the monastery is an attraction itself. The path is flanked on both sides by 500 large golden Arhan Buddha statues (representing the various stages of enlightenment of the one who enters Nirvana). Each of them has a unique grinning pose.
Watch out for the mischievous macaque monkeys who roam around the complex – they can be troublesome and even aggressive so avoid eye contact or teasing and keep food away from their preying eyes and sniffing noses. Don’t even think about feeding them as you then create an even bigger problem for now and the future!
Visit the main 10,000 Thousand Buddhas Hall where you will see rows and rows of tiny Buddhas that glow when they catch a ray of sunlight.
There are several smaller temples, a nine-story pavilion, pagodas, and verandas. Keep climbing higher and you’ll find more temples and even better views.
On special Buddhist days the complex can be very crowded which may be a good reason to visit, or not to visit, depending on the atmosphere you want to experience.
Also, if you can’t or don’t want to climb many steps, or you have a fear of monkeys (you have a pithecophobia), its best not to visit this monastery.
HOW TO GET HERE:
The monastery is located in Pai Tau Village near Sha Tin, about 40 minutes ride by subway (MTR) northeast of Central Station.
OPENING TIMES:
The complex is open from 9 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily.
☛ Read more: The website of the Monastery (in Chinese)
Blog post and photos by Peter who has been travelling almost full-time since 2005 and has been to over 122 countries. He visited several countries, such as Japan, more than 20 times. Peter is Editor-in-Chief and Publisher of GlobeRovers Magazine, an independent travel magazine focused on intrepid destinations.