By air
Hong Kong International (HKG), on Lantau itself
East Asia · Hong Kong
Lantau Island, Hong Kong
The Big Buddha and a cable car over the island
Getting there
Best time to visit
October to December — clear and mild
Don't miss
The Tian Tan Buddha
Po Lin Monastery
The Wisdom Path
Cheung Sha beach
Things to do
The Ngong Ping 360 cable car
Po Lin Monastery
Hiking Lantau Peak
Where to eat
What to pack
Walking shoes
A quieter corner
Tai O, a stilt-house fishing village
Questions travellers ask
Is Lantau Island close to Hong Kong's airport?
Very: Hong Kong International (HKG) is on Lantau itself.
What's there to do on Lantau Island?
See the Tian Tan Buddha, Po Lin Monastery and the Wisdom Path, and ride the Ngong Ping 360 cable car. Walkers can take on Lantau Peak.
Where can I eat on Lantau?
Have a vegetarian lunch at Po Lin, and try Tai O's shrimp paste.
What's Tai O like?
A stilt-house fishing village, and a quieter side of Lantau.
About Lantau Island
- Island
- Mountains
Where it is
Lantau is the largest island in Hong Kong, a special administrative region of China, lying west of Hong Kong Island at the mouth of the Pearl River; its mountainous interior rises to Lantau Peak, about 930 m, and the airport lies off its northern shore.
History
Lantau was long a quiet island of fishing villages, salt pans and monasteries, and Po Lin Monastery was founded by monks in 1906. The Tian Tan Buddha was completed in 1993, and the opening of the airport at Chek Lap Kok in 1998 brought the new town of Tung Chung, bridges and, later, the Ngong Ping cable car.
People
Lantau's people include the Tanka fishing families of Tai O, who live in stilt houses over the creeks and make salted fish and shrimp paste, the monks and nuns of its monasteries, and the residents of Tung Chung and Discovery Bay. Cantonese is the main language, with English widely used.
Known for
- The Tian Tan Buddha at Ngong Ping
- Po Lin Monastery
- Tai O's stilt houses
- Hiking to Lantau Peak
- The beaches of Cheung Sha
Did you know?
The Tian Tan Buddha, a seated bronze figure about 34 m tall, is reached by a climb of 268 steps from Ngong Ping.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.