Ngong Ping 360

Ngong Ping 360. The name is aptly given to this latest tourist attraction in HK. I was in HK for the Chinese New Year again and my in laws brought me to this new theme ride. The ride claims to guarantee you a 360 degree view of Hong Kong, which is how the name Ngong Ping 360 was derived. Boy the ride was way beyond my expectations.

The ride was supposed to take us from the commercial centre of Lantau Island up to the Big Buddha. As I got into the cable car I was immediately swung into action as the cable car swerved up a few hundred metres into the air. Right away I knew that what the ride claimed was right. As I turned left to right I can see everything that HK has to offer, a panaromic aerial view of HK.

It is not often that a theme attraction lives up to its hype and marketing. But this ride is larger than life. The HK govt has made it the biggest, the longest, the highest and the most spectacular. By the time I reached the top of Lantau island, I had crossed 2 oceans and 3 mountains. The feeling of hanging few hundred metres in the air with only a cable is exhilirating. I caught sight of the entire aerial view of the airport.

As you reach towards the end of the ride, you see the Big Buddha in the distance, and I was suddenly reminded of the ancient Chinese folklore, where the Monkey God somersaults in the clouds to reach the Buddha.

When I alighted, the government had also constructed this delightful new village of restaurants and shops. As you walk further up you reach the older and quieter part of temple and you know that the Buddha is near. The government has taken great pains in ensuring that the commercial entity was situated away from the religious areas and did not engulf the serene and religious environment of the temple.

This ride will make Hong Kong even more regonised on the world map. A trapeze in the sky hanging from the top of the world. A successful attraction with the X factor.