Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery

Founded in the 1950s by a lay Buddhist teacher, the Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery sits on a hillside above Sha Tin and is reached by climbing around four hundred and thirty steps flanked the whole way by life-size gilded statues of arhats, each with a different face, pose and animal, which makes the ascent the memorable part of the visit. At the top, the main hall is lined floor to ceiling with small buddha figures numbering close to thirteen thousand, and a nine-storey pagoda stands in the courtyard. The founder's body, preserved after his death and covered in gold leaf, is displayed in a case. Monkeys live on the path and take food from bags.

What you actually see

• The arhat stairway - hundreds of gilded life-size figures lining the climb.
• Thirteen thousand small buddhas - the statuettes covering the main hall.
• The nine-storey pagoda - the tower in the upper courtyard.
• The founder's gilded body - preserved and displayed in a case.

When to go

October to April; the climb is punishing in summer heat. Two hours. Mornings are quieter. It closes in the late afternoon.

Honest expectations

There are no monks in residence; it is a site rather than a working monastery. The climb is long and hot. Monkeys snatch food and plastic bags. Unofficial signs at the bottom try to divert visitors to a different temple; follow the official ones.

Nearby

Sha Tin is below; Che Kung temple lies west.