The Big Buddha and the Po Lin Monastery beneath it will be closed to visitors for a week from Friday as monks step up their battle to halt a government plan to turn the area into a tourist haven.
Monastery supervisor Reverend Sik Chi-wai warned that if the government remained intransigent, the monks would 'seal off' the temple for good. He also urged officials to 'wise up' and take heed of mass discontent.
'Like Bishop Zen Ze-kiun said, government officials must have more wisdom. There is widespread discontent among the people. Don't let this escalate to the religious sector too,' Reverend Sik said.
The monastery yesterday announced it would 'seal off the mountain' on Friday in response to the Planning Department's proposal to build a tourist area and food stalls in front of it.
'If the government refuses to listen to us, we will have to shut down permanently on the day when the cable car is put into service,' Reverend Sik said.
It would be the first time the monastery had been closed to visitors in its 78-year history, a monastery spokesman said.