Monastery spurs traffic concerns
As the giant Goddess of Mercy statue nears completion, locals worry about visitor hordes
A new monastery being built in Tai Po with partial funding from Asia's richest man, Li Ka-shing, has roused concerns among residents over how it will affect traffic conditions in the area.
Universal Gate Road - a winding, single-track road that branches off the busy Ting Tsz Road - is the only road up the hill to the Tsz Shan Monastery and is served by a single minibus line.
On completion, the monastery will boast the world's tallest outdoor bronze statue of Kwun Yum, the Goddess of Mercy.
Tai Po district councillor Lam Chuen said he was happy about the statue being built, but negative aspects of the monastery's construction needed addressing.
"Just one minibus line, for instance, is not enough to serve the thousands of people who may want to visit especially during peak seasons such as the Lunar New Year," said Lam. "There are also no pedestrian paths at all."
Though Tsz Shan claims to be "free and open" to the public, it will limit visitor numbers to 700 on weekdays and 1,000 on weekends in order to preserve its "monastic solemnity", sparking debate as to how much of the monastery the public will be able enjoy. Visitors will also have to register through an advance booking system.