New temple marks 20th birthday of the Big Buddha at Ngong Ping, Lantau

It was an early 20th birthday celebration yesterday for the Tian Tan "Big" Buddha, sitting aloft above the smog-shrouded Ngong Ping plateau on Lantau island, overlooking the Po Lin Monastery. And its gift was a multimillion-dollar new temple.

Since its completion on December 29, 1993, the 34-metre-tall bronze statue has sat serenely through Hong Kong's handover from Britain to China, the Asian financial crash, Sars and bird flu.

Yesterday, monks and distinguished guests were out in force to celebrate both the birthday and the grand opening of the Grand Hall of Ten Thousand Buddhas.

The monastery was founded in 1906 and over the years became the largest religious complex in the city, a collection of temples and pavilions that attracts pilgrims and tourists from around the world. Visitor numbers soared with the opening of the Big Buddha.

The Grand Hall of Ten Thousand Buddhas has been under construction since 2007, and was originally due to be completed in 2010, with some of the oldest buildings on the site being demolished. Building work destroyed a number of pre-war structures to make way for the new temple.

However, the work has been beset by delays, and workers are not now due to move out completely until October 31 next year. Meanwhile, the cost is now thought to have doubled to around HK$500 million.