The Buddha statue sits on a three-tiered platform, and to reach it you climb 268 steps. From the top, on a clear day, you can see the whole of Lantau Island and the sea beyond. The statue looks outward, with a calm and gentle expression.
Next to the statue is a Buddhist monastery called Po Lin. The monastery has beautiful gardens and a large hall with colourful decorations. Visitors of all kinds are welcome to come and look around, light incense sticks and sit quietly.
You can reach the Big Buddha by cable car - a gondola that travels slowly over the green mountains of Lantau, with views down over the treetops and the sea. The cable car journey takes about 25 minutes and feels like flying over the island.
The statue was completed in 1993. It weighs 250 tonnes. Inside the statue are three floors containing bronze bells and other objects. The Buddha's hand is raised in a special gesture called a 'mudra' - a hand position that has meaning in Buddhist tradition.