Hong Kong - Day 5 (Ngong Ping 360 Cable Car - Ngong Ping Village - Ngong Ping Village Piazza - Tian Tan Buddha - Wisdom Path

Last year, when we were in Hong Kong, we tried One Dim Sum. This time, we decided to check out Dim Dim Sum, which is located in Jordan. The shop is about a 12-minute walk (900m) from the Prudential Hotel. On our way there, we walked past King George V Memorial Park and noticed some filming happening nearby the restaurant. We were not allowed to take any photos, and I couldn't see who was acting because there was a crowd surrounding the filming area.

We reached the restaurant before 11am, and it was quite empty. Most of the customers were foreigners. We scanned the QR code to place our order. We ordered crispy rice flour rolls with shrimp, shrimp and pork dumplings with flying fish roe (shu mai), BBQ pork buns (char siu bao), and seafood stuffed eggplant with spicy Sichuan sauce. There was an additional charge of HKD 6 per person for tea, which is used not only for drinking but also for rinsing the utensils.

What I liked about this dim sum shop was that all of the dim sum was served hot. The char siu bao was soft and fluffy, with a small amount of fatty meat. Besides that, the seafood stuffed eggplant with spicy Sichuan sauce was tasty. It was slightly spicy and flavourful. I didn't really enjoy the shrimp and pork dumplings because they had a lot of pork fat and had a strong pork flavour. Apart from that, the crispy rice flour rolls with shrimp were a bit bland without the sauce, and the skin was a little thick. However, the Chinese crullers were crispy, and the dish would have tasted better with extra sauce. The restaurant only served chili oil, and there was no sweet sauce.

(Total bill - HKD 146)

View from our hotel room

King George V Memorial Park

Underground walkway

Dim Dim Sum

Spotted some filming nearby Dim Dim Sum

Scan the QR code to place your order. Tea charge for 2 person - HKD 12

BBQ pork buns (char siu bao) - HKD 24

Seafood stuffed eggplant with spicy Sichuan sauce - HKD 34

Shrimp and pork dumplings with flying fish roe (shu mai) - HKD 36

Crispy rice flour rolls with shrimp - HKD 40

Chili oil

Address:

Dim Dim Sum

G/F Man King Building,

28, Man Hui Street,

Jordan, Hong Kong

Opening hours: 10am to 10pm

After brunch, we walked to Austin Station and took bus no. E23 to Ngong Ping Cable Car Tung Chung Station (HKD 14.50 per person). Citygate Outlets is located just opposite the Ngong Ping Cable Car Tung Chung Station. You can shop and eat here before heading to the cable car. My partner was craving milk tea, so he bought a cup of traditional milk tea from Meet Fresh with 30% sugar level. Unfortunately, it was very diluted and didn't taste good at all.

Austin Station

Ngong Ping Cable Car Tung Chung Station

Citygate Outlets

Meet Fresh

Traditional milk tea (30% sugar level) - HKD 28

Address:

Meet Fresh (Tung Chung)

Level 6, Shop 604, Citygate Mall,

Tat Tung Road, Tung Chung,

Lantau Island, Tung Chung

Opening hours: 12pm to 10pm

The Ngong Ping 360 Cable Car is a popular tourist attraction in Hong Kong, offering breathtaking views of Lantau Island and Tian Tan Buddha. The cable car ride connects Tung Chung to Ngong Ping, where you can visit the famous Tian Tan Buddha, Ngong Ping Village, Ngong Ping Village Piazza, Wisdom Path, and Po Lin Monastery. We bought a one-way standard cabin ticket (HKD 195 per person), and there was a long queue waiting for the cable car. We waited for almost an hour, but there was free Wi-Fi available to pass the time.

There are two types of cabins: the standard cabins and the crystal cabins (with an additional HKD 40 per person), which feature a glass floor. We were lucky as we got to ride in the crystal cabin without paying any extra charges. There were a total of eight of us in the cable car, and the ride took approximately 20 minutes. The view was amazing, with Lantau Island's lush greenery, the South China Sea, and HKIA in the distance.

Ngong Ping Cable Car station

Ngong Ping 360 Cable Car standard single ticket - HKD 195 per person

Ngong Ping 360 Cable Car standard single ticket

Ngong Ping Cable Car station

Ngong Ping 360 Cable Car

Crystal cabin

View from Ngong Ping 360 Cable Car

Tian Tan Buddha

Ngong Ping 360 Cable Car

We walked towards Ngong Ping Village after getting off the cable car. There are a variety of souvenir shops and eateries. We had to walk past Ngong Ping Village Piazza, where the twelve divine generals are located, before reaching the Tian Tan Buddha.

Ngong Ping Village

Ngong Ping Village Piazza

The twelve divine generals

The Tian Tan Buddha, also known as the Big Buddha, is a large bronze sculpture of Buddha located on Lantau Island. To reach the Buddha, you need to climb 268 steps, which lead up to the platform where the statue sits. Surrounding the Buddha are six Deva statues, each positioned around the base, making offerings to the Buddha.

Tian Tan Buddha

The offerings of the six Devas

Tian Tan Buddha

Lantau Island

Tian Tan Buddha

Initially I was a bit hesitant to walk to the Wisdom Path because the round trip would take about 30 minutes. In the end, we decided to go ahead. The walk involves some uphill and downhill stretches, but it isn't overly difficult. The path is well-maintained and surrounded by lush greenery, giving it the feel of a nature trail. The Wisdom Path features a series of wooden pillars inscribed with Buddhist scriptures, forming a path that symbolizes the Buddhist teachings of wisdom. The pillars are arranged in a figure-eight shape, representing infinity.

Wisdom Path

Tian Tan Buddha

Our last stop was the Po Lin Monastery, which is located near the Tian Tan Buddha. The monastery also has a vegetarian restaurant where you can dine.

Po Lin Monastery

Ngong Ping Village Piazza

We were supposed to take a bus from Ngong Ping to Tai O, but we changed our plans because it would take around two hours to get back to our hotel from there! In the end, we decided to head to Owl's Choux Gelato Coffee. We took bus no. 23 (HKD 20.40 per person) from Ngong Ping to Tung Chung Fire Station. We waited at the Ngong Ping bus stop at 5pm, and after about 5 minutes, the bus arrived. The road was winding as we made our way down, and I started to feel a bit dizzy during the ride. We reached Tung Chung Fire Station around 5.45pm. From there, we took the MTR from Tung Chung to Nam Cheong Station, then switched to Line 2 towards Wu Kai Sha. We got off at East Tsim Sha Tsui Station, exit 4 (HKD 18.70 per person).

We then walked to Owl's Choux Gelato Coffee, where we ordered the Hazelnut Lover. It's freshly baked, with a light texture and a golden, crispy exterior. The choux was filled with rich hazelnut cream and smooth vanilla cream. Last year, we tried their vanilla choux, and it was delicious too. I will definitely come back next time to try more.

MTR walkway

Hazelnut Lover - HKD 55

Address:

Owl's Choux Gelato Coffee

Ground Floor, front portion of shop H Lyton building,

32 Mody Road, Tsim Sha Tsui,

Hong Kong

Opening hours: 3pm until sold out / Closed on Monday

Shek Kee Wonton Noodles is just a 7-minute walk (500m) from Owl's Choux Gelato Coffee. I ordered a bowl of noodles with wonton and fish balls, while my partner ordered a bowl of noodles with beef and pork dumplings. Unfortunately, the wonton skin was too thick, and the fish balls, which taste like fish paste, had a soft and dense texture almost like they were undercooked. The dumplings were similar, with the meat texture feeling undercooked. The only thing I enjoyed was the noodles, which had a nice texture, though there was a slight lye taste.

(Total bill - HKD 130)

Shek Kee Wonton Noodles. Coke - HKD 10

Noodles with wonton and fish balls - HKD 60

Beef and pork dumpling - HKD 60

Address:

Shek Kee Wonton Noodles

Shop B, 5 Ichang St,

Tsim Sha Tsui,

Hong Kong

Opening hours: 11am to 9pm. Closed on Sunday

We decided to end the night with dessert. On our way, we walked past the Avenue of Comic Stars in Kowloon Park before reaching Chung Kee Dessert. I ordered a bowl of red bean sweet soup and mango sago with pomelo and tofu pudding. The mango was sweet, but the tofu pudding tasted like bean curd. The red bean soup, served hot, was tasty and not overly sweet. After enjoying our dessert, we walked back to our hotel and arrived around 8.30pm.