【明報專訊】Po Lin Monastery (寶蓮禪寺) and Tian Tan Buddha (天壇大佛, also known as the Big Buddha) are two famous Buddhist spots in Ngong Ping, Lantau Island (大嶼山). The Big Buddha is the biggest outdoor bronze sitting Buddha statue in the world. It took twelve years to plan and build the statue, which symbolises Hong Kong's stability, China's prosperity and world peace.

Last year, Po Lin Monastery organised the first Buddha You Run (佛你跑) trail run (越野跑). According to the monastery, the race was aimed at encouraging people to run. This year Buddha You Run takes place on November 5.

(sources: Ming Pao, Po Lin Monastery Website)

◆Tian Tan Buddha is one of photographers' favourite spots. This is an award-winning photograph in a photo contest organised by National Geographic Chinese web (國家地理中文網).(see the photo.)

■ English highway﹕ symbolise

To symbolise something is to be a symbol of something.

e.g. The flag of Hong Kong symbolises our city.

■ Game 1

MoMo has to climb up a steep slope to reach the Big Buddha. Find the value of a indicated in the diagram.

■ Game 2

Fill in the blanks with the correct forms of the words provided.

serenity / grow / crop / practice / bush

A man who heads a monastery or an abbey is an abbot. Sik Jing Yin (釋淨因) is the eighth Abbot of Po Lin Monastery. In 1906, three Buddhist monks who had came from the mainland to Hong Kong set up a site for their 1. _________. At first, they had 2. _______ cleared and a small stone house built. Many monks were attracted to the place by its 3. _________. Together, they built a hut and 4. _______ 5. _______ for food. In 1924, Master Ji Xiu (紀修襌師) was asked to serve as the first Abbot and he named the hut Po Lin Monastery.

(Answers on next text)

■ Glossary

monastery (n) 修道院、寺院

Buddhist (n) 佛教的

prosperity (n) 繁榮

abbot (n) 男修道院院長、方丈