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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 29, 1981
BUDDHA STATUE EARTH-BREAKING CEREMONY
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THE REGIONAL SECRETARY (NEW TERRITORIES), MR IAN MACPHERSON, OFFICIATED AT THE EARTH-BREAKING CEREMONY FOR CONSTRUCTION OF SOUTH-EAST ASIA'S TALLEST BUDDHA STATUE ON LANTAU ISLAND TODAY (TUESDAY).
THE STATUE WILL RISE MORE THAN 35 METRES (ABOUT 110 FEET) ABOVE THE NGONG PING PLATEAU OVERLOOKING PO LIN MONASTERY.
+I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT VISITORS WILL COME FROM FAR AND WIDE TO MARVEL AT IT AND TO ENJOY THE SURROUNDING PLEASURE GARDEN,+ MR MACPHERSON SAID.
+THE PO LIN MONASTERY WAS FOUNDED ABOUT 100 YEARS AGO AND IS A FAVOURITE PLACE FOR LOCAL BUDDHISTS TO WORSHIP.
+THE MONASTERY HAS IN RECENT YEARS TAKEN AN ACTIVE INTEREST IN COMMUNITY WORK AND EVENTS, A SIGNIFICANT EXAMPLE IS THE RUNNING OF THE BUDDHIST FAT HO MEMORIAL COLLEGE IN TAI 0,+ HE SAID.
THERE WERE TWO MAIN REASONS WHY PEOPLE CAME TO PO LIN MONASTERY, HE SAID.
ON THE ONE HAND THERE WAS THE RELIGIOUS INSPIRATION WHICH HAD MADE IT A FAVOURITE PLACE FOR WORSHIP AND CONTEMPLATION ON THE OTHER HAND THERE WAS THE COOL AND PLEASANT COUNTRYSIDE WITH ITS MANY THINGS TO SEE AND DO.
+THESE TWO SIDES TO THE CHARACTER OF THE MONASTERY WILL BE EPITOMISED IN THE STATUE WHICH WILL FILL A DUAL ROLE OF RELIGIOUS MONUMENT AND TOURIST ATTRACTION, MR MACPHERSON SAID.
HE SAID, IN CONCEIVING AND PLANNING THE STATUE, THE DIRECTORS OF THE PO LIN MONASTERY AND THE ORGANISING COMMITTEE HAD DISPLAYED THE IMAGINATION AND THE ENTERPRISE FOR WHICH HONG KONG WAS FAMOUS.
THE STATUE, WITH A BASE DIAMETER OF 52 METRES (ABOUT 170 FEET), WILL COST MORE THAN $20 MILLION TO BUILD AND BE COMPLETED IN FOUR OR FIVE YEARS. THE MONEY IS BEING CONTRIBUTED BY HONG KONG BUDDHISTS.
IT WILL BE MADE OF A REINFORCED CONCRETE FRAMEWORK AND COVERED WITH GRANITE.
IT WILL BE IN SITTING FORM ABOVE A THREE-STOREY CHINESE-STYLE ALTAR WITH A 92-METRE (ABOUT 300 FEET) BASE DIAMETER.
THE PROJECT INCLUDES CONSTRUCTION OF A SURROUNDING PLEASURE GARDEN AND OTHER LANDSCAPING, OCCUPYING A TOTAL AREA OF ABOUT 7 000 SQUARE METRES.
STEPS WILL BE PROVIDED UP TO THE BASE OF THE STATUE.
BEFORE THE START OF TODAY'S CEREMONY, A PRAYER AND WATER SPRINKLING CEREMONY WAS HELD BY THE REVERENDS OF THE MONASTERY.
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