XN000022-1981-12-22 — Page 9

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1981

8

TALLEST BUDDHA STATUE TO BE BUILT ON LANTA

*****

SOUTH-EAST ASIA'S TALLEST STATUE OF BUDDHA WILL BE BUILT 0- A HILL ON LANTAU ISLAND.

THE STATUE, MORE THAN 33 METRES (ABOUT 110 FEET) HIGH, WILL OVERLOOK THE POLIN MONASTERY AT NGONG PING, WHICH HAS PLANNED THE PROJECT FOR SEVERAL YEARS.

IT WILL COST MORE THAN $20 MILLION TO BUILD AND BE COMPLETED IN THREE TO FOUR YEARS. THE MONEY IS BEING PROVIDED BY HONG KONG BUDDHISTS.

THE EARTH-BREAKING CEREMONY FOR THE PROJECT WILL TAKE PLACE ON DECEMBER 29 AND BE PERFORMED BY THE REGIONAL SECRETARY FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES, MR IAN MACPHERSON.

THE STATUE WILL HAVE A BASE DIAMETER OF ABOUT 52 METRES (ABOUT 170 FEET). IT WILL BE IN A SITTING FORM ON A THREE-STOREY CHINESE-STYLE ALTAR WHICH WILL HAVE A BASE DIAMETER OF 92 METRES (ABOUT 300 FEET).

THE STATUE WILL BE MADE OF A REINFORCED CONCRETE FRAMEWORK AND COVERED WITH GRANITE.

THE PROJECT INCLUDES A PLEASURE GARDEN AND LANDSCAPING.

STEPS WILL BE PROVIDED UP TO THE BASE OF THE STATUE.

TAI PO LUNAR NEW YEAR FAIR STALLS ****

SIXTY OUT OF 100 STALL SITES FOR THE FORTHCOMING TAI PO LUNAR NEW YEAR FAIR WERE TAKEN UP AT A PUBLIC AUCTION TODAY (TUESDAY).

MOST OF THE SITES WERE TAKEN UP AT ABOVE THE UPSET PRICE, SAID A SPOKESMAN FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES SERVICES DEPARTMENT.

THE HIGHEST PRICE FOR A SITE SELLING FLOWERS WAS $250, COMPARED WITH THE UPSET PRICE OF $50.

THE AUCTION, ORGANISED BY THE TAI PO URBAN SERVICES OFFICE, WAS HELD AT THE OFFICE OF THE TAI PO RURAL COMMITTEE.

THE REMAINING 40 STALL SITES WILL BE OFFERED FOR HIRE TO TRADERS FROM TOMORROW (WEDNESDAY) ON A FIRST-COME-FIRST-SERVED BASIS, TRADERS SHOULD CONTACT THE TAI PO URBAN SERVICES OFFICE AT TAI PO GOVERNMENT OFFICES BUILDING, FOURTH FLOOR, TING KOK ROAD.

THE TAI PO LUNAR NEW YEAR FAIR WILL BE HELD AT THE TAI PO PLAYGROUND AT HEUNG SZE WUI ROAD BETWEEN JANUARY 18 AND 25 NEXT YEAR.