The Tian Tan Buddha Statue

Scientific Words: Blue

The scientific words are highlighted in Blue

Impersonal Words: Purple

The impersonal words are highlighted in Purple

Everyday Words: Yellow

The everyday words are highlighted in Yellow

The Tian Tan Buddha is the world's largest, outdoor, bronze statue of Buddha. It is located at Ngong Ping, Lantau Island, in the city of Hong Kong The statue is near Po Lin Monastery and symbolises the harmonious relationship between man and nature, people and religion. The statue is named after the Temple of Heaven in Beijing (Tian Tan). It is one of the five large Buddha statues in China.

The Buddha is 34 metres (112 ft) tall and weighs 250 metric tons (280 short tons). Construction of the Tian Tan Buddha began in 1990 and was finished on December 29, 1993. The statue is made out of 202 separate pieces of bronze. Inside the statue is a steel framework to support the heavy load. Gold was used for the face, portraying the beauty and solemnity of the Buddha.

The Tian Tan Buddha Statue is positioned on a lotus throne, surrounded by six bronze statues kneeling in dancing postures.They are known as the Six Devas and hold offerings of flowers, incense, a lamp, ointment, fruit and music to express her tribute to the Buddha. The offerings also symbolise charity, morality, patience, zeal, meditation and wisdom. To reach the statue, visitors have to climb 240 steps, although there is a small road for vehicles to accommodate handicapped people.

The Buddha statue's right hand is raised. This represents the removal of affliction. The left hand is resting on his knee, which signifies human happiness. One interesting difference from other statues of Buddha around the world is that this statue faces north, while most Buddha statues face south.

There is also a carved bell inscribed with images of Buddha in the showroom. It was designed to ring every seven minutes, 108 times a day, symbolising the release of 108 kinds of human vexations (vexatious are things that cause annoyance, frustration, or worry).

The Tian Tan Buddha is considered the major centre for Buddhism in Hong Kong. It is also a major tourist attraction for the region. Many people say that The Tian Tan Buddha Statue has a quiet calming power and is an escape from the hustle and bustle of busy Hong Kong.

Today Mele, Fraidon and I were working on an information report about the Tian Tan Buddha Statue. We had to highlight the impersonal, everyday and scientific words. We leanrt about the words used in an Information Report.