What is the Ngong Ping Cable Car?
The Ngong Ping is a gondola cable car that travels 5.7km between Tung Chung Town Centre and Ngong Ping Village on Lantau Island. The journey takes around 25 minutes. Each car carries up to seventeen people, with seats for ten, you may request to only board a car with seats available.
The cable car offers outstanding views over the lush greenery of Lantau as well as the glimmering South China Sea. The views really are stunning and offer a unique opportunity to grab a bird eye’s view of Hong Kong’s often overlooked green jungle.
At the Ngong Ping Village you’ll find one of Hong Kong’s most impressive attractions, a giant bronze statue of Buddha nestled amongst the trees. Part of the Po Lin Monastery complex, the Tian Tan Buddha stands at a towering 110ft and weighs in at over 200 tons, making it one of the five biggest Buddha statues in the world. It’s truly a jaw dropping scene.
The terminal where the cable car docks, known as Ngong Ping village is less enjoyable and more a cynical attempt to part visitors from their cash than anything else. It’s supposed to be a cultural themed village, with a tea house, theatre, but is mostly just a collection of shops, although the street entertainers are a hit with the kids.
How Much Does the Ngong Ping Cost?
A round trip on the cable car costs HK$96 and HK$48 for children up to 11. A package deal, which includes entrance to the attractions at the Ngong Ping Village (remember the Tian Tan Buddha is free) costs HK$159 and HK$80 respectively.What About All of the Problems with the Ngong Ping I have Heard About?
The Ngong Ping has had repeated problems since its launch. During the cable car’s test run, 109 full cabins were stranded for three hours after a slight collision between two cars. More seriously, in June 2007, one of the cars fell from the ropeway, although it’s important to note that this was during extreme testing and no one was inside the car. Since the MTR Corporation took over the running of the system there have been no major incidents.A continuing problem continues to be high winds, which have caused a number of cancellations and stoppages. If a windy day is forecast, you may want to ring ahead and check if the cable car is operating or simply wait for another day.
