Buddha and the Mouse

Twenty years ago, a community of faithful Buddhists pooled their resources and built the Tian Tan Buddha on Lantau Island here in Hong Kong. It is the largest, bronze, outdoor, sitting Buddha. (Apparently there is a larger Buddha sitting indoors somewhere?)

It sits on top of a mountain next to a Buddhist monastery. For twenty years, the faithful made pilgrimages to the Big Buddha. So far, so good.And then came the Disney-ification of Buddha. Some enterprising soles just could not pass up the opportunity to cash in. First came the massive cable car that takes tourist on a twenty-five minute ride over mountains, valleys, and ocean on its way up the peak. Not surprisingly, you alight from your cable car directly into a gift shop.

It is then a ten-minute walk to the base of the Big Buddha. Along this route, the developers of the cable car have built a “themed village.” It is a direct take-off of Main Street in Disney World. But, instead of clapboard siding, green shutters, and wrought iron railings; it was built in the traditional Chinese style complete with circular moon gates and ceramic roof tiles. The two dozen shops that make up the “village” are almost entirely souvenir shops and restaurants. For an extra $5.00, you can go to the “The Monkey’s Tale” theater and watch a Disney-like movie based on a Chinese folktale. Across the cobble-stone street is a second theater that houses a “multi-media experience” that tells the story of Siddhartha the Indian prince who became the first Buddha 2500 years ago.

Out front of The Buddha Experience is a Bodhi tree like the one under which Buddha first achieved enlightenment. This one is made from plastic though and has rubber fruit hanging from it. Under the plastic bodhi tree is a wooden rack with pegs sticking out from it. Hanging from the wooden pegs are thin wooden boards on which the faithful have written prayers and submitted to the bodhi tree.

And where can you buy one of these wooden prayer boards? You can’t. They come to you free if you spent US$25 or more in any of the gift shops.Now all we need to do is get Buddha a fast-talking, wise-cracking side kick and he will be all set.