How to Visit Tai Wo Thai Temple and Its Abandoned Treehouse
Contents
- Essential Information
- About Tai Wo Thai Temple
- Google Route Map and GPX File
- How to Get There
- The Front Portion of Tai Wo Temple
- The Secret Abandoned Treehouse
- Getting Back
Essential Information About Tai Wo Thai Temple
Address: Tai Wo Temple (Tai Wo Thai Temple/Wat Makthumvanaram), Shek Kwu Lung Village, Tai Wo
Chinese Address: 石鼓壟露天停車場 (You can show this to a taxi driver to get to the Shek Kwu Lung Village car park. Check the "How to Get There" section of the guide for instructions on how to get there from the car park. It's just under 10 minutes to the temple from the car park)
Opening Hours: 7am - 5pm daily (According to Google)
About Tai Wo Thai Temple
Tai Wo Thai Temple (also known as Wat Tai Wo and Wat Mekthumvanaram), is a beautiful and authentic Thai Buddhist temple situated on a hill in the jungle beside the more developed section of Tai Wo. Because of its solitude, the temple offers a serene and calming atmosphere.
The temple is known for its warm hospitality, and visitors are often offered something to drink by the monks. In my case, I was given a bottle of water. The monk refused payment or even a donation.
Supposedly, Tai Wo Thai Temple has received praise from the Thai Royal family for the challenging task of bringing materials into the jungle to construct various structures (I cannot confirm this for certain).
The main chapel of the temple houses a large sitting Buddha, attracting visitors who come to pay their respects. In addition to the main Buddha statue, the temple complex includes a common kitchen, monk's quarters, and other buildings. The temple serves as a gathering place for Thai migrant workers and domestic helpers, who organize celebrations for important Thai festivals such as New Year's Day and Songkran.
A lot of foreigners make their own pilgrimage to Tai Wo Thai Temple because of the beauty of the abandoned treehouse situated just behind the main chapel.
Google Route Map and GPX File
How to Get There
- Getting to the Tai Wo Thai Temple takes about 20 - 25 minutes in total from Tai Wo Station. You'll want to leave through exit A and hang a left in the mall.
- Follow the green fence beside the Assembly Of God Hebron Secondary School and go across the reg bridge just beyond.
- Walk through Shek Kwu Lung Village and head to the village car park to the right.
- From there, you'll want to follow the path by the little stream and heed all signs that point toward the Thai Temple until you arrive!
The Front Portion of Tai Wo Temple
The first thing your eye will be drawn to when you enter Tai Wo Temple is the golden Buddha statue right in the center of the courtyard. Colorful flags guide the eye directly to where the main Buddha statue is. There are a pair of smaller statues flanking it to either side, too.
On the right, traditional white buildings house some smaller areas of worship and also serve as the living quarters for the monks. In addition, a kitchen is also situated within the white buildings to the right.
When visiting, it is likely that you'll see at least one monk present. While I was at the temple, I saw a single monk and a few volunteers having a chat together. They were very kind and friendly, offering warm greetings and fully trusting me to explore the temple on my own without any supervision.
The Secret Abandoned Treehouse
While I instantly fell in love with the bright flags, traditional architecture and golden statues of the main temple, the hidden treehouse really took my breath away.
Nestled beside the serenity of Tai Wo Thai temple, the treehouse casts an air of mystery and intrigue. It stands proudly, overlooking the gentle flow of the nearby river as if guarding its secrets.
A majestic tree grows right beside the treehouse, its roots clinging tightly to a massive boulder for support as its branches fan out to shade the treehouse and river. I've explored abandoned villages and even been to The Sea Ranch, an abandoned 70s luxury property, but something about the simplicity and beauty of the abandoned treehouse really spoke to my soul.
Traversing down the little path behind it to the stream, I took some time to sit and appreciate the view- perhaps entering into some form of light meditation. The gentle babbling of the stream and the soft swaying of the branches made me feel as if this little pocket beauty was specifically created to blot out the harsh demands of Hong Kong city life.
The only reason I moved was because the mosquitos decided I was a pretty delicious snack that day!
Getting Back
Retrace your steps back to Tai Wo MTR Station.
