Ngong Ping (Chinese: 昂坪) is a highland in the western part of Lantau Island, Hong Kong. It hosts Po Lin Monastery and Tian Tan Buddha amidst the hills which is about 34 m tall. There are several hills nearby which are also an attraction to tourists. It is now the terminus of the cable car ride Ngong Ping 360 which travels to Tung Chung. New facilities and tourist attractions have opened including the Ngong Ping Village, Walking with the Buddha, the Monkey’s Tale Theatre and Ngong Ping Tea House. The second highest peak of Hong Kong, Lantau Peak, is at its southeast. I simply love this amazing NGONG PING 360 cableway
WHAT IS NGONG PING 360 ?
- Ngong Ping (Chinese: 昂坪) is a highland in the western part of Lantau Island, Hong Kong
- It hosts Po Lin Monastery and Tian Tan Buddha amidst the hills which is about 34 m tall
- There are several hills nearby which are also an attraction to tourists
- It is now the terminus of the cable car ride Ngong Ping 360 which travels to Tung Chung
- New facilities and tourist attractions have opened including the Ngong Ping Village, Walking with the Buddha, the Monkey’s Tale Theatre and Ngong Ping Tea House
- The second highest peak of Hong Kong, Lantau Peak, is at its southeast
- The Ngong Ping 360 is a gondola lift on Lantau Island with 360 Panoramic 360-degree view of the sky, land and sea scenaries and excisting things like ‘flying by passing aircrafts’, Lantau North country Park
NGONG PING 360 CABLE CAR SYSTEM
- A continuous circulating twin cable aerial ropeway system
- A bi-cable gondola detachable aerial ropeway system is one where the track cable acts as a rail in the sky and the haul cable pulls the cabins, allows long spans between towers
- Ngong Ping 360 (Chinese: 昂坪360) is a bicable gondola lift on Lantau Island in Hong Kong
- Intended to improve tourism to the area, the aerial lift was previously known as Tung Chung Cable Car Project before acquiring the Ngong Ping 360 brand in April 2005
- It consists of the Ngong Ping Cable Car, formerly known as the Ngong Ping 360 Skyrail, and the Ngong Ping Village, a retail and entertainment centre adjacent to the cable car’s upper station
- Ngong Ping 360 connects Tung Chung, on the north coast of Lantau and itself linked to central Hong Kong by the Tung Chung Line, with the Ngong Ping area in the hills above
- This is home to the Po Lin Monastery and the Tian Tan Buddha, both already significant tourist attractions in their own right
- Before Ngong Ping 360’s opening, the only access was via a mountain road and bus service
- The cable car journey offers a 25-minute aerial alternative to the current one-hour journey by Tung Chung Road, allowing visitors to glide across Tung Chung Bay and up to Lantau Island towards Ngong Ping Plateau
- During the 25-minute journey, travellers can see panoramic views over the North Lantau Country Park, the South China Sea, Hong Kong International Airport, the Tung Chung valley, Ngong Ping Plateau and surrounding terrain and waterways. As visitors approach Ngong Ping, they can see The Big Buddha and the Po Lin Monastery
NGONG PING 360
CABIN TYPES / LEVELS OF SERVICE
- Two levels of service based on different cabin designs, branded Standard Cabins and Crystal Cabins (using glass-bottom cabins)
- The Crystal Cabins are distinguished by their glass bottoms, and are charged at a premium rate
- Both sets of cabins circulate on the same cable, with passengers being segregated by queuing systems at both terminals
NGONG PING 360
OVERVIEW & OPERATION
- Location : Lantau Island
- Number of stations : 2/Termini : Tung Chung/Ngong Ping
- Angle Stations : The 5.7 km cableway changes direction twice at the two angle stations. Whilst the gondola cabins are temporarily detached from the cables at each angle station, there are no passenger loading or unloading facilities at these points
- Number of Towers : Eight towers including the stations
- Five of the towers : are located within the country park
- Line length : 5700 m
- Operating speed : 6 metres per second
- Trip duration : 25 min
- Carrier capacity : 109 cabins//3500 passengers per hour either way
- Open : 18 September : 2006
- Cabin Capacity : Maximum of 17 adult passengers per cabin (seating for 10 and standing room for another 7)
- Built by : Leitner Ropeways
- Operation Mode : 30-year franchise on a Build-Operate-Transfer
NGONG PING 360
DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION
- Designed by Aedas, also the architect of the project – the line uses a continuous circulating twin cable aerial ropeway system, technically described as a bicable gondola lift
- The Leitner Group was the contractor for the cable car system
- Between the Tung Chung and Ngong Ping Terminals, the 5.7 km cableway changes direction twice at the two angle stations, one on the south shore of Chek Lap Kok
- The other west of Nei Lak Shan within the Lantau North Country Park
- Whilst the gondola cabins are temporarily detached from the cables at each angle station, there are no passenger loading or unloading facilities at these points
- The cableway is supported by 8 towers
- The cabin has a modern design with seating for 10 and standing room for another 7
- It also incorporates features to meet the needs of disabled passengers, including elderly and wheelchair users
- The system has a capacity of 3500 people per hour in each direction
- The cableway and the cabins come from the Leitner Group
- A continuous circulating bi-cable aerial ropeway system, where the track cable acts as a rail in the sky and the haul cable pulls the cabins, allows long spans between towers
- It is the first of its type to be installed in Hong Kong
- Martin Leitner, chief sales officer of Leitner, explained that the cable car system used in Hong Kong is much heavier and bigger than that used in Austria
- He said the steel columns used to support the system have to be stronger, and thus more expensive
NGONG PING VILLAGE
- The Ngong Ping Village, built next to the Ngong Ping Cable Car Terminal, occupies a 15,000 square metre site and has been designed to mirror and uphold the cultural and spiritual veracity of the Ngong Ping area
- Traditional Chinese architectural designs are a feature of the Ngong Ping Village, which contains an assortment of shopping and dining experiences, on top of a number of key attractions including Walking with Buddha, the Monkey’s Tale Theatre and the Ngong Ping Tea House. Chinese New Year, Christmas and the three days of Buddha’s birthday are among the most crowded days
- Ngong Ping Village’s international cable car gallery has cable car replicas from various countries including China, Switzerland, Italy, Brazil, Austria, France, Italy, Germany etc
