The U-turn came just days after the reclusive monks went public with a news conference attacking the plan, saying they would not tolerate developers turning hallowed ground into a tourist trap.

"We felt there was a lot of opposition, so in this zoning proposal, there is no plan for a holiday resort," Donald Lam, senior information officer of the Planning Department, said last week.

The Po Lin Monastery owns the dazzling 250-tonne, 26-metre (85-foot) tall statue, which sits on a 520-metre (1,076 ft) peak. Every day hundreds of mainly Chinese tourists take buses to the site to pray and ask for good fortune.

The government blueprint also showed that about 30 food stalls which were to be built near the foot of the statue would be moved farther away to the site of a planned cable car station. The cable line will link the religious site to a nearby town.

Lam said the government had made a concession by moving the food stalls away from the statue, but they couldn't be done away with entirely.

"They are needed to support tourism," he said.

The government has, however, designated a recreation zone near the foot of the statue, which could be used in future as a park for picnickers or even as a holiday camp.

A shopping mall could also be part of the development.

The blueprint will be open to a two-month public consultation before details are finalised.

TOO MANY TOURISTS

The monks scored a stunning public relations success last week when they said hotels and eateries simply could not mix with their monastery and the HK$200 million (US$25.6 million) statue.

"Their karaoke at night will disturb us...if there's a swimming pool, Western guests do not know our culture. They will walk (in swimwear) everywhere. Won't it be a ghastly sight?" said Reverend Sik Chi-wai of the Po Lin Monastery.

The monastery and statue are set in one of the most tranquil spots on the island surrounded by tea plantations.

Struggling with a mature tourism industry, the government hopes to transform Lantau into a major tourist destination but is facing fierce opposition from many local residents and environmentalists.

The government awarded a HK$750 million contract last week to Hong Kong commuter railway operator MTR Corp to build a cable car link to the statue and related facilities around it.

It hopes easier assess will draw more visitors to the statue.

A Disney theme park is also planned for the island and is expected to be open by 2006.