"If we are sincere about building our temple, we will carry on with our pursuit as our hearts wish," he said.
Besides a monastic hall and a martial arts institution, the plan of the new temple includes a Shaolin garden and a heritage museum.
Abbot Shi Yongxin, director of the Shaolin Temple, who has been criticized for commercializing Buddism, said Shaolin has an "enormous influence across the globe".
According to Hong Kong's Travel Industry Council, the new temple may turn out to be a major tourist spot for visitors.
"A Shaolin Temple in Hong Kong will be more attractive than a temple overseas, as it is a Chinese city, which inherits the tradition," said Joseph Tung Yao-chung, the executive director of the council.
The Hong Kong Home Affairs Bureau said it was studying the land application submitted by the Buddhist group in detail.
Temple officials said it was up to the bureau to decide the location for the temple.
Meanwhile, the Shaolin group declared it had withdrawn from the Hong Kong Shaolin Wushu Culture Center, set up by the Hong Kong Culture Association Charitable Foundation, which launched martial arts classes in the city in 2006.
-- (China Daily, Feb 24, 2009)
