Chi Lin Nunnery

It was raining in Hong Kong; another cool, misty morning in "Asia's World City". Whereas Macau had presented itself in various smoggy shades of greens and browns, Hong Kong tended towards the blue and grey of a super dense, modern, and vertical city.

the main hall of Hong Kong's Chi Lin Nunnery

We had taken the city bus to a neighborhood called Diamond Hill in eastern Kowloon, searching for the little-seen spiritual side of Hong Kong. Today encircled by skyscrapers, the beautiful grounds and gardens of the Chi Lin Nunnery provide a verdant respite from the surrounding steel and concrete.

a misty grey morning at Diamond Hill

The Chi Lin Nunnery may look ancient, but it actually dates back to the 1930s. What makes it so special, though, is its architecture. The temple complex is designed in the style of the Tang Dynasty (618-907), and was constructed without the use of a single nail, bolt, or any other piece of metal. The entire temple is built using only exquisite and complex carpentry!

the main temple hall

It was cool and drizzly when we arrived, but the temple was abuzz with activity. Tourists and Buddhist devotees alike had flocked to visit the nunnery, though despite the activity it never felt crowded.

the doors to the temple hall

Photos were not permitted inside the temple hall, but we were able to walk through to see the shrines and the incredible golden statues of the Buddha and his disciples, as well as the popular goddess Guanyin, the Bodhisattva of Mercy.

Chi Lin Nunnery was designed using Tang Dynasty architectural techniques, and doesn't use a single nail.

The temple is stunning, but equally stunning are the Nan Lian Gardens, which the nuns maintain. The gardens sit just adjacent to the temple complex, and are one of the most surprisingly beautiful spots in Hong Kong. Somehow, it's hard to imagine that such a beautiful natural and spiritual site can be situated withing the crowded city.

the Nan Lian Gardens are a fine example of Chinese "borrowed scenery"

The rain was beginning to grow heavier as we stepped into the garden, so we first ducked into a small wooden building on the garden grounds to get out of the rain. We didn't know what it was at first, but the warm dry room was actually the "Rockery", an indoor zen rock garden presented in the traditional Chinese style.

the zen rockery

Zen gardens are meant to "display the essence of nature", and constructing or viewing one is supposed to be used as an aid to meditation. It's also one of Asia's great classical spiritual arts.

an exhibit inside the rockery

I did find the rockery oddly calming. Maybe it was just that it offered a welcome escape from the cold rain, but I quite enjoyed the relaxing atmosphere as I walked through the narrow hallway admiring the rock garden presentations.

a small zen garden

The Nan Lian Gardens are considered one of the world's finest examples of a Chinese garden. A Chinese garden isn't just a garden that's located in China! In fact, a Chinese garden is an artistic masterpiece that is steeped in centuries of tradition.

walking through the gardens

Chinese gardens utilize the surrounding scenery in a process called "borrowed scenery". Instead of bulldozing or re-building the garden from scratch, a Chinese garden takes what is already present in the landscape, and adds to it, making sure not to change the essence of what was already there.

Who would guess we were in the heart of one of the world's biggest cities?

Walking through a Chinese garden on the precisely laid-out route is supposed to be like reading a scroll; the scenery unfurls around you as you walk through the winding path. With each turn, something beautiful and delightful is presented that had been previously hidden behind the natural scenery.

golden pagoda at the garden

a little cold and rainy at the garden