Breathtakingly beautiful
In this most enchanting Chinese garden, it seems as if the trees, rocks, and lakes have been there for centuries. Wherever you look, new visual angles open up, and the optical balance of the Golden Pavilion casts an almost magical spell. The Lunar Reflection Terrace is a great place to meditate and watch the koi carp (no feeding allowed), and the orange bridge with its reflection in the water becomes a full circle, the Chinese symbol of heaven. In this park not a blade of grass has been left to chance. With skilfully set sightlines, soundproof walls, and the rushing of water from an attractive man-made waterfall, you can forget that you are surrounded by a megacity.
The Nan Lian Garden was in fact only created between 2003 and 2006, as a complement to the Chi Lin Nunnery, which, although established in 1934 did not reach its current size until 1998. Critics complain that the nunnery and garden are neither old nor authentic. However, these sights are far from cheap tourist attractions; they are well-crafted complexes and gardens in a class of their own, that nowadays is hard to replicate.
Info
Address 60 Fung Tak Road, Diamond Hill, Kowloon | Public Transport MTR Kwun Tong Line (green), Diamond Hill Station, Exit C1, then a 400 metre walk | Hours Daily: 7am-9pm| Tip Just around the corner you will find the Po Kong Village Road Park that offers a great variety of leisure facilities, including an elevated cycling track, one kilometre in length.
The creation of the Nan Lian Garden is based on an old plan of the Jiangshouju Garden in Shanxi Province from the time of the Tang Dynasty (618-907 a.d.), which is considered the heyday of Chinese arts and culture. With growing prosperity, due to a lively trade with India and the Arab countries, where spices and ivory were exchanged against silk and porcelain, the art of horticulture finally entered private gardens. Japanese zen-gardening also originates from this period.
The main goal of this serene and peaceful garden was to achieve perfect harmony. To grant visitors an undisturbed view of the park’s beauty, the park rules state that no one in “costumes,” like wedding dresses or graduates in academic gowns, is allowed to hold photo sessions at this location.
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