I find serenity wherever I go. In the hustle and bustle of city life, there's still a piece of pure calmness and soulful paradise.
A pond... A rock formation... A waterfall... All that can be found in an oasis of pure joy; a magnificent city garden.
A bustling megacity like Hong Kong isn't just about a magnificent and stunning skyline. It also boasts some of the most beautiful and refined traditional Chinese landscaped gardens.
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| The entrance of Nan Lian Garden |
In the busy area of Diamond Hill in Kowloon, Hong Kong is where I've found a peaceful ambiance of an ancient Tang dynasty-style complex; the Chi Lin Nunnery and the Nan Lian Garden.
That's a refined piece of ancient Chinese architecture brought back to life in Modern-day Hong Kong, with towering residential skyscrapers and a mountain range in a backdrop.
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| Nan Lian Gardens' Wooden Gate |
An entrance to the complex makes you feel welcomed with the garden's natural elements of lush greenery, ornamental rocks, and a wooden gate. That's a blissful and truly welcoming sight to behold.
Passing through the wooden gate leads you to one of the beautiful attractions: the golden pagoda with an attached red-wooden bridge. Colors that bring good luck and prosperity according to Chinese beliefs.
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| The Golden Pavilion/Pagoda |
A few steps from the Golden Pagoda is the Chi Lin Nunnery, a Buddhist temple converted into a school, library, and home for the elderly.
The Chi Lin Nunnery is an impressive Chinese architecture with a surrounding koi-filled pond. The wooden structure is a work of art from ancient times (618 AD to 907 AD), revived in modern times.
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| The Chi Lin Nunnery |
To better understand ancient Chinese architecture, I had a solemn moment inside the Chinese Timber Architecture Gallery. It's a place to discover the different Chinese architecture in other cities of China in a different period.
The Nan Lian Garden is a Tang Dynasty-inspired garden built in modern times. It's reminiscent of old but refined Chinese architecture with a balance element of nature.
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| The Chi Lin Nunnery |
The garden's tranquil ambiance offers visitors a great sense of peace and rejuvenation. It's not just a typical Chinese garden, but it's filled with learning about the Chinese way of living back in the old days -- the earliest civilization.
Heritage and culture must be preserved for the world to see and experience. The Nan Lian Garden is not a typical attraction; it has an old soul Chinese ambiance in a modern setting -- teleported back in time.
©️ 2020 Del Cusay
