I find serenity wherever I go. In a hustle and bustle of a 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 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 a 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 wooden gate. That's a blissful and truly a welcoming sight to behold.
Passing through the wooden gate leads you to one of the wonderful attractions which is 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 |
Few steps aways from the Golden pagoda is the Chi Lin Nunnery which is a Buddhist temple, converted into a school, a library and a home for the elderly.
The Chi Lin Nunnery is an impressive Chinese architecture with a surrounding koi-filled pond. The wooden structure is truly a work of art back during old civilization times (618 AD to 907 AD), revived in the modern times.
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The Chi Lin Nunnery |
To have a better understanding of 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 different cities of China, in a different period of time.
The Nan Lian Garden is a Tang Dynasty-inspired garden built in the modern times. It's a reminiscent of old but refined Chinese architecture with a balance elements of the nature.
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The Chi Lin Nunnery |
The garden's tranquil ambiance offers a great sense of peace and rejuvenation to any visitor. It's not just a typical Chinese garden, bit it's filled with learning about the Chinese way of living back in the old days -- the earliest civilization.
Heritage and culture must really 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 modern setting -- teleported back in time.
©️ 2020 Del Cusay