With its serene gardens, pretty courtyards, exquisite cedar halls, religious monuments and gilded statues spread across an area of more than three hectares, Chi Lin Nunnery is an enchanting retreat a world away from the noise and bustle of the rest of Hong Kong.
The temple complex dates back to the 1930s when it was first established as a retreat for Buddhist nuns. However, it has developed through the years and been used for a variety of purposes, including as a school for underprivileged children, an orphanage and a homeless shelter.
It was renovated in the 1990s, with wooden buildings constructed according to the Tang Dynasty’s architectural techniques used over 1000 years ago, which used no nails or screws. Instead, the thousands of planks of yellow cedar were held together with interlocking systems that were cut into the timber.
Enter the complex by walking through the Shanmen mountain gate and into the first courtyard. Here you’ll find a serene setting with lotus ponds, bonsai trees and rockeries, as well as the Hall of Celestial Kings at the other end of the courtyard. Inside the hall, there’s a statue of Buddha as well as the Celestial Kings located at each corner.
Just off the smaller second courtyard you’ll find the imposing main hall, made of 28 tall cedar columns holding up a roof of some 28,000 clay tiles. On the inside, there are five gilded Buddha statues, at the centre of which is the founder of Buddhism in India Buddha Sakyamuni, also known as ‘the Enlightened One’.
Chi Lin is an ideal location to enjoy a tranquil breather away from the rest of the city, and the perfect spot for a solitary walk and a moment’s reflection. Located at the foot of Diamond Hill in the north of Kowloon, Chi Lin Nunnery can be reached easily on foot from Diamond Hill MTR station, from which you’ll find the way visibly signposted. It is open daily and free to enter, but bear in mind that photography is not permitted.
