Nan Lian Garden, Diamond Hill Kowloon HK

A short walk away from the Chi Lin Nunnery is a greenery gem in the midst of Hong Kong's urban hustle and bustle known as the Nan Lian garden. It covers an area of 35,000 sqm, commissioned in July 2003 and formally opened to the public in November 2006.

The design of the Nan Lian Garden was based on the Jiangshouju Garden in the Shanxi province of China during the Tang dynasty. The garden follows the rules of a traditional Chinese landscape gardening techniques. 

The Garden is in a half moon shape and situated south of the Lotus Pond of the Chi Lin Nunnery.

It is adorned with springs, hillocks, trees, flowers and plants, pavilions, winding paths and bridges.

The aim was to create in this limited space, a landscape garden with natural beautiful scenes in miniature.

There are more than 60 different species of plants in the garden, chosen under the principle of "suitable time and suitable place".

The Xiang Hai Xuan situated in the south of the Garden is a multi purpose exhibition venue. The corridors outside the hall form a typical Chinese rectangular courtyard.

During our visit, there was an exhibit of bonsai like trees and rare rock formations.

The Garden features all kinds of classical timber structures, such as various types of pavilions, terrances and bridges, a study as well as a shadow wall and stone lamps.

The Pavilion of Absolute Perfection is situated in the center of the Lotus Pond

The vermillion colored Zi-Wu bridges are erected at its northern and southern sides

An octagonal shaped timber structure

There are eight old pine trees around the pavilion.

The Chinese Timber Architecture Gallery houses scaled models of existing Tang, Liao and Jin dynasties timber structures and scaled models of bracket of Tang, Sung, Ming and Qing dynasties.

Brackets used to construct the timber structures without the use

of any nails.

 Miniature of the Taihe Hall, Imperial Palace Beijing China

Pagoda of Sakyamuni Buddha, Shanxi Province China
Built during the Liao Dynasty (AD 1056)

Main hall of the Chi Lin Nunnery (1997)

Nan Lian Garden is designed and built in an ancient Tang style to faciliate a one-way circular walk through the garden. It is open daily from 07:00 AM to 09:00 PM. Free entrance.

A lovely way to spend a cold February (8, 2025) Saturday. Soaking in nature, enjoying the scenery and breathing in clean, fresh air. =)

Chi Lin Nunnery, Diamond Hill Kowloon

When the 'ber' months roll in, I most especially miss our annual Yuletide season vacations in Hong Kong with my late parents. Much cherished memories of the good old days.

 

I returned to HK with my sister after being away for 6 long years. A lot happened in that span of 6 years. The pandemic. Mommy got sick with cancer and passed away in March 2021. I got diagnosed with hyperthyroidism (Graves disease) April 2021. We lost Dad in June 2021 after he tragically fell down from a flight of stairs.  Menopause happened in July 2021. In March 2023, I had a radical hysterectomy. Lastly, I hate to finally admit it but my marriage was on the rocks.  

Grieving, dealing with a medical condition and everything in between  - it was a terrible period in my life. So January 03, 2025, I took a much welcome break and stayed with my sister in Hong Kong for about a month or so.  

Little did I know that it was going to get much worse but I would spare you all the nitty gritty details of my sob story. Suffice to say, spending cold wintry days in Hong Kong with the only family I had left, it somehow eased the blow of experiencing one of the most traumatic events in my entire life. 

I've been to all the ubiquitous attractions in Hong Kong, so I did more research to find new destinations to explore. The Chi Lin Nunnery and the adjacent Nan Liang Garden were on my bucket list of places to visit in Hong Kong for some time now.  =)

6 years of research later, a long MRT ride to alight at the Diamond Hill MRT station. Up the escalator, you get to the Plaza Hollywood Mall, a nearly 30 year old shopping mall. You walk a few minutes using google maps to guide you and you finally set foot at the Chi Lin Nunnery. 

A large Buddhist temple complex located in Diamond Hill, Kowloon. It was founded in 1934 as a retreat for Buddhist nuns. In 1998, it underwent massive renovation to preserve its historical and cultural legacy and was formally opened to the public in 2000.

The temple uses the traditional Tang Dynasty architecture. The structures are constructed with cypress wood, a highly durable and element-resistant wood found in Asia, Europe and North America. Currently, it is largest handmade wooden building in the world. It was constructed without the use of ANY nails. This type of Chinese architecture uses techniques special interlocking systems cut into the wood to hold them in place. 

The 33,000 square meters complex has 3 courtyards (the main, inner and open courtyard) 6 wooden halls, lotus ponds, a library, a school, a pagoda, bell tower and a drum tower. The main areas open to the public are the Lotus Pond Garden and the Hall of Celestial Kings which houses a gigantic golden Buddha guarded by four deities at each corner of the hall.  Many devotees come to worship so out of deference, we don't take pictures of them.

During our visit, there was a bonsai and fine stone exhibition. It added more charm to the already calm and serene surroundings. In 2018, a second renovation added some small spotlights and LED lighting on the ground, the roof and the stairs. It further enhanced the spiritual atmosphere of the huge complex which is open from 09:00 AM to 04:30 PM, daily.

A very well spent, cold February afternoon. Inspired and awed by such calm surroundings. A  fine contrast between tranquil nature and modernity with the skyscrapers of Kowloon looming in the distance. Best of all, it was FREE admission!

Jim Thompson House & Museum, Bangkok Thailand

The last time, I visited Thailand (Bangkok, specifically) was in 2004. My impression of Bangkok has always been that it is a really warm, humid and hot city with tasty cuisine (food is mostly spicy), a rich history and its genteel people are hospitable yet are not fluent in English. Oh before I forget, Bangkok is also known for its terrible traffic jams. 

21 years later, perfect opportunity presented itself when sister dearest had to attend a trade fair in Bangkok, Thailand. After her work was done, she extended her stay and I joined her on April 26, 2025, a Saturday. 

Yes, Thailand being a tropical country simmers during summers. But there are a lot of greenery, so the heat level is tolerable. In fact, I was surprised it wasn’t as hot as I expected it to be. Food was delicious, as expected and I like how you can actually ask them for non spicy version of their dishes and it was still flavorful! 

We stayed at the Novotel Bangkok in Siam which is centrally located in the shopping district. Quite accessible to the BTS and MRT stations. Walking distance to several commercial establishments.

The next day, April 27 Sunday after a hearty buffet breakfast at the hotel, we booked a Grab ride to take us to the Jim Thompson House and Museum. Located just a few kilometers from our hotel but it would entail a bit of a walk from the BTS station as it is located in a residential area of Bangkok.

Jim Thompson was an American architect born in Delaware in 1906. Prior to World War II, he volunteered for service in the U.S. Army and was later sent to Asia. However the war ended before he saw action. As a military officer, he was assigned to Bangkok and fell in love with the place. After leaving the service, he lived in the Thai capital permanently.

Jim Thompson devoted himself to reviving the craft of the hand weaving of silk. A long neglected cottage industry, Thompson as a highly gifted designer and expert in textiles contributed substantially to the worldwide recognition of Thai silk.

There is a tour of the house with a guide who will show you around the vast premises. A 30 - 40 minutes tour which is held daily and done with a small group of visitors. We took the 12:20 PM tour.

The construction of the house combined six teak buildings which represented the best in traditional Thai architecture. He adhered to the customs of the early builders. The houses were elevated a full story above the ground to avoid flooding during the rainy season.

The roof tiles were fired in Ayudhya, a design common centuries ago. The red paint on the outside walls is a preservative often found on many old Thai buildings.

All the traditional religious rituals were followed during the construction of the house and on a spring day in 1959, decreed as auspicious by astrologers, Jim Thompson moved in.

He decided to open his home to the public to showcase his art collection and his silk designs. Proceeds are donated to Thai charities and to projects devoted to the preservation of Thailand’s rich cultural heritage.

On March 26 in 1967, Jim Thompson disappeared while on a visit to the Cameron Highlands in Malaysia. It remains one of the most unresolved disappearances in history.

Jim Thompson resorts wear are a luxury brand which features high quality Thai silk fabrics.

In 1976, the Thai court-appointed administrator for the property of Jim Thompson received permission from the government ministries to legally establish the James H W Thompson Foundation. The foundation is committed to the preservation of Thailand’s rich artistic and cultural heritage by a wide variety of research, publications and seminar projects.

After you are done exploring the house and museum, you can avail of the golf cart service that will take you to the main street, near exit 1 of the BTS National Stadium Station.