The golden Pavilion of Absolute Perfection and red bridge over a pond in Nan Lian Garden, with hills and tower blocks behind

Religious site · Diamond Hill, Kowloon

Chi Lin Nunnery & Nan Lian Garden

Tang dynasty-style Buddhist nunnery of timber halls and a classical Chinese garden in Diamond Hill

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Ambient sound · similar settingBuddhist temple bell tolling at Chōmei-ji

Photo: Sergio Guardiola Herrador (@guardiola86) / Unsplash

Discover Chi Lin Nunnery & Nan Lian Garden

Chi Lin Nunnery and Nan Lian Garden offer a calm counterpoint to the high-rise estates of Diamond Hill. The nunnery's timber halls, with their sweeping grey roofs, sit around courtyards of lotus ponds and potted bonsai, while across a footbridge Nan Lian Garden unfolds as a landscaped classical garden of rocks, pines, water and wooden pavilions.

Both were designed in the style of the Tang dynasty. The nunnery is an active Buddhist community, so visitors are asked to keep quiet in the halls, and the garden invites unhurried walks around its lake to the golden Pavilion of Absolute Perfection and the bright red bridge that leads to it. A vegetarian restaurant and teahouse make it easy to spend a relaxed half day here.

Don’t miss

01The Hall of Celestial Kings with its golden Buddha statue and guardian deities
02Lotus pond courtyards and bonsai collections in front of the main halls
03Timber halls built with interlocking joints and no nails, in Tang dynasty style
04The golden Pavilion of Absolute Perfection and its red bridge in Nan Lian Garden
05Koi ponds, ornamental rocks, pines and a waterfall around the garden's circular path
06The Chinese Timber Architecture Gallery and the Song Cha Xie teahouse in the garden

History & culture

The story of Chi Lin Nunnery & Nan Lian Garden

Chi Lin Nunnery was founded in 1934 as a retreat for Buddhist nuns. In the 1990s it was rebuilt in the architectural style of the Tang dynasty (AD 618-907), using interlocking timber joints carved into cypress wood rather than nails, and the redeveloped complex opened to the public in 2000. The complex includes several halls, a library, a school, a pagoda and bell and drum towers.

Nan Lian Garden, a joint project of the nunnery and the Hong Kong Government, opened on 14 November 2006. It is modelled on a Tang dynasty garden in Shanxi Province and follows classical principles in its arrangement of hills, water, rocks, trees and timber buildings.

Local life & traditions

Chi Lin is a working Buddhist community where nuns live, pray and run social services, including a school and elderly care. Local people come to pray, to walk in the garden in the early morning, and to enjoy the vegetarian cuisine. The garden is a popular retreat for residents of the surrounding estates, which makes weekday mornings especially peaceful.

Things to do

Experience it like a local

Start in Nan Lian Garden and follow the circular path around the lake past the Pavilion Bridge and the Pavilion of Absolute Perfection, pausing at the koi ponds and rock gardens. Visit the Chinese Timber Architecture Gallery to understand how the buildings were assembled without nails.

Cross the footbridge to Chi Lin Nunnery, walk through the lotus pond courtyards and enter the Hall of Celestial Kings quietly. Finish with a vegetarian meal at Chi Lin Vegetarian behind the waterfall, or tea at the garden's teahouse.

When to go

Morning visits are quieter and cooler, and the light on the golden pavilion is lovely in the late afternoon. October to April offers the most comfortable weather for walking in the garden; summer is hot and humid with frequent showers. The nunnery closes earlier than the garden, so visit it first if you arrive in the afternoon.

Plan your visit

Verified information

Chi Lin Nunnery hours: 9am to 4.30pm daily; Lotus Garden 7am to 7pm Source: en.chilin.org ↗
Nan Lian Garden hours: 7am to 9pm daily Source: en.chilin.org ↗
Weather closures: The nunnery closes under Typhoon Signal No. 3 or above or a Black Rainstorm Warning; Nan Lian Garden closes under Signal No. 8 or above Source: en.chilin.org ↗
Nearest MTR: Diamond Hill Station, Exit C2, about 5 minutes' walk Source: mtr.com.hk ↗
Visitor etiquette: Visitors are asked to stay silent and not to photograph the interior of the nunnery halls Source: discoverhongkong.com ↗
Addresses: Chi Lin Nunnery: 5 Chi Lin Drive, Diamond Hill; Nan Lian Garden: 60 Fung Tak Road, Diamond Hill Source: en.chilin.org ↗

Checked against the sources on 27 October 2026. Opening times and fees can change — confirm before you go.

Travel tips

Keep voices low and put cameras away inside the halls, as requested by the nunnery
Dress modestly with shoulders and knees covered as a mark of respect
Chi Lin Vegetarian serves meat-free food, a practical choice for Muslim and vegetarian travellers, though it is not halal-certified
Combine with Wong Tai Sin Temple, one MTR stop away
Bring an umbrella for sun or rain, as much of the garden is open

General guidance from our specialists, not official information.

Around Chi Lin Nunnery & Nan Lian Garden: food, markets & places to stay

Plaza Hollywood shopping centre sits above Diamond Hill MTR station with food courts and restaurants. Wong Tai Sin Temple is one stop west on the Kwun Tong Line, and Kai Tak and Kowloon City are a short taxi ride away. The Hong Kong Tourism Board's Muslim travel guide lists Islam Food, a Muslim-owned halal restaurant, in Kowloon City.