Free entry and connected to Nan Lian Gardens by a Pedestrian overpass. The architecture and details are beautiful! This might be the prettiest place I've been to in Hong Kong, and is 2nd on my list for must see attractions (Big Buddha on Lantau is first). It's a wonderful place to escape the city and find a sense of calm. The flower ponds in front of the temple are wonderful to marvel at, the many bonsai trees and bits of green, then of course the many angles to view the beautiful buildings. There is so much to admire. No photos are allowed inside the temple, which is a great respect to the nuns and people attending for prayer and religious reasons. There are many statues of Buddha and a courtyard once you enter. Downstairs is a nice souvenir shop with jewelry, trinkets, refreshments, and more. This temple proved to be a very special visit, it exuded a level of peace that is hard to come by. read more

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What a beautiful escape in the middle of a bustling city! The bonsai trees and stones surrounding the temple are beautiful and the Lilly ponds full of such variety. Walking thru the temple with its dark wood structure brings forth elegance and blends with the nature around it. This is a perfect segway into the gardens adjacent when you leave. read more

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Chi Lin Nunnery is a beautiful and serene temple in the middle of the hustle and bustle of big city Hong Kong. Just take the train to the Diamond Hill train station and follow the signage. I was so impressed by how easy it was to find because of all of the signage around. In all it MAY have taken 5 minutes of walking from the train station to the Temple! Once you are in there, it is very beautifully manicured and maintained. Make it a point to see the Gold Buddha in the main building. I have seen my share of golden Buddhas in my travels and this one was one of the most impressive! Unfortunately, no pics of it are allowed. Connected to the Chi Lin Nunnery is the Nan Lien Gardens. You absolutely cannot leave without paying this area a visit as well! Oh and, by the way, both sites are absolutely free of charge! Nice little bonus there as well! When in Hong Kong you owe it to yourself to check this place out! 4 solid stars. read more

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One of the most peaceful and serene locations in HK, hands down! Are there crowds of locals and tourists, yes and no. Yes in the sense that you will see them, but the complex itself is pretty large, so you may be alone in most parts of it. I was hesitant to visit at first as I have seen my fair share of temples, but something about the vibe of Chi Lin Nunnery really moved me. Getting to the temple is quite simple, there is literally a MTR stop across the street, so as long as you are semi efficient with the MTR, you can easily access this wonderful location. I do not recall paying for anything, but you may leave tips in certain locations if you feel the need to. I will not touch on the gardens outside, as I will leave that for another review, but the temple complex is pristine, very clean and everything is quite manicured. As for a suggestion of how long to spend here, that really depends on you, but I'd suggest at least a few hours. read more

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One word: peaceful. A invigorating place to spend a day from the daily grind, daily hustle and bustle of life where visitors can intake the Nan Lian Garden, Buddhas, beautiful pagoda, clean grounds offer a good place to ponder thoughts and self-reflection or meditation. The Nan Lian Garden contains a working waterfall. Enlightening Chi Lin Nunnery 志蓮淨苑 is very accessible by MTR Diamond Hill station. Hidden by the Mountain of Compassionate Clouds and guarded on the right by Lion Rock. The nunnery is home to approximately 60 nuns but my party, unfortunately, did not see any during our visit. The design and architecture is from the Tang Dynasty and adheres to feng shui principles. There is a lovely lily pond which is very peaceful and undisturbed. Group walking tours are available by appointment only and are conducted in Cantonese, Mandarin and of course, English. read more

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5 Stars = Always looking to come back, always a super duper strong suggest for all to enjoy and experience. Stunning. Peaceful. Tranquil. Enlightening. As with most places of worship, you feel here what life should be like. A life of harmony, shed the insecurities, embrace the now, live fully. Life before Adam and Eve ate that apple. Here you will find the "Qi Lin" Nunnery. Sheltered on the left by the Mountain of Compassionate Clouds and guarded on the right by Lion Rock. The nunnery is home to about 60 nuns but we were here in the later hours so did not see them. The design and architecture is from the Tang Dynasty and follows feng shui principles. NO nails were used! ONLY natural materials such as stone, wood, and clay. Little details like this are why this place is special. The Hall of the Celestial Kings are the guardians of our world, protecting the Dharma. You will find the Buddha Maitreya here who will succeed Buddha Sakyamuni when the time is right. Also known as the Laughing Buddha, Maitreya is surrounded by images of the Celestial Kings. Pay your respects. In the main courtyard you will find a few of my favorites. Avalokitesvera (Guan Yin) Goddess of Mercy. When you are in front of her/him, you are supremely humbled and feel the compassion she/he emanates. Just stand/sit here and feel the warmth. Her love and dedication to humanity is the ultimate sacrifice as she could be a Buddha but chose not to and stay "behind" to be closer to humanity. Another favorite, the Medicine Buddha. His medicine heals you through his teachings and he also helps you reach your goals. When you focus on his image, the blueness is so deep. It brings you into another realm, a quiet, serene feeling of healing. We all need healing. Then there is Sakyamuni Buddha. The founder on Earth. You feel his holiness and grandness, yet the emptiness of how things should be. Don't cling, don't overconsume. Let the mind be blank. All of this Holiness, this beauty, you feel in the clouds, in a faraway in a faraway land. Then you look up and notice you're in the middle of a huge Metropolis that is Hong Kong! The irony. No matter what bible you follow, be the best human you can be. read more

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This is my favorite Buddhist temple in Hong Kong. It's just a few minutes' walk from the MTR station but once you walk in, you are totally transported into another world. You just feel a tranquility and peacefulness wash over you, like you've left your burden at the door. You totally think you're transported to another time and place, until you look up and notice that, in the background, there are many tall buildings. But they all feel so far away. There is the temple area, and across the street, the garden. The buildings are all very beautiful. It is based on the Tang dynasty construction, and no nail was used, as authentic to historical facts. As Tang was when Japan sent her scholars to China to study various arts and culture, many aspects of Japanese culture, including kimono, tea ceremony and Buddhism, are heavily influenced by Tang culture. Therefore, one may feel that the place looks very Japanese, when it was the Japanese trying to make their places looked Chinese. I recommend coming in the morning, when it's less crowded. read more

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Definitely worth a visit. It is beautiful and the garden across the street is gorgeous. Don't take photos if the signs are up and they are praying. There are restrooms on the lower level. Take the connecting foot bridge to go to the garden. read more

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Connected to the Nan Lian Garden in Diamond Hill. Short walk from the Diamond Hill MTR exit either through the Nan Lian Garden or you can walk around up the street to another entrance. Different style in building. Black rooftop with a dark brown building structure with gold accents on top. Koi ponds in front of the enclosed temple with lilypads. Unfortunately, pictures were not allowed inside of the temple area (not the area with the ponds) so i couldn't get any pictures (snaps fingers - sad face) Lol Very quiet area with sections for the heavenly kings, and other spiritual entities alike. Good to check out. Gift shop located to the right of the temple (if facing the temple directly). Decently priced stuff (not in the cases). A lot have been prayed with too so its "better" than those typical ones u see on the street and what not. You can see the living area of the nuns to the side by the gift shop too. read more

This is one of my favourite places to come in Hong Kong. We came this time as part of our teachers only day outing and it was surprising the number of local teachers who had never visited here before. It's a lovely little quite oasis from the bustling city life. A short walk from Diamond Hill MTR and right beside Nan Lian gardens it's a lovely day out. read more

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About a five minute walk from Diamond Hill MTR station is this remarkable large Buddhist temple complex which was founded in the 1930s. You wouldn't believe you were just a stone's throw from a busy main road, as the noise from outside disappears when you enter and you find yourself in a peaceful oasis to collect your thoughts. At first glance you'd think the buildings were very old, so I was surprised to find out that what you see was rebuilt completely out of wood in the late 1990s without using any metal - no nuts, bolts or nails, nothing! You can while away an hour or so wandering through the temple halls and the large gardens, complete with bonsai trees and decorative ponds. A definite must see. Tip: The halls and Chinese garden in front of the nunnery are open to the public daily and it's free entry. read more

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Just to wander out of Central and explore a bit today, we took the MTR to Diamond Hill to see the Chi Lin Nunnery and the adjacent Nan Lian Garden. What a great break from the city to simply take in nature and see the beauty in the SAR. Although the nunnery is actually a lavish replica of a Tan Dynasty (AD 618-907), it is a really beautiful, clean, silent and meditative place. There are side halls that have impressive statues, including Sakyamuni Buddha and the Boddhisatva Guanyin. It appears to be an operating nunnery though because although closed to public, there is a large back side wing that look like housing that are clearly part of this nunnery. Although not technically historic (seeing that it was actually built in the 21st century), it is so lovely and nice to see when we wandered around in the beautiful October day. There are gardens, water and wooden pavilions. There is no fee to visit and they also have a lovely little gift shop. After you visit, absolutley go across the street to the Nian Lian Garden. You cannot see one without the other. read more

the real attraction is are the beautiful gardens (Nan Lian Garden, reviewed separately) attached to this nunnery (what we'd call a temple in English) four stars because of the gardens it's very peaceful with a center courtyard surrounded by temple rooms with Buddha rooms for praying. read more

Chi Lin nunnery is located within Nan Lian Garden. Quiet, tranquil nunnery built in Zen architectural style. Both the nunnery and garden are well worth a visit. Great way to get a break from the potentially crazy-making hustle and bustle of the big city. read more

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This is a paradise in the middle of Hong Kong. Its amazing to see an area with such a open space filled with plants and temples in one of the most population dense cities in the world. The Chi Lin Nunnery is connected to the Nan Lian Garden. The garden itself is full of beautiful trees, stones, waterfalls, and lake houses. The nunnery part has the shrines and deities for praying to. This is a definite must go if you need a break from the fast pace of the city. Best part is, entering is completely free. read more

This is a beautiful little haven in the middle of all the hustle & bustle within the busy city of Hong Kong. Located in Diamond Hill, this peaceful little monastery is absolutely beautiful. Even if you aren't a Buddhist, you'd find this little place so serene, peaceful and breathtaking. There's a wonderful pathway for you to walk around in as well as various temples should you wish to pray/worship if you are a Buddhist. If you aren't, you still get to walk around this little place admiring its beauty. Be sure to try their vegetarian restaurant. The food there is to die for - especially their vegetarian platter. It's not that traditional Canto style "mock meat" platter and rather, there is an interesting variety there. Definitely worth a visit!! read more

This Buddhist temple is relaxing and beautiful. Once you walk onto the temple grounds you are transported away from the Hong Kong hustle and bustle and into a peaceful and calming environment. We took about 2 hours to walk the temple grounds and admire the beautiful gardens. One of my favorite sites in Hong Kong. read more

志蓮淨苑 - View of the gardens! - Buddhist Temples Near Me - Hong Kong, HK

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This review covers the Nan Lian Garden and the adjoining Nunnery. These connecting entities form an oasis in the middle of a bustling city: a wonderful FREE must-see attraction providing a spiritual respite. Just steps away from the Diamond Hill metro station and Hollywood Plaza, it felt like another world. We entered the Nan Lian Garden very early in the morning. The space was practically deserted with no visitors in sight probably because of the light drizzle. It's was super calming walking along the quiet path surrounded by lush greenery looking so fresh, dewy and alive. A challenge (for me, at least) taking pictures in this beautiful, photogenic space with its bridges, waterfalls and carefully manicured trees/plants was to exclude the tall concrete structures in the background. The scenery got even better as we approached the Nunnery with its magnificent temples and lotus ponds. Absolutely gorgeous! I got a whiff of the fragrance of blossoming orange jasmine flowers. During our two-plus-hour visit, we also stopped by the Rockery with its gorgeous stone display, the craft souvenirs shop, and the tea house. The serenity gradually dissipated with increasing foot traffic and noise later in the morning. We heard chanting but did not run into any nuns, just gardeners and maintenance staff. Overall it was a marvelous self guide tour. read more

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Chi Lin Nunnery is next to Nan Lian Garden, and often done in conjunction with the park as a tour for locals and tourists alike. The nunnery is one of the largest Buddhist complexes in Hong Kong and covers a space of more than 33,000 square meters. However, a lot of this is off limits to the public, so the touring area is manageable in under an hour or two. It's very similar to the Nan Lian Garden, in that it follows with the Tang architecture, with wooden framed buildings without obvious nails - a testament to the Buddhist composition and balance of nature and living. Many Buddhist monks have made a home here since the 1930s. The layout of the public part of the nunnery has two parts - there's the Lotus Pond Garden which is a courtyard that I first encountered. It's seamlessly symmetrical with ponds, Bonsai trees and small lantern posts. The second part is the Hall of Celestial Kings, and to enter I had to pass through the Sam Mun or series of 'three gates' that represent the Buddhist pillars of compassion, wisdom and skillful means. The temple halls house the statues of Sakyamuni Buddha (the god of Mercy) as well as other bodhisattvas. The shrines are constructed from gold, clay, wood and stone. It was very peaceful. Below the complex is a restaurant, with vegetarian dishes and cheap dim sum - though the surrounding area of Diamond Hill and Kowloon Tong more broadly has plenty of food on offer as well, if you're in the mood for meat. Which I am on most days. In all, a great place to do a mosey about, to get out of the urban sprawl, but perhaps don't forget you're not too far out from some popular foodie haunts in Kowloon. read more

The moment my friend and I stepped into the nunnery, we felt at peace. It is the magic of this place. There are not many things to do in particular which does not matter because the highlight of this place is the atmosphere itself. Just taking a slow stroll is enjoyable. Ironically, we did not spot any nun in this nunnery as they are probably inside the premises which are out of bounds to visitors. Also, the Buddha chant that was being played belonged to a male voice? read more

志蓮淨苑 - View of the nunnery on a clear day - Buddhist Temples Near Me - Hong Kong, HK