Nan Lian Garden

A few minutes from the malls of Diamond Hill, Nan Lian Garden looks like a Tang dynasty scroll painting laid out on the ground. It was a joint project of the Hong Kong government and the neighbouring Chi Lin Nunnery, and it opened to the public in November 2006. The 3.5-hectare garden follows the classical Chinese style of that era, with hills, water, trees, rocks and timber buildings arranged so that each turn in the path frames a new view. The centrepiece is the Pavilion of Absolute Perfection, a golden timber pavilion standing over the Blue Pond, with the red Zi Wu Bridge leading towards it. This is the view on almost every postcard of the garden, and it earns its place. From there the paths wind past the Rockery, a gathering of large, weathered stones chosen and placed for their shapes, and Lo Hang Shan, a small landscaped hill. The Long Man Lou waterfall spills down beside the route, adding sound to a garden that is otherwise very quiet. The Chinese Timber Architecture Gallery is worth a short stop. It explains the traditional wooden building methods behind the halls you have just walked past,, and knowing how the joints lock together makes the pavilions outside far more interesting to look at a second time. Admission is free. The kiosk, vegetarian restaurant and teahouse inside the grounds charge for what you order, but none of them is needed to enjoy the garden. Chi Lin Nunnery sits directly across the road, so most people see both in one unhurried morning or afternoon. The garden has a calmer, more open feel than the nunnery, and it works just as well as a place to sit by the water for half an hour.