Located in the Diamond Hill area, Nan Lian Garden is built in the Tang Dynasty style and occupies an area of about 35,000 square meters (3.5 hectares). Every piece of land, rocks, trees, and water is placed according to the rules of Tang style.
I had been to this place in 2015 as a tourist when I first visited Hong Kong - I was completely mesmerized. I decided to revisit those memories as a Hong Kong resident this time.
The garden is designed in a one-way circular route manner. By following this route visitors will see two water ponds - the Lotus Pond and the Blue Pond, a lot of trees. It's a gorgeous garden with wandering paths and picture-perfect settings at every turn. What sets it apart from similar parks is the addition of wood and rocks.
It's surrounded by a total of 260 pieces of sound-proof panels to maintain a peaceful & quiet environment. And with a lot of plants and trees around to filter the dust around, the wind stays fresh and clean in the garden.
The Pavilion of Absolute Perfection ("Golden Pavilion")
Perhaps most interesting is the delightful Pavilion of Absolute Perfection, which is brightly gilded in gold colour and situated on a small island in one of the ponds, connected by a bright orange footbridge. This is only for viewing and can't be entered. There are a total of 59 types of trees or a total of 3000 trees in the Garden. The majority of the trees are Buddhist Pine, & Japanese Black Pine.
It's very peaceful, serene, quiet and relaxing. It feels like a magical forest at the center of all the tall buildings.
SONG CHA XIE (CHINESE TEAHOUSE) View of the Tea House from the view deck of Blue Pond
Located in the north of the garden on the side of Blue Pool, Song Cha Xie serves high-quality Wuyi Chan Ya and Aged Pu’er Teas. Wuyi Chan Ya is produced with tea leaves of a species that grow naturally in the cracks of stones on Mount Wuyi, a World Nature and Cultural Heritage site. The leaves are free of pesticides and fertilizers. The reflection of the Lunar Reflection Terrace and Pagoda Tree Pavilion on the water is really spectacular.
Xiang Hai Xuan
Just past the Lotus Pond on the south side of the garden is Xiang Hai Xuan (meaning a house embracing a sea of fragrance) flanked on one side by Fragrance Hill with its sweet-scented trees including osmanthus, lily and orange-jasmine. Xuan is fronted by a central courtyard in Tang Style with Ying Shan roofs made of grey tiles and surrounded by a quadrangle with green lawn, ancient trees and rocks. The inner room contains a multi-purpose hall which is hired out for art exhibitions, musical performances and seminars etc.
Tang Gallery
Wood in a beautiful display of structures like the nunnery made from special joinery; no nail. The wood smell and cooler temp in this delightful gallery were quite special. Beyond the Tang Gallery is the Rockery with indoor displays of rocks from the Hongshui River.
Everything from the Bonsai to the Water fountain is just magical. These tranquil gardens provide a wonderfully relaxing contrast to the hustle and bustle of Hong Kong. This is truly a beautiful place and although it was only opened in 2006, it has a serenity that belies its age. Very easy to get here from Diamond Hill MTR.
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