11/5/2023 0 Comments Diamond hill mtr![]() Bleak House Books is a charming indie bookshop that specialises in English books both new and used. Though located a little ways out from Diamond Hill proper, there’s no way we’d come so close to the area and not talk about one of our favourite bookstores in Hong Kong. ![]() Nan Lian Garden, 60 Fung Tak Road, Diamond Hill | (+852) 3658 9366 Refer to a map as you enter the garden compound to follow a set route that will bring you to all the landmarks worth seeing, or simply have a wander around and find a restful corner to spend some time in quiet contemplation. ![]() The main focal point of the garden is the Pavilion of Absolute Perfection, an eye-catching golden octagonal pavilion in the middle of an octagonal lotus pond. ![]() The designers referred to a description of this garden made by a county governor, as the ancient site itself-now very much weathered-bears little resemblance to its original appearance. This was a landscaped garden belonging to the governor of Jiang, once located in ancient Jiangzhou, or what is now Xinjiang county in Shanxi. It was designed and constructed using Jiangshouju as the inspiration. This serene oasis is a classical Chinese garden designed in a Tang dynasty style, with little hills, water features, and plenty of trees and wooden structures dotted around according to the rules of classical Tang landscape design. Located across the road from Chi Lin Nunnery, Nan Lian Garden is the result of a collaborative project between the nunnery and the local government. The temple halls and the Chinese gardens in front of the nunnery are open to the public free of charge, offering people a peaceful escape in the middle of the city.Ĭhi Lin Nunnery, 5 Chi Lin Drive, Diamond Hill | (+852) 2354 1888 The complex also houses picturesque lotus ponds, Buddhist relics, and statues of various deities such as the Sakyamuni Buddha and other bodhisattvas. This is a traditional Chinese construction technique that involves cutting wood pieces so they interlock together it is generally used to signify the harmony of mankind with nature.Ĭhi Lin Nunnery is currently the world’s largest hand-made wooden building, as well as the only structures built in such an architectural style in modern Hong Kong. Part of what makes the Chi Lin Nunnery particularly special is that its buildings are made entirely of cypress wood-without using a single nail. The entire complex measures more than 360,000 square feet, featuring 16 halls, a library, a school, a pagoda, a bell tower, and a drum tower. Undoubtedly the crown jewel of Diamond Hill, Chi Lin Nunnery is a sprawling temple complex built in the architectural styles of the Tang dynasty, based off of a Sukhavati drawing of paradise from the Mogao Caves along the Silk Road. Here are recommendations for the best things to do, explore, and eat in Diamond Hill. In honour of its history and namesake, the colour scheme of the Diamond Hill MTR Station is different from others which are mostly monochrome: Diamond Hill Station has a black background flecked with white to represent sparkling diamond ores. A popular theory is that its name came about due to a simple mistranslation: In Cantonese, the word “diamond” (鑽石) has the same pronunciation as the phrase “to drill rocks.” The area used to be a stone quarry, so you can see how this would have been an easy mistake to make! At its peak, these slums housed approximately 50,000 people, and it took years and years before they were all cleared away for development-in fact, the last of these old settlements were only demolished in 2001.ĭiamond Hill is also a bit of a misnomer because the area does not actually contain any such precious stones. The settlements of Sheung Yuen Leng and Ha Yuen Leng, in particular, were already established before British colonisation, possibly stretching as far back as the early eighteenth century. This was traditionally a squatter settlement, with ramshackle dwellings running up the hillside. Header images courtesy of (Instagram) and (Instagram)ĭiamond Hill refers to a hill in eastern Kowloon, which also lends its name to the area lying adjacent to its slopes.
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