Nan Lien Garden

A free shuttle whisked us from the Hong Kong cruise port terminal to a busy mall. Instead of shopping, however, Larry and I walked to a public garden.

Nan Lian Garden is a classical Chinese style garden. It’s managed by a Buddhist nunnery and is short listed to be a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Not only does Hong Kong have more skyscrapers than any other city in the world, but it has the highest population density, with 6,500 people per square mile.

Nan Lian Garden offers a much needed dose of serenity amid the frantic pace of the city. Not only does peaceful Chinese music play quietly on speakers throughout the grounds, but signs clearly state that visitors are expected to be quiet.

They even ban “frolicking” which made me laugh for some reason. I also got a kick out of the skull and crossbones with a little red bow on its head on a sign saying, “Danger! Keep out!” The sign was placed on a grassy hill that seemed rather benign to me! (Perhaps the Buddhist nuns have a sense of humor?)

One of the buildings in the garden featured beautiful stones. Some of the stones were accompanied by philosophical sayings, such as, “Rocks carry us back to ancient times. Water makes us far sighted. Water and rocks are essential to a landscape garden.”
(Zhangwuzhi, Chapter 3, Water and Rocks, Ming Dynasty)

The plants, rocks, and water definitely worked their magic on Larry and me. We both felt calm and relaxed after our afternoon at Nan Lian Garden.Read more