Chi Lin Nunnery

About this place

Chi Lin Nunnery is a large Buddhist temple complex in Diamond Hill, Kowloon, founded in 1934 as a retreat for nuns. It is known for its dark timber buildings in Chinese Tang dynasty style and its calm courtyard among apartment towers, and visitors come above all for the architecture. It was rebuilt in 1998 in traditional Tang architecture, based on a drawing from the Mogao Caves. It is built entirely of cypress wood without any nails, using old interlocking joints, and sources describe it as the world's largest hand-made wooden building. A new lighting design was added in 2018. You enter through a timber gate into a broad stone courtyard, with large bonsai trees, lotus ponds and stone lanterns. Ahead are the halls with their curved grey roofs, and tall housing blocks rise behind them to make a striking scene. The halls contain statues, but we show only the outside of the complex here, out of respect for the place. It is about 400 m in a straight line from Nan Lian Garden and linked to it by a bridge, so combine the two, and Lion Rock is 2.3 km away. It is a place of worship, so dress modestly, keep quiet, do not take pictures inside the halls and follow the signs. Mornings are calmer, and sources say it opens daily, so check the time before you go.