Chi Lin Nunnery and Nan Lian Garden

Chi Lin Nunnery and Nan Lian Garden are the most serene sight in urban Kowloon, and the perfect counterpoint to the incense and crowds of Wong Tai Sin Temple one stop away on the MTR. The nunnery was founded in 1934 as a retreat for Buddhist nuns and rebuilt in the 1990s in the architectural style of the Tang dynasty, using traditional joinery: its halls are built of timber fitted together without nails, with sweeping grey-tiled roofs, and the effect, set against the high-rise estates of Diamond Hill, is startling. You enter through a courtyard of lotus ponds and neatly trimmed bonsai, then climb to the main halls, which house gilded statues of the Buddha and bodhisattvas. The complex also includes a library, a school, a pagoda, and a bell tower and drum tower. It is an active religious community, so visitors are asked to keep a respectful silence, and photography is not permitted inside the halls. Across a footbridge lies Nan Lian Garden, a public park designed in the style of a Tang dynasty classical garden. A circular path leads around a lake, past carefully placed rocks, ancient-looking pines and timber pavilions, the Pine Teahouse and the red-lacquered bridge, to the gleaming golden Pavilion of Absolute Perfection, which sits in the middle of the water and is the garden's most photographed view. A vegetarian restaurant tucked behind a waterfall in the garden serves Buddhist vegetarian dishes and dim sum, and there is also a small teahouse. Both the nunnery and the garden are free to enter, they are a few minutes' walk from Diamond Hill MTR station, and they reward an unhurried visit of an hour or two. The garden is meticulously maintained, and on a quiet weekday morning it is hard to believe you are in one of the densest cities on earth.

How to visit: take the MTR to Diamond Hill station, exit towards Hollywood Plaza, and follow the signs. Visit the nunnery first, entering from Chi Lin Drive, then cross to the garden; or start in the garden from Fung Tak Road and finish at the nunnery. The two are connected and can be seen in one loop. Opening hours differ between the nunnery and the garden, with the garden open longer, so check the official sites if you plan an early or late visit. Dress modestly in the nunnery, keep voices low, and remember that photography is not allowed inside the halls; the courtyards and garden are fine for photographs.

Best time: weekday mornings are the quietest, and the light on the golden pavilion is lovely in the late afternoon. Weekends bring local families and photographers, but the garden absorbs them well. In spring and early summer the lotus ponds in the nunnery courtyard are at their best. Avoid the hottest part of a summer day, as there is limited shade on the garden path.

Pairing: combine Chi Lin and Nan Lian with Wong Tai Sin Temple, one MTR stop away, for a half-day of Kowloon's spiritual sights: the noisy, colourful Taoist temple and the hushed Buddhist nunnery make a striking contrast. Lunch at the garden's vegetarian restaurant is a natural break. Hikers can continue to Lion Rock on another day, as the trailhead is nearby in the same district.