Chi Lin Nunnery, Hong Kong
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Chi Lin Nunnery
Just a
short distance from Wong Tai Sin is the
strikingly beautiful Chi Lin Nunnery in Hong
Kong. Founded in the 1930s, this Buddhist
Nunnery provides religious, cultural,
educational, as well as offers services for
care of the elderly in Hong Kong. The
building was reconstructed in 1990 and now
follows the architectural style of monastic
structures during the Tang Dynasty (618 to
907 AD). Currently, the Chi Lin Nunnery
stands as an excellent example of the
marriage between modern architecture and
that of ancient techniques in building.
Built using Yellow Cedar imported from
Canada, the Chi Lin Nunnery was carved by
skilled artisans and craftsmen in China.
Pieces that resembled jigsaw puzzle elements
were created and were put together without
the use of nails. A bracket system and
wooden doweling were employed to construct
the building.
The Nunnery’s main hall looks like the
Shanxi Province’s Foguang Monastery, while
the twin attic Hall of Celestial Kings looks
precisely like Kyoto, Japan’s Phoenix Hall
built in the 11th century.
The Chi Lin Nunnery boasts of a lotus pond
with bonsai and bushes within its grounds.
The grounds are also flanked by the
exquisitely crafted images of the goddess of
mercy Guanyin,
the Sakyamuni Buddha and
other bodhisattvas, the God of Medicine and
many more gods and goddesses of Buddhist
mythology.
