Hong Kong - Day Three Nan Lian Garden

Tuesday, Nov 11 - Hong Kong's subway system (MTR) is run by a private company and is generally spotless. It provides over 5 million people with a way to get from one place to another. It is one of the main connections between Kowloon and Hong Kong Island. Needless to say - it can be crowded at certain times in the day.

Today, we are headed North to the top of Kowloon beyond Boundary Street - an actual demarcation between the Kowloon Peninsula (1860) and the New Territories (leased for 99 years, 1898 to 1997).

We are off to the Nan Lian Garden at Diamond Hill. The 35,000 sq meter garden is a beautiful break from the bustling city of people and cars. The timber buildings are an engineering marvel and scattered across the garden. Unfortunately, the Pavilion of Absolute Perfection - a gold covered pagoda resting in a Lotus Pond was under renovation. We had to rely on our imagination.

Across from the garden is the Chi Lin Nunnery which connects by a Lotus Pond Garden. Tang poet Baj Juyi said 'where there are places for relaxation in the mundane world, there is no need to live as a recluse in the mountains.'

Location:Hong Kong, China