Nunnery vs. Convent

The Chi Lin Nunnery at Diamond Hill, Kowloon

What is the difference between a Nunnery and a Convent?  Until recently, I didn't know the former was even a word.  A colleague at work suggested that we visit Chi Lin Nunnery in the Diamond Hill area of Kowloon, and since the recent warnings for Typhoon Rammasun had been cancelled, we decided to take her advice.

The Main Hall of the Chi Lin Nunnery is constructed
from timber without the use of a single nail

The Chi Lin Nunnery is a large monastic complex founded in the 1930s as a retreat for Buddhist nuns.  Surrounded by high rise apartment buildings, the Nunnery and the adjacent Nan Lian Garden are a green and peaceful oasis occupying about sixteen acres in North Kowloon.



The first of two courtyards leads to the Hall of Celestial Kings

A fountain in the one of the lotus ponds

The Nunnery underwent a substantial renovation that was finished in 2000, with the buildings constructed in the architectural style of the Tang dynasty (618-907 AD).  The Main Hall was constructed by traditional craftsmen from Arnhui Province in China using timber held together with only wooden brackets, making it the largest handcrafted building in the world.  The roof makes this fact even more impressive because its 28,000 clay tiles weigh in at 176 tons.  The complex is arranged around three courtyards, only two of which are open to the public.  The first courtyard contains landscaped Lotus Gardens with four large lotus ponds, surrounded by bonsai trees.  At the top of the first courtyard is the Hall of Celestial Kings which leads into the second courtyard. This courtyard is surrounded by covered walkways linking four more halls to the Main Hall.  Each of these halls feature statues of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas at alters where offerings of fruit are placed and the faithful actively worship.

One of the four lotus ponds

The Nunnery is home to about 60 nuns, and under an agreement with the Hong Kong Government, the Chi Lin Nunnery maintains and manages the Nan Lian Garden for a nominal fee of HK$1.00.  The garden, which was also built in the Tang style, opened in 2006 and was designed to minimize its urban surroundings through the use of barriers and tree plantings to filter noise, exhaust and dust. 

The Perfection Pavilion and Zi Wu Bridge are among
the timber structures in the Nan Lian Garden

Tang style gardens feature four elements to include ornamental rocks or hillocks, water features, old trees and timber structures.   These elements come to life in the Nan Lian Garden through the use of rocks from a variety of sources in China, a large waterfall and Koi pond, a number of sweet-scented trees including osmanthus, lily and orange-jasmine and the Perfection Pavilion, the Zi Wu Bridge and other structures.  There is even a vegetarian restaurant tucked behind the waterfall so that diners can look through the torrent falling from above them while eating lunch.

A large Koi Pond is one of the water elements in the Tang style garden

Diners at the vegetarian restaurant sit behind a waterfall

In Hong Kong it is easy to get caught up in hectic pace of life.  Our trip to Chi Lin Nunnery and the Nan Lian Garden was a good reminder that there are tranquil oases nearby and it's just a matter of knowing where to find them.  And for those who are still wondering, there are many opinions about the difference between a Nunnery and a Convent.  With very little effort, I found a number of references.  They range from those that indicate there is no difference at all, to others that describe a Nunnery as the place where nuns reside and a Convent as a religious community with rules and vows by which the residents live.

The Nan Lian Garden is a tranquil retreat from its urban surroundings