One of my favorite spots in all of Hong Kong is Nan Lian Garden. David and I spent 2 weeks in Hong Kong last December. Visiting Nan Lian Garden was my favorite part of our trip. Nestled inside bustling Kowloon is this beautiful, tranquil garden paradise.

Nan Lian Garden was completed in 2006. It was built to offer a quiet place for reflection and to experience the ancient culture of China. The entire garden is surrounded with 260 sound proof panels to maintain a peaceful environment.

There are a variety of garden structures and architectural elements of classical Chinese design. The garden is built in the style of the Tang Dynasty (618 AD to 907 AD).

Rocks from all over China were incorporated with rocks from the local site. They were arranged in groups to enhance the landscape and to form visual focal points.

The guiding philosophy of the garden’s design is based on the ancient Chinese principle of “man in harmony with nature.”

A traditional technique of Chinese garden design is “borrowing.” The garden deliberately incorporates a view from outside the garden to broaden the garden’s context.

Chinese garden design plays with concealing and revealing objects in the foreground and background with trees and landscaping to frame vistas.

One of the qualities of Chinese gardens is reserve. Each mound, each rock is intentionally placed to evoke a mood or a feeling.