The wooden Chi Lin Nunnery in Diamond Hill, built in Tang Dynasty style, has lotus-covered pools in the courtyard and golden statues in the four halls of Celestial Kings. The adjacent Nan Lian Garden, also Tang-inspired, opened in 2006.
A gem of Chinese monastic architecture, Chi Lin Nunnery has 16 Buddhist halls, a Zen-style rock garden and a magnificent Ten Thousand Buddhas Pagoda. No nails were used during its magnificent multi-million dollar renovation, only wooden dowelling and brackets. The three-hectare site is now a living museum of the Tang Dynasty (AD618-907).
Visitors are welcome to some parts of the nunnery, but it remains a private establishment and not a public religious facility. It is vitally important to be respectful and mindful of the fact that religious observances may be in progress on the site.
Much of the ornamental work at Chi Lin was created by Eurasian "boy genius" artist Derek Bailey, who is one of the hottest restoration artists/sculptors in Asia at the moment.