Things to see and do in Hong Kong: Kowloon
Mon, 2006-01-23 17:23 — batgung
Wong Tai Sin Temple
How long will it take?: 2-3 hours
How to get there: MTR to Wong Tai Sin
The sine qua non of HK temples – huge, busy, bright, and utterly overpowering at festival times. You might be tempted to skip this one if you’ve already seen Man Mo Temple on HK Island, but if you’ve got any interest in Chinese religion and culture whatsoever, a visit here is obligatory. It’s no museum – it’s an extremely active, i.e. ‘real’ temple, and it operates on a whole different scale from the rest of Hong Kong’s temples.
Temple Street Market
How long will it take?: Evening only; 1-2 hours
How to get there: Bus/MTR to Jordan, walk up at least as far as Yau Ma Tei MTR station
A standard Hong Kong tourist sight, but don't go there for the shopping. Temple Street is a long street market jammed with stalls selling tatty goods only mildly drunken tourists tend to buy. The most interesting part is at the northern end (i.e. near Yau Ma Tei MTR), where you start running into fortune tellers, amateur Chinese opera singers, and hookers. You can learn much more about 'the real Temple Street' in this comprehensive rundown of its, ah, charms.
Chi Lin Nunnery and temples
How long will it take?: A couple of hours?
How to get there: MTR to Diamond Hill
This one is recommended sight unseen; it’s a relatively new complex, and it comprises some very big and very brown buildings. It's convenient to combine a visit here with with Wong Tai Sin (see above).
Comments
Wong Tai Sin, Chi Lin Nunnery, ...
Hi! I was recently at Wong Tai Sin and was surprised at the wide range of age groups who go there. I was expecting only the older generations but found that many young people go there, too.
When in the temple (or even just outside) be sure to turn off your cell phone. Also no photos in the temple are allowed. (I felt comfortable taking photos only from the lower area of WTS at the Chinese gate.) These modern conveniences seem to be intrusive.
The Chi Lin Nunnery is a really nice place to go to if you're interested in T'ang Dynasty architecture. The buildings are very elegant and sublime in my opinion. Yes, the buildings are very large but it is amazing to see how very light and flowing the roofs are as if they were made of cloth in spite of being, I imagine, extremely heavy.
Don't forget the adjoining Nan Lian Garden. The Garden and Nunnery are connected by a bridge which spans the road below. From the MTR you can get to the garden first then go to the nunnery. Entry to the garden is free and is worth the visit if you like classical-style Chinese gardens (lots of manicured plants, huge decorative stones, water elements,...). It's a nice place to visit to get away from the city -- just ignore the residential towers which loom nearby! There's also a vegetarian restaurant there which is quite good I think.
Temple Tour
I always like to visit the temple. I think, India is the best place for temple tour. There are number of temples to visit in India. I had visit many temples but Iskon temple is one of my favorite temple which is located in Bangalore. This is one of the most beautiful temple to visit and get the amazing temple tour experience.
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