Chi Lin Nunnery // Nan Lian Garden

A real treasure here in Hong Kong - that we {finally} went to see on a gorgeous afternoon.

This is the world's largest handmade wooden structure and it is built entirely without nails. Erected in 1934 as a retreat for buddhist nuns - it's a place of quiet, reflection and (let's face it) being a tourist in your hometown. :)

- getting into the spirit -

our little 'buddhist child', happily learning the prayer motions from those around her

she insisted on stopping to pray at each statue after she got the hang of it

The gardens apparently follow meticulous rules of traditional Chinese gardens from the Tang dynasty. A treat to exhale here with the family.

vegetarian restaurant behind that waterfall !

inspired to write
so we sat down to rest for awhile

1881 Heritage :: former marine police headquarters

A gem of a find!

It was daddy's turn to choose a restaurant - and boy did he pick it! Taking the kids on the famed Star Ferry across the harbour to Kowloon side in TST...

first the MTR to Central

walking the bridge to Star Ferry

this girl loves her street musicians and always insists on offering them coins

all aboard! -- 10 minute ride across the harbour

cruise ship docked in TST - whoa dude! - later in the news for outbreak of norovirus. bummer.

Then a 3 minute walk to this heritage site preserving history. From a time when horses were the mode of transport and a mechanical ball-drop was the way they kept track of time. An obvious relic of British rule. Surrounded, now, by glitzy skyscrapers and high-end brands.

Marine police were headquartered here until 1996. Pirates and smugglers were held inside cells here. Pigeons were kept in coops and used as message bearers to ships (so Harry Potter!). The time-ball-drop, visible from the sea, was used by captains who needed to recalibrate their time keeping aboard their ships. And this is the site where the official typhoon warnings were hoisted. Large metal shapes depicting the different warning signals. The symbols for these signals are still used today and show up as auto-alerts on my cell phone.

i wonder what this view looked like back in the day... was the shoreline closer? 

always a photo-opp prop when in Asia 

Now host to numerous shops, bars & restaurants... we ate at a restaurant housed in the old horse stables - and it was spectacularly delicious!! A great place for kids early in the evening or date night later. Impeccable service, tasty food, and the air of times past. Yes, please!

gorgeous journey back hong-kong-island-side

The Peak :: a walk with a view

What better way to start our Spring Break Staycation?

The Peak - the highest point in Hong Kong.

The Peak is, of course, a highlight for tourists.
As self-respecting residents of Hong Kong - we haven't been there much.
But why not!?
It's gorgeous. And a totally do-able mostly-flat hike with plenty for kids to see and do along the way.

It's stroller-friendly.  And it's FREE.

Tarzan trees!

This time, we didn't even bother with the tram ride or the observation deck. We took the MTR into Central and then a quick taxi to the top (plenty of bus options too). Circumnavigating the peak takes about 45 minutes ... in other words ... 1.5 hours with little ones as they investigate each fallen bamboo branch and turn over each leaf.

Walking the entire circle means that you get to see HK from 360 degrees... ocean on all sides of the island. Fantastic!

you can see the ferry boats zooming off to Macao

Since the 1860's, privileged residents have lived up here. There used to be a hotel! The tram came later and with it - eventually - the shopping tourist mecca that it is today. Plenty of restaurants to choose from below the observation deck (including fast food) - and our family favorite: gelato! Such a sweet way to end our adventuring afternoon.

Look at all those people on top of the observation deck!

This, our first sunny day in at least a month. The sky is still there!