Wong Tai Sin & Diamond Hill, up close

Wong Tai Sin and neighbouring Diamond Hill sit in central Kowloon, a mostly residential area built around one of the city's most visited temples and, a short walk away, one of its most surprising green spaces.

Wong Tai Sin Temple

A large, constantly busy temple dedicated to a Taoist deity associated with healing, known for its fortune-telling arcade — rows of small booths where visitors consult professional fortune tellers, some working in English. It draws worshippers seeking help with everything from health to business decisions, and is free to enter.

Chi Lin Nunnery and Nan Lian Garden

A short walk from the temple, this Buddhist complex was rebuilt in Tang-dynasty architectural style using traditional timber construction methods without nails, and sits beside Nan Lian Garden, a meticulously landscaped classical Chinese garden that feels startlingly removed from the surrounding high-rise district.

A contrast worth seeing together

The busy, incense-smoke energy of Wong Tai Sin Temple and the deliberate quiet of Nan Lian Garden, only a few minutes apart on foot, make a good short pairing — two very different registers of Hong Kong's religious and spiritual life side by side.