Hong Kong
New Territories
The New Territories is an area of around 740 square kilometres beginning north of Boundary Street in Kowloon. Largely rural, development has been rapid and new satellite towns and estates are beginning to take up more and more of the region.

Progress on Hong Kong's new airport at Chek Lap Kok, one of the largest civil engineering projects in the world, can be observed through models, photos, videos and slide shows at the Airport Core Programme Exhibition Centre. This project includes the world's longest span suspension bridge which can be viewed under construction, as well as a third cross-harbour tunnel, and road and rail links to urban areas.

Tai Mo Shan is Hong Kong's highest peak at 957 metres and offers views of all of the New Territories to the north and the town of Tsuen Wan to the south. Another great view may be enjoyed from Lok Ma Chau Lookout which overlooks the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone in China.

Ching Chung Koon is a Taoist temple which houses many Chinese art treasures, including lanterns from Beijing's Imperial Palace and other artefacts dating back 1,000 years.

At the Yuen Yuen Institute in Lo Wai, the old walled village, there is a temple dedicated to Hong Kong's three major Chinese religions - Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism. Its main structure is a replica of Beijing's magnificent, three-storey circular Temple of Heaven.

Sai Kung in the east has a picturesque harbour and excellent seafood restaurants as well as two official country parks.

Luen Wo Market near Fanling in the northern New Territories, is a typical Chinese market with a wide array of fresh produce.

The 10,000 Buddhas Monastery which has 12,800 statues of Buddha lining the walls of the temple is located near Shatin Railway Station, on top of the hills above Shatin. The monastery has a nine-storey pink pagoda and houses the remains of the founder who is enbalmed in gold leaf.  

Shatin itself is well worth visiting. It was once a simple village on the edge of mud flats and is now a city of 700,000 people. Shatin also has Hong Kong's second racecourse built on 250 acres of reclaimed land in shallow Tide Cove.

Before leaving the New Territories visit Kam Tin Walled Village, which was built in the 1600s. It is a traditional village which is still inhabited by descendants of the original Tang clan. The village is surrounded by a wall which was built to protect early inhabitants from invading pirates and bandits.

The Chinese frontier is separated from the New Territories by a border area for which you need a special permit, but even a one-day tour can provide an interesting glimpse into the Special Economic Zone that forms a buffer between China and Hong Kong.