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Fanling. KCR: Fanling.

This is one of the most interesting temples in Hong Kong, not only for its sheer size and the wonderful example of Taoist design of the orange-tiled double roof dominating the skyline, but also for its 10 ancestral halls. Each one is crammed from floor to ceiling with rows of tiny ancestral tablets to which relatives pray, although the sight of all the photographs of departed souls looking out blankly can have a slightly macabre edge. To lighten up the atmosphere, the huge grounds also contain beautiful sculptures of the Chinese zodiac symbols, a herbal medicine clinic and an orchid terrace. Look out for the Wall of Daode Jing, a huge mural depicting the 72 immortals made from black marble and etched with gold. Sundays and festivals are especially busy, when many visitors come to burn offerings for their dead relatives. l On your way to Fung Ying Seen Koon, stop off at Hu Kun Chung Temple (on the other side of Pak Wo Rd), interesting if only to compare the two. This Buddhist temple, completed in 1980 and the epitome of tranquility, has an old people’s home in its grounds.

Mai Po Nature Reserve T 2471 6306, maipo@wwf.org.hk Tours T 2366 5266; permits T 2526 4473. Tours Tue, Thu and Sun (Oct-Apr).

Rated as one of China’s seven most important wetlands, also known as Ramsar sites, and close to its border, this is a haven for thousands of birds and reptiles and an important point on the migration route. It is known to contain 15 endangered waterbird species, especially black-faced spoonbill, Saunder’s gull and Dalmatian pelican, and over 20 new species of invertebrates have been found. In 2001, it was estimated that 252 spoonbills came for the winter before heading back to Korea, and the marshes are thought to contain around 25% of its world’s population. The wetlands are a stopover for tens of thousands of birds along the East Asia-Australasian flyway, which is why 80% of the population is migratory. The marshes are also home to otters, butterflies and leopard cats.

Paths and trails lead to ponds, reed beds, mangroves and mudflats and at the centre of the marshes is the Mai Po Nature Reserve with bird-watching platforms, best time to visit Oct-May. The World Wildlife Fund for Nature, which plays a large role in running the reserve, organizes tours including a visit to the 3-storey tower hide with views of the entire marshes, every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday, Oct-Apr, lasting around 5 hours. It also offers permits to foreign tourists, on a first-come-first-served basis.

l The term ‘Ramsar’ comes from the town Ramsar in Iran, host of a convention for conserving the world’s most important wetlands. Of the 118 countries now part of Ramsar, Hong Kong joined in 1979. It now has an international obligation to protect its valuable wetlands including Mai Po Marshes, one of the seven Ramsar sites in China.

2 Kwu Uk Lane, Tsuen Wan, T 2411 2001, stum@lcsd.gov.hk 0900-1700; closed Tue and some public holidays.

This historic Hakka walled village was built by the Chan Clan in 1786, and declared a monument in 1981. It underwent extensive restoration before being opened to the public, and won a Pacific Heritage Award from the Pacific Asia Tourist Association in 1990. Tseun Wan went through tremendous changes long before other areas in the New Territories, mainly because of relocating textile manufacturers from Shanghai, which meant that factories replaced farmland. Sam Tung Uk is one of the last reminders of its previous existence, after the remaining villages had to be relocated when Tseun Wan MTR station was built.

Tsing Ye. Minibus no 308M from Tsing Ye MTR. Viewing Platform: 0700-2230 Sun-Fri, 0700-0130 Sat and public holidays. Visitors’ Centre: 1000-1700 Mon-Fri, 1000-1830 Sat, Sun and public holidays.

Tsing Ma Bridge, the world’s longest road-and-rail suspension bridge at 2.2 km, is also the venue of the viewing platform and visitors’ centre. The platform overlooks Lantau Link and Tsing Ma, Kap Shui Mun and Ting Kau Bridges. The visitors’ centre also has models and photos of the link, and a cross-section of the main suspension cable.

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