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Monastery offers a sharp contrast to what’s going on up the hill. This is a tranquil complex in which to pass the time, observing points of interest both architectural and spiritual. After being greeted by a bodhisattva statue in the entrance, the main building lies behind, styled as a classical Chinese palace. This comprises the Hall of Maitreya and the Great Buddha’s Hall above it. Further behind is a another two-storey building where, depending on what time of day you visit, you may witness scores of monks chanting mantras. This building is topped by a spectacular nine-storey pagoda.

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TRANSPORT – TSUEN WAN

Bus Many buses (but not all) from around the New Territories arrive at Tsuen Wan’s central bus station, including bus 60M from Tuen Mun and 68M from Yuen Long. Bus 51 from Tai Mo Shan and Kam Tin stops along Tai Ho Rd.

MTR Tsuen Wan MTR station is on Tsuen Wan line. Tsuen Wan West station is on the West Rail line.

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CHUK LAM SIM MONASTERY Map

2490 3392; Fu Yung Shan Rd; 9am-4.30pm; green minibus 85

In a lovely bucolic setting, Chuk Lam Sim Yuen (Bamboo Forest Monastery) is one of the most impressive temple complexes in Hong Kong. The temple was completed in 1932 when (legend has it) Tou Tei, the earth god, told an elderly monk to build it. Ascend the flight of steps to the first temple, walk to the back and enter the second. This second temple contains three of the largest golden Buddhas in the territory (though mere shadows of the big one on Lantau Island, Click here). Flanking the trio on either side is an equally impressive line-up of 12 bodhisattvas, or Buddhists seeking enlightenment. The third temple contains another large image of Lord Gautama.

Chuk Lam Sim Monastery is northeast of Tsuen Wan MTR station. To reach it, take green minibus 85 from Shiu Wo St, which is two blocks due south of the MTR station (exit B1).

SAM TUNG UK MUSEUM Map

2411 2001; 2 Kwu Uk Lane; admission free; 9am-5pm Wed-Mon; MTR Tsuen Wan

This imaginative and well-tended museum aims to portray traditional rural life as it was lived in this late-18th-century Hakka walled village, whose former residents, the Chan clan, were resettled in 1980. Within the complex a dozen three-beamed houses contain traditional Hakka furnishings, kitchenware, wedding items and agricultural implements, most of which came from two 17th-century Hakka villages in Bao’an county in Guangdong province. There are also special exhibits on such topics as rice farming in the New Territories. Behind the restored assembly and ancestral halls is the old village school, with interactive displays and videos on such topics as Hakka women, traditional crafts and traditional food.

At the Tsuen Wan MTR station, take exit E and walk five minutes southeast along Sai Lau Kok Rd to Kwu Uk Lane and the museum.

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TAI MO SHAN

Hong Kong’s tallest mountain is not Victoria Peak but Tai Mo Shan ( Map), the ‘big misty mountain’ that, at 957m, is nearly twice as high as that relative molehill (552m) on Hong Kong Island. Several hiking trails thread up and around it, but you’ll need to bring your own food and water. The Countryside Series North-East & Central New Territories map is the one you want for this area (Click here).

If you don’t want to go it alone, contact any of the outfits listed on Click here. The Tai Mo Shan Country Park Visitor Centre ( Map; 2498 9326; 9.30am-4.30pm Sat, Sun & holidays) is located at the junction of Route Twisk (the name is derived from ‘Tsuen Wan into Shek Kong’) and Tai Mo Shan Rd, which is crossed by the MacLehose Trail.

To reach Tai Mo Shan from the Tsuen Wan MTR station, catch bus 51 on Tai Ho Rd North, alighting at the junction of Route Twisk and Tai Mo Shan Rd in Tsuen Kam Au. Follow Tai Mo Rd, which forms part of stage No 9 of the MacLehose Trail, east to the summit. On the right-hand side, about 45 minutes from the bus stop, a fork in the road leads south along a concrete path to the Sze Lok Yuen Hostel.

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TRANSPORT – TAI MO SHAN

Bus Bus 64K links Tai Mo Shan with