Hong Kong and Macau_ City Guide (Lonely Planet, 14th Edition) - Andrew Stone [75]
SHA TIN
As you take the MTR south from Sha Tin to Kowloon, Amah Rock is visible to the east (ie on the left-hand side) up on the hillside after Tai Wai MTR East Rail station, but before the train enters the tunnel.
CHE KUNG TEMPLE Map
2691 1733; Che Kung Miu Rd; admission free; 7am-6pm; Che Kung Temple
This large Taoist temple complex, built in 1993, is on the opposite bank of the Shing Mun River channel in Tai Wai. It’s dedicated to Che Kung, a Song-dynasty general credited with ridding Sha Tin of the plague; you’ll see an enormous and quite powerful statue of the good general in the main temple to the left as you enter the complex. The main courtyard, flanked by eight statues of Taoist immortals, is always a hive of activity.
To reach the temple, take the MTR East Rail to Tai Wai station and change to the Ma On Shan Rail extension, alighting at Che Kung Temple station. The temple is just west of here.
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TRANSPORT – SHA TIN
Bus Buses into and out of Sha Tin leave from/terminate at City One Plaza Sha Tin bus station. Bus 182 links Sha Tin with Wan Chai, Admiralty and Central. Bus 170 connects Sha Tin MTR East Rail bus station with Causeway Bay and Aberdeen. Bus 299 shuttles between Sha Tin and Sai Kung.
MTR Sha Tin, Tai Wai, Fo Tan and Racecourse stations are on the MTR East Rail line.
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HONG KONG HERITAGE MUSEUM Map
2180 8188; www.heritagemuseum.gov.hk; 1 Man Lam Rd; adult/concession $10/5, admission free Wed; 10am-6pm Mon & Wed-Sat, 10am-7pm Sun; Sha Tin
Located southwest of Sha Tin town centre, this worthwhile museum is housed in a three-storey, purpose-built structure that is reminiscent of an ancestral hall. It has both rich permanent collections and innovative temporary exhibits in a dozen galleries.
The ground floor contains a book and gift shop, the wonderful Children’s Discovery Gallery, with eight learning and play zones (including ‘Life in a Village’, ‘Undersea Garden’ and ‘Mai Po Marsh’) for kids aged four to 10, a Hong Kong Toy Story hands-on area for tots and an Orientation Theatre, with a 12-minute introductory video in English on the hour. There’s also a lovely teahouse ( 10am-6pm).
Along with five thematic (ie temporary) galleries, the 1st floor contains the best of the museum’s permanent collection: the New Territories Heritage Hall, with mock-ups of traditional shops, a Hakka fishing village and history of the New Towns; the Cantonese Opera Heritage Hall, where you can watch old operas on video with English subtitles, ‘virtually’ make yourself up as a Cantonese opera character on computer or just enjoy the costumes and sets; and the Chao Shao-an Gallery, devoted to the work of the eponymous water-colourist (1905–98) and founder of the Lingnan School of painting.
The 2nd floor contains another thematic gallery and the TT Tsui Gallery of Chinese Art, an Aladdin’s cave of fine ceramics, pottery, bronze, jade and lacquerware, stone carvings and furniture. You may be interested in some of the gifts various Chinese provinces presented to China for the reunification, which are on display in the hallways.
To reach the Hong Kong Heritage Museum, take the MTR East Rail to Sha Tin station and walk south along Tai Po Rd. If coming from the Che Kung Temple, walk east along Che Kung Miu Rd, go under the subway and cross the footbridge over the channel. The museum is located 200m to the east.
SHA TIN RACECOURSE Map
1817 hotline; www.sha-tin.com; Penfold Park; admission on race days public stands $10, members enclosures $100-150; Racecourse or Fo Tan
Northeast of Sha Tin town centre is Hong Kong’s second racecourse, which opened in 1978 and can accommodate up to 80,000 punters. In general, races are held