If I were to choose only one quick destination in the New Territories, it would be Tsuen Wan with its excellent walled-village museum. It's easily reached by taking the MTR Tsuen Wan Line, which runs from Central through Tsim Sha Tsui and Kowloon, to the last stop. Tsuen Wan was a small market town just 100 years ago, with a population of about 3,000 Hakkas and a thriving incense powder-producing industry. Then, as the first designated satellite town of the New Territories, it grew to a population of more than 275,000 residents, living mostly in high-rise housing estates.
The main reason for visiting Tsuen Wan is its excellent Sam Tung Uk Museum, 2 Kwu Uk Lane, Tsuen Wan (tel. 852/2411 2001; http://hk.heritage.museum), located just a few minutes' walk from Tsuen Wan MTR station by taking exit E and then turning left. The museum is actually a restored Hakka walled village, built in the 18th century by members of the farming Chan clan. It consists of tiny lanes lined with tiny tile-roofed homes, four houses that have been restored to their original condition, an ancestral hall, two rows of side houses, an exhibition hall depicting Tsuen Wan's history, and an adjacent landscaped garden. The four windowless restored houses are furnished much as they would have been when occupied, with traditional Chinese furniture (including elegant black-wood furniture), and contain farm implements, kitchens, and lavatories. Although as many as 300 clan members once lived here, the village was abandoned in 1980. Today the museum is a tiny oasis in the midst of modern high-rise housing projects. The museum is open Wednesday through Monday from 9am to 5pm, and admission is free.
From the MTR Tsuen Wan Station, it's a 15-minute walk on Tai Ho Road to Tsuen Wan West Station, a stop on the KCR West Rail line (stop by the customer service counter at MTR Tsuen Wan Station to pick up the "Location Map," which shows the location of both stations). From Tsuen Wan West Station, take the West Rail four stops to Tin Shui Wai Station.
At Tin Shui Wai Station, take exit E for the Ping Shan Heritage Trail, the start of which is easy to spot by its ancient pagoda (be sure to pick up the free Ping Shan Heritage Trail brochure at HKTB). This wonderful walking trail is only 1km (.65 miles) long and takes less than 30 minutes to complete, yet it passes a wealth of traditional Chinese structures along the way, most relating to the powerful Tang clan, who settled the Ping Shan area in the 12th century. The Tsui Sing Lau Pagoda (open 9am-1pm and 2-5pm; closed on Tues) is the only ancient pagoda in Hong Kong, constructed more than 600 years ago to improve the area's feng shui and ward off evil spirits. A small flea market, held near the pagoda on weekends and holidays, sells toys, clothing, jewelry, and accessories.
Other highlights of the trail are a walled village, two temples, and a study hall built for members of the Tang clan studying for the Imperial Civil Service Examination. But the main attraction is the 700-year-old Tang Ancestral Hall (open daily 9am-1pm and 2-5pm), still used by the Tang clan for ancestral worship, ceremonies, and festivals. Admission to this and other structures along the trail is free.
If you have more time to spare, following the map on the Ping Shan Heritage Trail brochure, walk 5 minutes to the Hang Mei Light Rail Station, and take Route 761 to Wetland Park Station, from which it's a 5-minute walk to the new Hong Kong Wetland Park, Tin Shui Wai (tel. 852/3152 2666; www.wetlandpark.com). This 61-hectare (150-acre) park was created to replace habitat lost when the Tin Shui Wai satellite town was constructed. Boardwalks and pathways lead past freshwater marshes, fish ponds, woodlands, grasslands, mudflats, and mangroves, which serve as habitats for 150 species of birds (including the winter habitat of the endangered Black-faced Spoonbill), as well as fish, reptiles, mammals, butterflies, and dragonflies. A visitor center, overlooking the wetland reserve, introduces the importance of wetlands, from tundras to tropical swamps, and includes audiovisual shows that zoom in from outer space on wetlands across the planet and take viewers to cultures from different eras and continents, from ancient Mesopotamia in 3,000 B.C. to New York in the 1920s. Hong Kong Wetland Park is open Wednesday through Monday from 10am to 5pm. Admission is HK$30 (US$3.90/£2.15) for adults and HK$15 (US$1.95/£1.05) for children, students, and seniors.
