I always travel with my child. Maybe a thread for children would help others. I would have found one helpful.

My son was 14 when we traveled to China and Japan.

HK- He loved the mid-level escalators in HK with the "cool" asian graffiti visible on the sides of buildings. He also loved Man Mo Temple because of the hanging incense- wouldn't have guessed that one. He loved the double decker buses and the trolley and Ocean Park even though it rained all day - I was miserable though.

China - To be honest it was a matter of what he disliked the least, not what he liked.
He hated Yangshuo the most, Beijing the least because of the Great Wall. He did think anything familiar (Coke, McDonalds, Outback) in Chinese was cool. He spent two weeks focused on seeing if he could find a hair pick. That's right - for an afro - in China! It was an impossible task to keep himself pre-occupied. I was torturing him so he was going to torture me with this hunt for a hair pick .

Japan - Loved Tokyo - especially Odaiba (Palette Town, the ferris wheel, Venus Fort, etc) begged to go hang out there every night. Loads of Japanese teens on the elevated subway to and from so I would think any teen would like Odaiba. Loved the subway - had it mastered first day. Loved Asakusa and the SuijoBus http://www.suijobus.co.jp/english/ship_e/index.html that coincidentally went between his two favorite places!

That's all I have.

Hahaha...

You know, I was dragged to China so many times by my parents around that age. I'll say that the only trip to China back then which I really enjoyed was a Yangtze Cruise.

I also went to Japan twice, and I loved everything about it. Cool gadgets in hotels, cool cars, interesting food, cool-looking young people. Everything about Japan is cool!

As for Hong Kong, I grew up there. But one thing I really like is the ferry ride to Cheung Chau and Lantau. And then the long exciting bus ride up to Po Lin Monastery (that was before the Big Buddha was built). And the Peak Tram is always cool, even if it runs next to my highschool and I see the trams many times a day. Front row, left seat, upper deck on all buses are fun, especially #6 to Stanley or #15 to the Peak. I could hear the shell of the bus hitting tree twigs all the time. Heck, I still love those seats now when I'm not 14.

rkkwan- we took those buses in HK! One ride in particular (you'll have to help me remember where) passed between mountains and the water and the buildings - residential I think - all had giant holes in the middle.

Intentional, part of the architecture, and a local man on the bus leaned over to my son and told him the holes were so that dragons can come out of the mountains and get a drink from the ocean! Even I thought THAT was "cool"! Is that true? Is that why there are holes in those buildings?

You were taking the bus to Stanley. And the most prominent building with a hole in it is "The Repulse Bay".

People say Feng Shui has something do with the hole. But I have my doubts. The Repulse Bay is owned and developed by the Hong Kong and Shanghai Hotels Corp, i.e. the Peninsula group with luxury hotels around the world.

Its major shareholders have been the Kadoorie Family for over 100 years, who were Jews from Baghdad. I don't believe they're that interested into Feng Shui.

Great topic. We will be taking our 14 year old son when we go to China in April. The highlight will (hopefully) be seeing his sister who has been there since August. We all miss her. We're also planning to go to Hong Kong but I had only planned about a day and half and I'm sure the first day will hardly count because of jet lag. Then we're off to Yangshuo where we want to spend a couple of days. I was hoping he would be happy with hanging out and maybe doing a cooking class. Three out of four of us like to cook, including son. Husband can take a bike ride

We're also planning on seeing Xi'an and Beijing. Would love to hear from other parents of teens.

toobusy- Your 14 year old doing something he loves (cooking) will really help in Yangshuo if he has the same reaction as my son - some of the poverty was pretty distressing for him. Across from the Paradise Hotel a little obscured from view is a playground where the local teens shoot basketball. My son joined in a game for an hour or so - the playtime really helped.

In Xi'an the Tang Dynasty Dinner Show was a hit with him and there is a McDonalds (lower level - shopping complex) kitty corner from Muslim Quarter area. There were young adults street dancing out front with music blaring - one of the dancers was a black male (and so began our hunt for a hair pick, "He has to comb his hair somehow, Mom.&quot

In Beijing we hired pedicabs and we raced each other down Chang An Ave snapping pictures at each other. They don't go very fast, it was a lot of fun and the drivers had a blast.

Give him his own stash of Yuan to bargain for trinkets. The Chinese love children and you'll see a whole different side of the vendors/shopkeepers if you stand outside the store or a few paces back on the street and let them interact alone.

And you are right that the first day in HK will likely be a blur from the jet-lag.

I hope you have a great time!

Repulse Bay! Thanks rkkwan. Feng Shui or not- I loved that man telling my child that story - it was magical!