3 Best Sights in Tsuen Wan, Hong Kong

A walled Hakka village dating from 1786 was saved from demolition to create this museum. It's just east of Tsuen Wan MTR, adjoining giant apartment complexes and a small park. Indeed, the quiet courtyards and small interlocking chambers contrast with the nearby residential towers. The structure looks more like a large home than a village—not surprisingly, the name translates as "Three Beam House." Rigid symmetry dictated the construction: the ancestral hall and two common chambers form a central axis flanked by private areas. Traditional furniture and farm tools are on display, as well as temporary exhibits.

The name means Big Hat Mountain, and at 3,140 feet this volcanic outcropping is Hong Kong's highest point. Due to particularly mercurial weather, the peak, often called "Foggy Mountain," is covered in clouds almost daily. But when the mist—and pollution—clears, the view stretches all the way to Hong Kong Island. Trails to the peak pass by caves created by Japanese soldiers during World War II and countless wild tea bushes.

These pavilions and prayer halls, founded in 1950, bring together the three streams of Chinese thought: Buddhism (which emphasizes nirvana and physical purity), Taoism (nature and inner peace), and Confucianism (following the practical and philosophical beliefs of Confucius). The main three-tier red pagoda is a copy of the centuries-old Temple of Heaven in Beijing, and houses 60 statues representing the full cycle of the Chinese calendar—you can look for the one that corresponds to your birth year and make an incense offering. To reach the institute from Tsuen Wan MTR, head to Shiu Wo Street and take the #81 minibus.