3 Best Sights in Hong Kong, China

Spanning across 150 square km of the New Territories, the Geopark consists of two geological regions: the Sai Kung Volcanic Rock Region and the Northeast New Territories Sedimentary Rock Region. The sites comprise islets, sea caves, and villages, but the star may be on the honeycomb-shape columns formed by volcanic eruptions 140 million years ago, the most dramatic of which can be witnessed on the coast of High Island. The Volcanic Discovery Centre located in downtown Sai Kung provides helpful information about the area and serves as the gateway to the Geopark. Tours by Recommended Geopark Guides (R2G)---a number of which are available through the Volcanic Discovery Centre---is the best way to experience the park.

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.

Tucked away on the western end of Lantau, this fishing village inhabited largely by the shuishangren, literally \"people on the water,\" some of whom continue to live in stilts houses. There's a temple dedicated to Kwan Tai, god of war, that was established in the 15th century. Remains of salt pans line part of the shoreline, and a glance beyond the coast sometimes rewards you with a sighting of a rare Hong Kong pink dolphin. The 1902 Tai O Police Station, on the village's southwest tip, has been restored and converted into the Tai O Heritage Hotel, a great place for tea, or a continental meal.