I had some free time to go to Lantau, an island off Hong Kong, which is reachable by road and rail.
This is actually most people's arrival point, as Hong Kong's new airport was built on an artificial piece of land that was added to accommodate the huge structure.

The island is home to some amazing little fishing villages (Tai O), where locals go at weekends to buy their dried fish, as well as Big Buddha, the biggest outdoor buddha in the world. Next to the Big Buddha temple, is a monastery, where its possible to eat some fantastic vegetarian food, with beautifully decorated and ornate surroundings.
A great afternoon out, and the chance to be outside of the polluted areas like Hong Kong Island and Kowloon.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lantau_Island

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IIn Shek Kip Mei one is able to see exactly how some of the territories poverty locked 40% live. It is one of the few accessible places where one can still find first generation public housing blocks in all their glory.

HK has wilfully forgotten the very people whose hard work and labour allowed it to prosper. It is important for people living in HK as well as those visiting to realise that the much publicised shopping malls and expensive hotels, eateries, and clubs that service expatriates and the local elite do not represent the HK the majority of residents recognise.

HK's majority are, amazingly, all too often the forgotten people. It certainly puts into perspective the shopaholic culture and the trend towards excess that characterises what was once the heart of HK: Central district. A heart does not distinguish between those who are a part of the hang send economy (those with property) and the vast majority who are not.

Shek Kip Mei is one of several such districts visitors hardly venture. In some ways it is a gem as these are the only districts of HK that advertisers don't bother to smother.

Visitors wanting to understand the real HK, or those who really believe HK has found, or more correctly found but lost, that elusive form of capitalism that seems to work for all, ought to take a trip down to Shek Kip Mei.

HK does show that Chinese capitalism (whatever that means) can work and can be fun for the cream. I wouldn't taste the milk.

Take the MTR to Shek Kip Mei station. Exit and walk west

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It’s a beautiful setting, reached via a long staircase with life-size golden Buddhas on either side and when we arrived about 10am it was almost deserted.

Incense burns everywhere, with gifts of flowers and fruit to Buddha left on tables outside the temples and pagoda. There is a vegetarian restaurant and a small souvenir stall.

KCR to Sha Tin

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For those interested in Hong Kong flora and history, I recommend a visit to Sheung Yiu Folk Museum, in Sai Kung Country Park. This centres around a restored Hakka dwelling built by the Wong clan in the 19th-century, recreated with great care and attention to detail.

The walk to the house takes you along a path through ancient woodlands, in which can be found many of the indigenous plants and herbs used by the Hakka community for a huge variety of purposes,
medicinal, culinary and practical. Entry to the house is free, and you can wander around the rooms and defences at your leisure.

Farming implements and many of the accoutrements of Hakka life have been built solely for this site. Close to the house is an original lime kiln and jetty for bringing in coral: relics of the cement industry that provided an important source of income to the Wong clan.

There are few of these types of heritage site in Hong Kong, and Sheung Yiu receives few visitors - which is part of the attraction.

Pak Tam Chung Nature Trail, Sai Kung, Hong Kong.
To get to Sheung Yiu Folk Museum, take the number 94 bus from Sai Kung town, or the 96R / 289R (which only run on public holidays). Get off at the bus terminus by the Country Park Management Centre, and walk into the park past the traffic barrier. Walk down Pak Tam road until you see a footbridge crossing the river to your right: Cross the bridge and take the path to the right.

Sheung Yiu is closed on Tuesdays, Christmas day, Boxing day, New
Year's day and the first three days of Chinese New Year

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Wong Tai Sin is a temple complex seemingly dumped into a suburb. Far from being just a tourist site, the temple is regularly used by the local people - I saw people there hoping for luck in exams and driving tests, among other things. Round the back, away from the bustle, is a quiet garden.

Chi Lin nunnery is a beautiful Buddhist building entirely made of wood - no steel or nails. Peaceful gardens and lily pools and few people other than nuns and gardeners. There’s sweet souvenirs too - all proceeds go towards the upkeep of the complex. Out of central Hong Kong, but a great place to find peace and quiet as well as a little culture.

MTR to Wong Tai Sin station, then a short (signed) walk. For Chi Lin, take the MTR to Diamond Hill, again the walk is signed

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There are actually many free cultural tours in Hong Kong. I've checked out the tourist board website and found something called Cultural Kaledeiscope Program, which you can book online. There are so many to choose from, like watching Chinese opera, cooking classes, feng shui class, or tai chi in front of the harbour. It's a lot of fun.

www.DiscoverHongKong.com

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This is a fabulous, much under-visited museum which offers fantastic insights into Hong Kong in the context of Chinese Culture. There is a superb display of pre-British archaeological and cultural artefacts, fantastic recreations of Hong Kong's past, present and possible futures, and some entrancing mock-ups of Chinese opera and theatre.

Not hugely easy to find (hence under-visited) but take the KCR to Shat Tin (New Territories) and then either take a short taxi ride or make your way through the Festival Walk Shopping Mall, heading South and East and you'll come to signposts.

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