With its soaring towers and cutting-edge technology, Hong Kong is one of the world's most futuristic cities, but one area has managed to maintain its rural charms throughout the years. The Tin Shui Wai neighborhood was once renowned for its many productive rice farms, which provided residents with a standard of living that was the envy of the city. The fields are long gone, but visitors can catch a glimpse of what life was like for the farmers and merchants with a walk along the Ping Shan Heritage Trail. The one-kilometer trail winds through three villages - Hang Mei Tsuen, Hang Tau Tsuen and Sheung Cheung Wai - which contain some of the most historically valuable buildings in the New Territories.
The trail begins near the West Rail Station, and walkers are greeted with Hong Kong's only ancient pagoda, Tsui Shing Lau, a tri-level structure that dates back over 600 years. Further along the trail, visitors will encounter several altars, shrines, and temples, such as the Yeung Hau Temple, with ornate statues of Taoist deities such as Hau Wong, and the Tang Ancestral Hall, one of the largest of its kind in Hong Kong. Even if you don't know exactly what you're looking at, you'll enjoy some of the finer details of the walk, from the stone walls surrounding the villages (designed to protect them from raiders), to the intricately-tiled roofs that are always adorned by figures and traditional artwork. It's a rare glimpse of the Hong Kong of yesteryear. Starwood has three hotels in Hong Kong: the Sheraton Hong Kong Hotel & Towers, the W Hong Kong, and Le Méridien Cyberport.
[image via hkoutdoors.com]
