So you've just arrived in Asia's World City, the City of Life (well, that's what the Hong Kong Government and the Hong Kong Tourism Board say anyway), this place where it used to be said that East Meets West. What to do?

Well, there's shopping! There are shops, stalls and shopping malls everywhere you look in the city, packed to the gunwales with designer goods, foodstuffs, arts and crafts, luxury brand handbags, watches, cameras. Whew! - could lead to credit card meltdown, so let's go.

Now, weighed down with carrier bags (designer brand bags, of course), what next? Let's eat! There are so many restaurants and cafes, with menus to tempt the tastebuds, pamper the palate, to send even the most ardent gourmets into paroxysms of delight.

Waddling out of the restaurant, clutching all these heavy bags, does Hong Kong tourism have more to offer? But of course: there's sightseeing! You can join a Hong Kong tour - during which the guide may kindly take you to another shop, or a factory outlet, so we can do more shopping. Or, tour independently, check out some Hong Kong tourist attractions.

Cheung Sha on the south coast of Lantau Island boasts one of Hong Kong's longest beaches - stretching around 2km from east to west, though almost split into two by a tiny headland.

There are clusters of buildings at Lower Cheung Sha village, beside the eastern end of the beach. Here, too, there are popular restaurants in former village houses just above the high tideline. The Stoep is especially popular (see article on Hong Kong Al Fresco Restaurants and Cafes); there are also a couple of more local style places, and the News bistro.

It seems the restaurants are favoured by expats arriving by junk, but they're also easily reached by public transport - lying little more than a hundred metres from the main road along south Lantau. (Just west of the main bus stops for Lower Cheung Sha.)

With its traditional hamlets, old woods, setting in a basin ringed by hills within Sai Kung Country Park, Sham Chung should be one of the jewels in the crown of wild Hong Kong. Instead, it has suffered environmental vandalism, and is currently at the centre of a dispute between conservationists and would-be developers.

Though the situation just might turn ugly, there’s also ample opportunity for beneficial schemes. (The shot on the right shows the area in December 1998; though the old paddyfields have been trashed to create a never used golf course, it's still a lovely place.)

Like Shalotung and too many other former rice growing areas, Sham Chung’s predicament dates back to the period when country parks were established, and villages and fields were excluded so villagers could continue their farming lifestyles. Farming soon became unprofitable, and many villages emptied as people moved to the city, and even emigrated.

Not surprisingly, developers saw opportunities in these old village areas, and began buying land and properties. Sun Hung Kai bought much of Sham Chung, with a view to developing a golf course. But it appears that by the time Sun Hung Kai was ready to create the course, Hong Kong’s environmental regulations were tightening. The company did not take a direct approach to the course.

After I'd always thought that "al fresco" was a fancy way of saying "outside" (as in, "Dahling, I do believe we absolutely must dine al fresco tonight. Won't you open the Pimm's?"), I've just done a Google search and found that someone had looked for a definition, and discovered that "fresco" is Italian for "cool".

Which is fine by me, as several of my favourite places for eating outside in Hong Kong aren't fancy, but are well cool.