New Territories

Lion Rock is the most iconic peak in Hong Kong.

It may be possible to revitalise Hong Kong villages so they still have rural character and are great places to live – and visit.

Pak Sha O, a village in the wilds of the Sai Kung Peninsula, seems almost suspended in time.

Hexagonally jointed tuff is the key formation in the Hong Kong Global Geopark, which comprises eight areas in eastern Hong Kong.

At Ping Shan, there's a cluster of venerable buildings including two of the grandest ancestral halls and the only ancient pagoda in Hong Kong.

Pak Sha O, a village in the wilds of the Sai Kung Peninsula, seems almost suspended in time. As you approach on foot – there's no road access - trees hide it from view. Pass through these, and you see white-painted, two storey houses, mostly arrayed in terraces on gently sloping land.

Explore - quietly!, and you'll find grassy gardens, stony ruins adjoining sturdy buildings, renovation work underway. Though it's like a folk museum, there are homes equipped with all mod cons.

Deep Bay in northwest Hong Kong is a wetland of international importance, a magnet for migratory waterbirds.

Sai Kung East Country Park was established in 1978, and protects some of the finest scenery in Hong Kong. You can enjoy vistas and tranquillity that seem far from the madding city. Spend a day here, and you can forget the pressures of work, whether you’re hiking, swimming, surfing, stream scrambling or simply chilling by the beach.

Nam Sang Wai is part of the Deep Bay wetland.

Sam A Tsuen can be reached by an easy and very pleasant hike.