Hong Kong is home to one of the world’s most famous skylines and beyond that, one of the world’s most famous harbours, Victoria Harbour. The Peak on Hong Kong Island, offers those who make the trip a truly stunning vantage over the skyscrapers of the city, over the harbour to Kowloon and to the mainland beyond.

Po Lin (precious lotus) is the large Buddhist monastery on the island of Lantau that is home to famous Tian Tan Buddha, a seated statue of Lord Guatama 34 metres in height. The world’s largest outdoor seated bronze Buddha, the bell inside the figure rings 108 times a day during festivals to signify the ‘108 troubles of mankind.’

A Symphony of Lights is a daily spectacular multi-media laser show starting every night from 8:00pm for eighteen minutes. Combining lights, music and narration, this multimedia show involves over forty of Hong Kong Island’s key buildings (also now Kowloon side) including the impressive IFC2.

One of the most popular markets is the Temple Street Night Market, which runs parallel to Nathan Road in Yau Ma Tei. All manner of goods are on offer here, from clothing to electronics and DVDs. Even if you’re not in the mood to shop (or if you’re on a tight budget), Temple Street, along with Ladies’ Market in Mong Kok and Stanley Market on the south of Hong Kong Island, are fascinating places to just walk around.

One of the most idyllic settings on Hong Kong Island, Repulse Bay can make a great stop off on the way to Stanley. With its sun-drenched beaches and panoramic views, you’ll find it hard to believe that the city is only a short drive away.

Horse racing is one of only a handful of legalised forms of gambling in Hong Kong, so race days at the Happy Valley Racecourse and Sha Tin Racecourse are big business, with Hong Kong having the highest per capita betting on horses of anywhere in the world.

Along with the urban metropolis of Hong Kong, the territory is made up of over 260 outlying islands. Indeed, 70 per cent of the Hong Kong’s land is countryside, beaches and mountains. Why not pull on your hiking boots and discover the other side of Hong Kong?

One of Hong Kong’s newest attractions charts the history of the region’s film industry, with tributes to many of the actors associated with the city including Jackie Chan and the legendary Bruce Lee.

This temple in Kowloon is dedicated primarily to a mythical shepherd boy with the power of healing and bring fortune. On the eve of every Lunar New Year, worshippers will queue for hours just to light up the first joss sticks at midnight. This ritual is believed to bring good luck for the coming year.

This market has hundreds of birds on sale, and the stall-holders tend to walk up and down, parading their birds in elaborate cages carved from teak and bamboo. Quite often, the price of the bird is determined by how well they can sing!

If you're after some spiritual harmony, why not head down to the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront in Kowloon, where the Hong Kong Tourism Board run free Tai Chi classes as part of the Cultural Kaleidoscope programme. Your expert instructor, Mr. Ng, who performed in front of Tony Blair in 2000, will guide you through the moves in an attempt to balance your yin and yang.

If you only have limited time in Hong Kong, taking a trip on the Star Ferry has to be high on your agenda.

Dim sum (literally ‘to touch the heart’) is one of the staples of Hong Kong culinary life. Eaten along with large quantities of tea, the little parcels are steamed in bamboo baskets and come in over 1,000 different varieties and the Hong Kong locals tend to eat their dim sum as a snack, or perhaps lunch or brunch, but not so commonly as an evening meal.

Noodles (along with dim sum) are part of the everyday life for millions of Hong Kong residents, and with the exceptional quality and variety on offer, it’s not hard to see why.

Along with the Star Ferry, the tram is one of Hong Kong’s most loved institutions.

A popular visitor highlight is “The Hong Kong Story” Permanent Exhibition, which outlines the natural environment, folk culture and historical development of Hong Kong from 400 million years ago until the return to Chinese sovereignty in 1997. Special thematic exhibitions are also held regularly.

Hong Kong is famous for offering tailored hand-made suits at comparatively bargain prices. All can be done in just 3 days!

Hong Kong is Asia’s shopping capital! The city has it all, from super-de-luxe malls offering top class international designers, to stores selling bargain electronic goods to markets and individual stores offering Hong Kong gifts. The only problem is deciding what to buy!

Hong Kong is home to the world’s longest stretch of escalators, where you can board the moving stairways in Central and be transported up to the Mid-levels, past shops, offices and restaurants in the sotto area.

If you’re in need of a night on the town, Lan Kwai Fong and Knutsford Terrace are the places to go! The former, on Hong Kong Island, is ideal for a bar crawl, with its many smart drinking holes.