Batgung

Wong Tai Sin Temple

How long will it take?: 2-3 hours

How to get there: MTR to Wong Tai Sin

The sine qua non of HK temples – huge, busy, bright, and utterly overpowering at festival times. You might be tempted to skip this one if you’ve already seen Man Mo Temple on HK Island, but if you’ve got any interest in Chinese religion and culture whatsoever, a visit here is obligatory. It’s no museum – it’s an extremely active, i.e. ‘real’ temple, and it operates on a whole different scale from the rest of Hong Kong’s temples.

Temple Street Market

How long will it take?: Evening only; 1-2 hours

How to get there: Bus/MTR to Jordan, walk up at least as far as Yau Ma Tei MTR station

A standard Hong Kong tourist sight, but don't go there for the shopping. Temple Street is a long street market jammed with stalls selling tatty goods only mildly drunken tourists tend to buy. The most interesting part is at the northern end (i.e. near Yau Ma Tei MTR), where you start running into fortune tellers, amateur Chinese opera singers, and hookers. You can learn much more about 'the real Temple Street' in this comprehensive rundown of its, ah, charms.

Chi Lin Nunnery and temples

How long will it take?: A couple of hours?

How to get there: MTR to Diamond Hill

This one is recommended sight unseen; it’s a relatively new complex, and it comprises some very big and very brown buildings. It's convenient to combine a visit here with with Wong Tai Sin (see above).