Tai Po Market KCR. Tai Po, near the east coast halfway to the Chinese border, has been a market town since the seventeenth century. Though it’s developing rapidly, a few sights remain and it’s conveniently close to the countryside at Plover Cove.

For train enthusiasts, the Hong Kong Railway Museum (Shun Tak St, 800m to the right from the station via Nam Wan Rd, Wan Tau St, Heung Sze Wui St, Po Heung St, Wai Yi St and On Fu Rd ; Mon & Wed-Sun 9am-5pm; free) has a small exhibition of photographs and restored coaches dating back to 1911. More traditional sights include the beautiful Man Mo Temple (Fu Shin St, near the museum off On Fu Rd; dawn to dusk; free), a shrine to the Taoist gods of War and Literature, surrounded by interesting old shops selling dried seafood, religious paraphernalia and other Chinese wares. Towards the main altar, prayers have been written on red plastic plaques dangling inside the enormous hanging incense coils, which can burn for weeks.

North of the Lam Tsuen River the town’s Tin Hau Temple (Ting Kok Rd; free) was built around three hundred years ago and reflects Tai Po’s traditional importance as a fishing centre. It’s also one of the main venues for celebration and devotion during the annual Tin Hau festival, when the whole place is decorated with streamers, banners and little windmills: if your visit coincides you can catch Cantonese opera stage over the road.