Bus #6, #6A or #260 from Exchange Square, Central. When Britain seized Hong Hong there were already two thousand people living at the south coast settlement of Stanley, earning an income from fishing and piracy.

Today, it’s a small residential place, with low-key modern buildings surrounding Stanley Plaza and Murray House, built in 1843 for the British Army and moved stone by stone in 1982 from its previous site in Central, where the Bank of China now stands.

To the east, Stanley’s lively market (daily 10am-7pm) straddles the streets and alleys around Stanley Market Road, and is a good place to pick up touristy clothing, crockery and souvenirs. More impressive is the small Tin Hau Temple on the western side of the peninsula, dating from 1767.

Interestingly, Tin Hau’s statue has to share the hall with a dozen other deities of Taoist, Buddhist, and local origins, along with a darkened tiger pelt, bagged nearby in 1942 - the last ever shot in Hong Kong.

There are also lanterns and model ships, reminding you of Tin Hau’s role as protector of fishermen, though there’s little fishing done from Stanley these days. Stanley’s best stretch of sand is St Stephen’s Beach, fifteen minutes south along the shore, with a short pier, a watersports centre, barbecue pits, showers and decent swimming.