At the end of the line: Sheung Shui Village

Unlike most other villages in Hong Kong, which can be crossed by foot in no more than a few minutes, it's easy to get lost in the mega-village of Sheung Shui Heung, home to nearly 6,000 people.

With a sprawling collection of temples, ancestral halls, leafy squares and even a moat, Sheung Shui Heung is the perfect place for an aimless afternoon stroll.

Fuel up for some classic Hong Kong fare at Kwong Sing Café -- macaroni and beef soup, moist egg sandwiches and red bean drinks piled high with sweet ice -- then start wandering.

The first things you'll encounter are the ruins of an ancient house and, across the street, a food stall dishing up simple snacks. Press on and you'll come across a few small social clubs, the loud clatter of plastic mahjong tiles spilling out their open doors.

Twenty meters further is the village's main ancestral hall, built by the Liu clan in 1751. Other, more recent ancestral halls are scattered around the surrounding area, as well as a study hall built in 1872. Like most old Cantonese buildings, these are conservative in appearance, with low-pitched roofs and only modest decoration. 

A couple of small, leafy plazas are good places to sit and people watch; the only noise you'll hear is the wind rustling through the trees overhead. Towards the west end of the village is the area's original walled settlement, which is surrounded by a moat built in 1646, its languid water belying the history of attacks from bandits and rival villages that led to its construction in the first place.

Sheung Shui Village

From Sheung Shui Station, walk for 10 minutes along San Fung Avenue until you reach Jockey Club Road, where a pedestrian underpass leads into Shueng Shui Heung.