NEW TERRITORIES. This vast new airport was the largest civil engineering project ever undertaken ­ worldwide. At this museum, visitors can see the complex project as it took shape. The ferry ride to Tsuen Wan offers excellent views on the way to the museum, and once there, you can see scale models of the airport, photos from various stages of the project, and panoramic views of the Tsing Ma Bridge.

CENTRAL HONG KONG. This museum, housed in the oldest remaining colonial building in Hong Kong, is nestled inside the quiet and scenic Hong Kong Park. Built in 1846, the building now offers an intriguing blend of colonial heritage and Chinese tradition. More than 500 tea-related pieces are housed here, some of them dating back to the seventh century, and you can follow the tea-making habits of various dynasties over the centuries. All exhibits have explanations in English and Chinese. From time to time, lessons on Chinese tea drinking are available.

STANLEY. Learn all about Hong Kong's fascinating maritime history at this museum located in a 19th century colonnaded building at Stanley Plaza. The museum is divided into galleries covering the ages of sail and steam, with exhibits that feature beautifully detailed models of ancient and modern ships made from wood, pottery and ivory; paintings, textiles, ceramics. Maps, ships' manifests, and other artifacts fill in the details.

KOWLOON. Chinese history has taken dramatic twists and turns over the past three millenia, and this museum offers detailed exhibits that take you through every aspect of the country's development. Beginning in Neolithic times and running right up to today, some of the top attractions include a recreation of a Hong Kong street of a century ago and photo exhibits showing how certain areas have changed. Many clans and ethnic groups are represented.

CENTRAL. This intriguing museum traces the relatively recent history of medical science in Hong Kong. In 1906, in response to Hong Kong's ongoing epidemic of bubonic plague, the Bacteriological Institute opened in this building as the city's first medical laboratory. Over the decades the focus changed (as did the name, to the Pathological Institute), and the building eventually was turned into a museum. Today it houses several galleries with exhibits devoted to Chinese herbal medicine, dentistry, and a unique comparison of Chinese and Western medicine. The building itself is quite interesting as well; among its charms are several fireplaces, a beautiful entry hall, and carefully tiled floors.