Sha Tin accommodation from AU$124

The Shatin district is one of Hong Kong’s 18 districts, and the most heavily populated. A rural township until the early 1970s, it began to grow in 1976, after the first public housing estate was built there.

Things to see and do

Shatin Racecourse can accommodate up to 80,000 people. If horse racing isn’t your passion, you can still enjoy Penfold Park, a 20-acre park right in the centre of the racecourse. Have a walk in its green fields and check out the public art and painted horses. Wander along the cycle track by the riverside to appreciate both the mountains and the high-rise apartments. If you’re keen for a little more of nature’s beauty, about 10 minutes out of town you’ll find Amah Rock. This 15-metre rock looks like a woman with a baby on her back, and when you stand beside her you can look out across the rolling hills and the city of Shatin.

Culture and Art

Visit the Hong Kong heritage Museum or the Chinese History Art Museum for Chinese art and historical relics. And if you really want to dive deep into the culture (or you’re into the spiritual side of life), visit the Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery (which actually contains almost 13,000 golden Buddha figurines!) or the Che Kung Taoist Temple, dedicated to the Song Dynasty general credited with ridding Shatin of the plague.

Shopping and dining

New Town Plaza is one of Hong Kong’s largest shopping centres, with nine stories of shopping action. There are boutiques, electronics stores, cinemas and Snoopy’s World, a kid’s playground based on the characters from ‘Peanuts’. If you feel like a good meal, Shatin has steak noodles, Japanese food or meatballs at IKEA.

Getting here

Book your flights to Hong Kong with us and you’ll find it easy to get to Shatin on the Mass Transit Railway. Check out our Shatin accommodation and we can bet you’ll have a good time.