Pai Tau Tsuen is a sleepy village on a hillside northwest of Sha Tin MTR station. Quiet and laid-back, it's a world away from the heavily planned new town to the east.
The main draw is the Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery, up the hill from the village. Its name understates the number of Buddhas contained in the five halls - 12,000 statues have been consecrated in the temple alone, a handful of which date back to the Tang dynasty.
The 'monastery' doesn't live up to its name - there aren't any resident monks here and it's overseen by laypeople. But the preserved body of its founder, Yuet Kai, who, along with his disciples, built the temple by hand, is on display in the main hall.
About 40 temples dot the hills around Pai Tau and some are open to the public, but many are not. During a recent visit, a monk from Wai Chuen Monastery noted that the area is prized for its solitude and calm - perfect for the reflective life.
'It [would be] nice to live here,' the monk said. 'It's quiet and peaceful.'
The main temple and pagoda of the monastery are listed buildings, but they're not the only ones in town. In the main Pai Tau village, the Lam Ancestral Hall buildings are also recognised as being of historic importance. Set back from the street, behind a stone wall, the rooms of the hall are part of a row of old homes that give the village much of its character. Residents say the buildings are about 70 years old.