3. North Point: historic, multi-layered neighbourhood

North Point for me was an iconic trip. Chun Yeung Street Market, roasted duck, dumplings, Java Road cooked food centre; the place is magical. There’s Sunbeam Theatre for Cantonese opera, the historic State Theatre shopping arcade for local food and chats with the vendors. I would go back to North point in a heartbeat to roam its streets. This picture captures it all – the century-old tram, the modern architecture contrasting with the tenement buildings, the characteristic signboards scrawled in Cantonese script.

4. Architecture: living history

My first brush with the heritage architecture of Hong Kong was the State Theatre in North Point, originally known as the Empire Theatre when it was built in 1952. Standing tall and sturdy among the other buildings, in recent years its future has been a subject of debate as property developers buy out the many small shops inside. The lobby of the Sunbeam Theatre, the last remaining independent Cantonese Opera theatre in Hong Kong, is another place where history engulfs you the moment you enter.