Within Hong Kong I would very much recommend the walk detailed here – http://www.discoverhongkong.com/eng/things-to-do/images/central-western-travel-through-time.pdf – this takes you through a section of both the old and new sides of the city giving you a flavour of how it all evolved.

That walk takes a few hours to complete at a leisurely pace. If you have more time this second walk dovetails nicely with it – http://www.discoverhongkong.com/eng/things-to-do/images/gardenroad-century-of-architecture.pdf

The above covers Hong Kong Island but Kowloon is also worth checking out. I would recommend wandering up Nathan Road and exploring some of the side street markets there. The area around Mong Kok contains some of the most interesting places and buildings to see. It’s especially worth seeing in the evening when all the neon lights come on.

Hope this helps – do feel free to ask if you have any more questions. I wish I’d been able to do such a trip when I was a student!

I enjoy your comments on life in Asia. i am an architecture and urban design professor about to travel to Hong Kong for the first time. I would love to get your advice on an itinerary in the region that would be of benefit to students of architecture and, most importantly urban design in China today.