Amidst the bric-a-brac and antique stores and booths that line Cat Street (aka Upper Lascar Row), Chiu Kee Brass Work stands out for selling only one kind of ware: items made of brass. Within the shop we found, among patterned brass door knobs, rings and other objects, this miniature dragon we figured would make a rather cool paperweight – as it is actually quite heavy – but belatedly discovered to have been designed for resting one’s chopsticks on. No wonder it has two grooves on the back of its head! Dragons are one of the most popular symbols of good luck for the Chinese. And the shopkeeper added to our good fortune by packing it in a lai see-styled red packet before placing it in a more regular plastic bag for us.

The Che Kung Temple stop on the Ma On Shan KCR branch line is named for a nearby Taoist temple with origins in the late Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). On the third day of Chinese New Year, thousands of worshippers will line up inside the grounds of this temple dedicated to a heroic general from the Sung Dynasty (960-1279) to light ceremonial tributes and turn a bronze prayer wheel to avert bad luck and hope for a ‘good turn’ of fortune in the coming year. On other days, the main attraction for visitors to this section of Sha Tin is more likely to be the HK Heritage Museum that, with an exhibition space of 7,500 metres, is the HKSAR’s largest museological institution. While in the area, heritage mavens might also wish to pay a visit to Tsang Tai Uk (aka Shan Ha Wai), a traditional Hakka walled village occupied by members of the Tsang clan since the mid-19th century. Any bucolic visions may, however, be misplaced – this traditional village is right next to some very modern sporting facilities.