Sure, you can shop til you drop and say you’ve seen Hong Kong, but the Hong Kong Museum of History does a darn good job explaining Hong Kong’s beginnings (way before the British arrived) and the events that shaped it to what it is today. Not only that, but it’s a good introduction to all the other sights you may be heading to, making your experiences that much richer.

The permanent exhibit, called The Hong Kong Story, covers the region’s natural history and its first Neolithic inhabitants, its early years as fishing and farming communities, its transformation into a bustling metropolis under the British, and its 1997 handover to China. What makes the museum particularly captivating are its dioramas, photographs from the 19th and early 20th centuries, true-to-life replicas of everything from fishing boats to traditional housing, and countless displays of clothing, furniture, and objects from every day life.