If you"re keen on delving into Hong Kong"s culture, you"ll do well with Moon Handbooks" guide (which also includes chapters on Macau and Guangzhou). Moon offers an amazingly thorough look at this vibrant city--from its historical beginnings under the Tang Dynasty to its dramatic hand over to China in 1997. Throughout, there are sidebars on a variety of topics, from Confucianism to Chinese medicine to mahjong. The "Food & Restaurants" section will intrigue (or perhaps repulse) readers with its descriptions of meals made from snake, dog, and shark"s fin. There is also a chapter on shopping (from the best street markets for Chinese crafts to tailors who will custom-make silk shirts for a song). The body of the book discusses the major tourist areas (Hong Kong Island, New Kowloon, the New Territories) and lists not-to-miss sights such as a ride on the Star Ferry and afternoon tea at the Peninsula Hotel. There are also plenty of tips to make your trip as seamless as possible, from translations of place names into Chinese, Cantonese phrases (simple greetings, foods, etc.), a glossary, and an extensive booklist (from James Clavell"s Tai-Pan to Suzy Gershman"s Frommer"s Born to Shop: Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Beijing). --Jill Fergus