Its name is dry and unpromising, but anyone who has witnessed the SAR's changes over the past few decades will find this museum fascinating -- Hong Kong is a never-ending work in progress and this museum gives visitors a firsthand look at the government plans for Hong Kong. Over the next few decades, the city will continue to develop its tourism, transportation, and urban infrastructure at what seems like breakneck speed. I am consistently amazed at how quickly buildings and developments get approval here -- a highway through wetlands has been years in litigation in my hometown. The purpose of this museum is to help visitors visualize those changes through interactive displays, sophisticated computer simulation, and high-tech models that project Hong Kong's new look 10, 20, and even 30 years from now. Future and current projects include West Kowloon, which will become one of the city's foremost cultural and entertainment centers when completed around 2012; a pedestrian promenade on Hong Kong Island stretching along the waterfront from Central to Causeway Bay; and a new cruise ship terminal where Kai Tak Airport once stood. Fun, interactive exhibits include a 3-D flight over Sha Tin in the New Territories, virtual "walks" of the Lung Yeuk Tau and Ping Shan Heritage Trails, numerous touch-screen displays, and a photo booth that takes your picture with a selected Hong Kong backdrop (like the giant Buddha on Lantau Island) and then lets you e-mail it to friends for free. The museum is located on the north side of City Hall and can be toured in about 30 minutes.

Copyright: Excerpted from Frommer's Hong Kong, 10th Edition, (c) 2008, Wiley Publishing, Inc.

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