Sham Shui Po with an iPad in hand

Hulu Culture, a group that promotes local culture, organised the tour.

What was so special about the tour was that it provided each participant with an Apple iPad with pictures, videos and games related to the area. As they strolled through the streets of Sham Shui Po, the group's project director, appropriately named Simon Go, told stories of the good old days.

At a bone-setter's shop, the junior reporters could compare old photos of what used to be a shabby shop with the renovated workplace in front of them. Traces of the past remained in the form of some old equipment still there.

Then they visited Kwan Kee Store, which specialises in desserts. On the iPad, they were shown how the traditional Chinese cakes were made early in the morning at the back of the old bakery.

The iPad tour opened my eyes to the hidden culture behind our fast-paced city life. Teens are the main target of the tour, a joint project of Hulu Culture and the Jockey Club.

Technology brings traditional culture to life through the iPad: teens can read information off the device, flick through high-definition photographs, watch animated video clips and play interactive games.

I rarely stroll down the streets of Sham Shui Po, but after this trip, I think I'll go more often. I realised there's so much one can do there, from visiting old pawnshops and eateries to walking through crowded streets and a subway.

I welcomed the chance to look at Sham Shui Po from a new perspective. I used to think it was just a place to buy cheap electronic products, food and clothes. But I found there is much more to discover.

Local culture is a city's treasure, and we can only experience it by walking along the streets, not staying inside air-conditioned malls.

The photo-based iPad apps provided us with background information and the history of the shops and buildings we saw and showed us how goods were made.

The apps conveyed a clear message with their simple cartoons, animations and interactive games.