Ap Lei Chau

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A main road in Ap Lei Chau

Ap Lei Chau (Chinese: 鴨脷洲; pinyin: Yālìzhōu), or Aberdeen Island, is an island of Hong Kong, located south-west of Hong Kong Island, next to Aberdeen Harbour and Aberdeen Channel, with an area of 1.32 km². Administratively, it is part of Southern District.

1 History
2 Geography and Demography
3 Place to visit
4 Transportation
5 References
6 See also

[edit] History

A map dating from the Ming dynasty shows the island. On this map is marked the village of 香港村 (Heung Kong Tsuen, lit. Hong Kong Village). It is probably where the name of Hong Kong originates from.

Ap Lei Chau serves as an excellent typhoon shelter, and was a fishing village before the First Opium War. As a consequence of the Treaty of Nanking, it was ceded to the British together with Hong Kong Island in 1841. Since then, little attention had been placed on this small island.

In 1968, the government started to build a power station on the island to provide electricity for the whole of Hong Kong Island. In 1980, a bridge was constructed to connect the island to the Hong Kong Island and brought momentum for rapid economic development. Public housing estates were built to accommodate people who suffered in a fire in the Aberdeen shelter.

In 1989, the power station was moved to Lamma Island. The old power station was then demolished and the site was re-developed into the South Horizons residential area with the aid of land reclamation.

[edit] Geography and Demography

Mount Johnston on Ap Lei Chau

Ap Lei Chau was named after the shape of the island, which looks like the tongue of a duck. Ap means duck, Lei means tongue, and Chau means island. The northern part has the highest population, while the southern part of the island is less densely populated.

The highest hill on the island is Yuk Kwai Shan (aka Mount Johnston).

It is comprised of four main residential estates — Lei Tung Estate, Ap Lei Chau Main Street, Ap Lei Chau Estate and South Horizons, each of which comprises several highrise towers. There is an industrial estate on the southern tip of the island.

The population of Ap Lei Chau is 90,000, and its area is 1.32 km², giving it a population density of 68,200 people / km², making it the most densely populated island in the world.^[1]

Ap Lei Chau also lends its name to the Ap Lei Chau geologic formation, which covers most of southern Hong Kong Island.^[2]

[edit] Place to visit

The Hung Shing Temple located on the Main Street is a notable site, dating back to 1900 and is one of the oldest of its kind.

The site of the temple is nearly opposite the site of the former Aberdeen police station. Clearly chosen for its feng shui, the superior dragons were seen as being protection from the 'threat of the tiger's jaw' from the police station. Although the police station is now gone, the dragons are still seen as enduring feng shui guards.

[edit] Transportation

The connection between Ap Lei Chau and Hong Kong Island is by Ap Lei Chau bridge with four lanes. It opened in 1983 with only two lanes and was extended to four in 1994.

Bus is the main form of transport for the residents in Ap Lei Chau. There are five bus terminses in total on the island:

Ap Lei Chau Estate
Ap Lei Chau Depot (Main Street, Ap Lei Chau)
Ap Lei Chau Industrial Estate
Lei Tung Estate
South Horizons

Minibuses and taxis are also available. There is a regular sanpan service running between Ap Lei Chau Main Street and Aberdeen. (Service hours: 6am-12am)

There are plans for the Mass Transit Railway Corp. Ltd. (MTR) to extend the planned South Island Line to Ap Lei Chau.