Ap Lei Chau
Ap Lei Chau (鴨脷洲), 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.
A map of
Ming dynasty illustrated 香港村 (Heung Kong Tsuen, lit. Hong Kong Village) was on the island. It is probably the name of Hong Kong originates.
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 little island.
In 1968, the government started to build a power station on the island to provide electricity to the whole of Hong Kong Island. In 1980, a bridge was constructed to connect the island to the outside and brought momentum for rapid economic development. Public housing estates were built to accommodate for the sufferers 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 developed into South Horizons with
land reclamation.
|
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 has minimal population.
The highest hill on the island is
Yuk Kwai Shan (aka Mount Johnston).
It is comprised of four main residental
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, an area of 1.32 km², with a population density of 68,200 people / km², making it the most densely populated island in the world [
1].
The
Hung Shing Temple located on the Main Street is a notable site, dating back to 1900 and is one of the oldest of this kind.
The site of the temple was remotely opposite the former Aberdeen police station. Obviously 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.
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 terminus 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
Minibus and
taxi 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.
*
Islands of Hong Kong*
Transportation in Hong Kong*
List of buildings, sites and areas in Hong Kong*
Satellite image from Google Maps
