Cheung Chau
Encyclopedia
- Not to be confused with Changzhou IslandChangzhou IslandChangzhou Island , also called Danes Island by the westerners, is an island in Huangpu District at the mouth of the Pearl River in East Guangzhou. It is about 11.5 square kilometers, of which the land area is 8.5 square kilometers. Its western part is linked to Guangzhou University Town by a bridge...
, an island in Guangzhou, China.
Cheung Chau is a small island
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
10 km southwest of Hong Kong Island
Hong Kong Island
Hong Kong Island is an island in the southern part of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. It has a population of 1,289,500 and its population density is 16,390/km², as of 2008...
, is nicknamed as the 'dumbbell island' for its shape. It has been inhabited for longer than most other places in the territory of Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, with a population of about 23,000 up to 2006. Administratively, it is part of the Islands District.
Geography
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
masses joined by what was presumably once a tombolo
Tombolo
A tombolo, from the Italian tombolo, derived from the Latin tumulus, meaning 'mound,' and sometimes translated as ayre , is a deposition landform in which an island is attached to the mainland by a narrow piece of land such as a spit or bar. Once attached, the island is then known as a tied island...
, a kind of sandbar
Bar (landform)
A shoal, sandbar , or gravelbar is a somewhat linear landform within or extending into a body of water, typically composed of sand, silt or small pebbles. A spit or sandspit is a type of shoal...
. With an area of 2.45 km², the island is therefore "long", hence the name as translated from Cantonese is Long Island. Thus, it is redundant to say "Cheung Chau Island". The island is dumbbell-shaped, with hills at the northern and southern ends and the settlements concentrated in between.
Economy
The central part of the island is well developed with shops and houses. The laneways are so narrow that normal motor traffic is impossible. Instead, there are small motorized trucks officially termed "Village vehicles". For example, there are small specially designed mini-fire enginesFire apparatus
A fire apparatus, fire engine, fire truck, or fire appliance is a vehicle designed to assist in fighting fires by transporting firefighters to the scene and providing them with access to the fire, along with water or other equipment...
, ambulance
Ambulance
An ambulance is a vehicle for transportation of sick or injured people to, from or between places of treatment for an illness or injury, and in some instances will also provide out of hospital medical care to the patient...
s and police car
Police car
A police car is a ground vehicle used by police, to assist with their duties in patrolling and responding to incidents. Typical uses of a police car include transportation for officers to reach the scene of an incident quickly, to transport criminal suspects, or to patrol an area, while providing a...
s. Residential areas also exist on the hills of the north and south.
Traditionally the island was a fishing village and there are still fishing fleets working from the harbour. However in recent years the island has become a major tourist attraction, offering a mixture of sandy swimming beaches, seafood cafes, and traditional Chinese culture.
History
Under the terms of the 1898 Second Convention of Peking, the New TerritoriesNew Territories
New Territories is one of the three main regions of Hong Kong, alongside Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula. It makes up 86.2% of Hong Kong's territory. Historically, it is the region described in The Convention for the Extension of Hong Kong Territory...
and 200 smaller islands including Cheung Chau were leased to the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
for 99 years. At that time, Cheung Chau was mainly a fishing village; it had more residents living on junks than on land.
Cheung Chau had already been settled by people from other places in Southern China
Northern and southern China
Northern China and southern China are two approximate regions within China. The exact boundary between these two regions has never been precisely defined...
; for example, Hoklo
Hoklo
Hoklo can mean the following:* The Hoklo people, a geographically widespread cultural-linguistic group originating in southeast China , also called Hokkien.* Min Nan, the Chinese language group spoken by the Hoklo....
, they are mainly fishing people; Hakka people
Hakka people
The Hakka , sometimes Hakka Han, are Han Chinese who speak the Hakka language and have links to the provincial areas of Guangdong, Jiangxi, Guangxi, Sichuan, Hunan and Fujian in China....
; Chiu Chau; and Yue Ca. The island slowly evolved into a commercial hub with merchants selling supplies to the local fishing people, boat repair and fishing gear as well as the place to do business for fishing people and small farmers of other nearby islands like Lantau Island
Lantau Island
Lantau Island , based on the old local name of Lantau Peak , is the largest island in Hong Kong, located at the mouth of the Pearl River. Administratively, most of Lantau Island is part of the Islands District of Hong Kong...
.
From 2000, a spate of suicide cases (most of them by "burning charcoal
Charcoal-burning suicide
-Mechanism of action:As the charcoal burns, the oxygen in the air of the room is gradually exhausted. The incomplete combustion of carbon produces carbon monoxide which binds strongly to hemoglobin, rapidly decreasing the ability of blood to deliver oxygen to the body...
") took place inside rental holiday homes on the island. Hong Kong Chinese-language newspapers soon dubbed the island "Death Island" and stories concerning apparitions appeared in the wake of news about the succeeding suicides. In 2005 a local councillor Lam Kit-sing proposed a "suicide theme-park" to be built in order to capitalise on the island's now macabre reputation. Those plans were quickly ridiculed and subsequently rejected. Soon after, the choice of Cheung Chau for would-be suicides tailed off.
Sights
Temples
- Pak Tai TempleYuk Hui TempleYuk Hui Temple also known as Pak Tai Temple , is a taoist temple located on the island of Cheung Chau, Hong Kong. The temple address is Pak She Street, Tung Wan, Cheung Chau.- Introduction :...
- one of the oldest temples in Hong Kong. The temple was built in 1783. It was demolished and completely rebuilt in 1989. In front of the temple, there are 4 pairs of guarding lions. Before the altar are statues of two generals, Thousand Miles Eye and Favourable Wind Ear, who together are traditionally said to be able to hear and see anything - Four templesTin Hau temples in Hong KongOver 70 temples are dedicated to Tin Hau in Hong Kong. They include:* Tin Hau temple, located at 10 Tin Hau Temple Road, Causeway Bay, east of Victoria Park, in Eastern District, on Hong Kong Island. It is a declared monument. The temple has given its name to the MTR station serving it .* The Tin...
dedicated to Tin HauMatsu (goddess)Mazu , also spelt Matsu, is the indigenous goddess of the sea who is said to protect fishermen and sailors, and is invoked as the patron deity of all Southern Chinese and East Asian persons...
, including the Pak She Tin Hau Temple - Kwan Kung Chung Yi Ting, a traditional temple built in 1973, dedicated to the god of justice Kwan TaiGuan YuGuan Yu was a general serving under the warlord Liu Bei during the late Eastern Han Dynasty of China. He played a significant role in the civil war that led to the collapse of the Han Dynasty and the establishment of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period, of which Liu Bei was the...
Others
- A cave, alleged to be the hiding place of Cheung Po TsaiCheung Po TsaiCheung Po Tsai was a 19th century Chinese pirate. He was also known as Cheung Po/Chang Pao/Zhang Bao .Several places in Hong Kong are linked to Cheung Po Tsai:* Cheung Po Tsai Cave, on Cheung Chau island...
, a 19th century pirate - Rock carvingPrehistoric Hong KongPrehistoric Hong Kong is the period between the arrival of the first humans in the modern Hong Kong region and the start of recorded in Chinese history. The history of the region is...
located near Tung Wan Beach were reported by geologistGeologistA geologist is a scientist who studies the solid and liquid matter that constitutes the Earth as well as the processes and history that has shaped it. Geologists usually engage in studying geology. Geologists, studying more of an applied science than a theoretical one, must approach Geology using...
s in 1970, and are declared monuments of Hong KongDeclared monuments of Hong KongDeclared monuments of Hong Kong are places, structures or buildings legally declared to be "protected". In Hong Kong, declaring a monument requires consulting the Antiquities Advisory Board, the approval of the Chief Executive as well as the publication of the notice in government gazette.As of 12...
. This 3000-year-old rock carving is located on the east of the island, immediately below the Warwick Hotel. It consists of two groups of similar carved lines surrounding small depressions. - Tung WanBeaches of Hong KongHong Kong has a long coastline that is full of twists and turns with many bays and beaches. Many of them are well sheltered by mountains nearby, as Hong Kong is a mountainous place...
and Kwun Yam Wan beaches
Bun Festival
The annual Cheung Chau Bun FestivalCheung Chau Bun Festival
Cheung Chau Bun Festival or Cheung Chau Da Jiu Festival is a traditional Chinese festival on the island of Cheung Chau in Hong Kong. Being held annually, and with therefore the most public exposure, it is by far the most famous of such Da Jiu festivals, with Jiu being a Taoist sacrificial...
is a festival
Festival
A festival or gala is an event, usually and ordinarily staged by a local community, which centers on and celebrates some unique aspect of that community and the Festival....
which includes a parade of floats, most famously including young children dressed as famous characters doing impossible balancing acts. It last seven days and attracts tens of thousands of visitors to the island.
Notable people
- Lee Lai ShanLee Lai ShanLee Lai-Shan MBE BBS is a former world champion and Olympic gold medal-winning professional windsurfer from Hong Kong. She is the first and last ever athlete to win an Olympic medal representing Hong Kong, not as part of China...
, a windsurfer, won Hong Kong's first Olympic gold medal in 1996. That Olympic gold was also Hong Kong's last Olympic medal since in 1997 Hong Kong became a Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of ChinaPeople's Republic of ChinaChina , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
and now competes in the Olympics as Hong Kong, China.
Education
There are four primary schools and two secondary schools in Cheung Chau, including C.C.C. Cheung Chau Church Kam Kong Primary School, Cheung Chau Fisheries Joint Association Public School, Cheung Chau Sacred Heart School, Kwok Man School, Buddhist Wai Yan Memorial College and Cheung Chau Government Secondary School.Transportation
First Ferry operates ferriesFerry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
service between Central
Central, Hong Kong
Central is the central business district of Hong Kong. It is located in Central and Western District, on the north shore of Hong Kong Island, across Victoria Harbour from Tsim Sha Tsui, the southernmost point of Kowloon Peninsula...
pier
Central Piers
The Central Piers are situated on the northeast part of Central, Hong Kong Island. The ferries mostly depart to Outlying Islands in the New Territories, with the exception of Pier 1 serving as a government pier, and ferries from Piers 7, 8 going to Kowloon.-Ferry Services:The destinations of the...
and Cheung Chau. The ferries run approximately every 30 minutes depending upon time of day. Schedules on Sundays and public holidays differ from weekdays. The trip of about 20 kilometers takes 55 minutes or 35 minutes for ordinary ferries and high speed ferries respectively. Due to inaccessibility to cars and other vehicles, most residents use bicycles for personal transportation, and a number of bicycle rental shops near the ferry pier rent bicycles to tourists.
See also
- Islands of Hong Kong
- Beaches of Hong KongBeaches of Hong KongHong Kong has a long coastline that is full of twists and turns with many bays and beaches. Many of them are well sheltered by mountains nearby, as Hong Kong is a mountainous place...
- List of buildings, sites and areas in Hong Kong
External links
- Cheung Chau Island - Cheung Chau page at Hong Kong Tourism BoardHong Kong Tourism BoardThe Hong Kong Tourism Board is a Government-subvented body founded in 2001. The Board replaced the Hong Kong Tourist Association established in 1957...
- My Hometown – Cheung Chau - TV program by the Radio Television Hong KongRadio Television Hong KongRadio Television Hong Kong is a public broadcasting organisation in Hong Kong that is operated as an independent department in the government under the Broadcasting Authority. RTHK operates seven radio channels, and produces television programmes that are then broadcast through local television...
on Cheung Chau. (video archive)