The Brothers, Hong Kong
Encyclopedia
The Brothers or Mo To Chau (Chinese:
磨刀洲, or 大小磨刀洲) consist of two islands in Hong Kong
, Siu Mo To (or East Brother, 小磨刀洲) and Tai Mo To (or West Brother, 大磨刀洲).
, midway between Chek Lap Kok
, where Hong Kong International Airport
is located, and Tuen Mun
. West Brother and East Brother are 550 m by 430 m and 800 m by 180 m respectively. Before being leveled, they had maximum elevations of 68 m and 63 m. Tsz Kan Chau (匙羮洲), a tiny island nearby, is often regarded as a member of the group.
A VOR/DME
station is located on Siu Mo To.
was mined at West Brother Island between 1952 and 1971. By 1964, the mine workings had reached 90 m below sea level.
The two islands were leveled to avoid affecting aviation of the airport. The extracted material was used in the land reclamation
of the airport platform. Environmentalists
complained that it damaged the habitat of the Chinese white dolphin
s.
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
磨刀洲, or 大小磨刀洲) consist of two islands in 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...
, Siu Mo To (or East Brother, 小磨刀洲) and Tai Mo To (or West Brother, 大磨刀洲).
Geography
The group of islands lie in the north of Lantau IslandLantau 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...
, midway between Chek Lap Kok
Chek Lap Kok
Chek Lap Kok was an island in the western waters of Hong Kong. Together with the smaller Lam Chau, it was leveled and merged via land reclamation into the platform for the current Hong Kong International Airport, which opened for commercial operations in 1998...
, where Hong Kong International Airport
Hong Kong International Airport
Hong Kong International Airport is the main airport in Hong Kong. It is colloquially known as Chek Lap Kok Airport , being built on the island of Chek Lap Kok by land reclamation, and also to distinguish it from its predecessor, the closed Kai Tak Airport.The airport opened for commercial...
is located, and Tuen Mun
Tuen Mun
Tuen Mun is a town near the mouth of Tuen Mun River and Castle Peak Bay in the New Territories, Hong Kong. It was one of the earliest settlements in Hong Kong which can be dated back to the Neolithic period. In the more recent past, it was home to many Tanka fishermen who gathered at the Castle...
. West Brother and East Brother are 550 m by 430 m and 800 m by 180 m respectively. Before being leveled, they had maximum elevations of 68 m and 63 m. Tsz Kan Chau (匙羮洲), a tiny island nearby, is often regarded as a member of the group.
A VOR/DME
VOR/DME
VOR/DME refer to combined radio navigation station for aircraft, which consists of two beacons, placed together:*VHF omnidirectional range, the VOR*Distance measuring equipment, the DME...
station is located on Siu Mo To.
History
GraphiteGraphite
The mineral graphite is one of the allotropes of carbon. It was named by Abraham Gottlob Werner in 1789 from the Ancient Greek γράφω , "to draw/write", for its use in pencils, where it is commonly called lead . Unlike diamond , graphite is an electrical conductor, a semimetal...
was mined at West Brother Island between 1952 and 1971. By 1964, the mine workings had reached 90 m below sea level.
The two islands were leveled to avoid affecting aviation of the airport. The extracted material was used in the land reclamation
Land reclamation in Hong Kong
Land is in short supply in Hong Kong, and land reclamation has been conducted there since the mid-19th century.-Projects:One of the earliest and famous project was the Praya Reclamation Scheme, which added 50 to of land in 1890 during the second phase of construction...
of the airport platform. Environmentalists
Environmentalism
Environmentalism is a broad philosophy, ideology and social movement regarding concerns for environmental conservation and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seeks to incorporate the concerns of non-human elements...
complained that it damaged the habitat of the Chinese white dolphin
Chinese White Dolphin
The Chinese white dolphin is a humpback dolphin species, one of eighty cetacean species. An adult is white or pink and may appear as an albino dolphin to some. Uniquely, the population along the Chinese coast has pink skin. Pink skin is not pigment, but blood vessels for thermoregulation...
s.