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Lantau Island (also Lantao Island, Lan Tao or Lan Tau) is the largest
island An island or isle is a piece of land, distinct from a continent, completely surrounded by water. There are continental islands, which were formed by being split from a continent by plate tectonics, and oceanic islands, which have never been ...
in
Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...
, located west of
Hong Kong Island Hong Kong Island () is an island in the southern part of Hong Kong. The island, known originally and on road signs simply as "Hong Kong", had a population of 1,289,500 and a population density of , . It is the second largest island in Hong Kon ...
and the
Kowloon Peninsula The Kowloon Peninsula is a peninsula that forms the southern part of the main landmass in the territory of Hong Kong, alongside Victoria Harbour and facing toward Hong Kong Island. The Kowloon Peninsula and the area of New Kowloon are collect ...
, and is part of the
New Territories The New Territories (N.T., Traditional Chinese characters, Chinese: ) is one of the three areas of Hong Kong, alongside Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. It makes up 86.2% of Hong Kong's territory, and contains around half of the population of H ...
. Administratively, most of Lantau Island is part of the
Islands District The Islands District is one of the 18 districts of Hong Kong. It is part of the New Territories. It had a population of 185,282 in 2021. Hong Kong consists of a peninsula and 263 islands. The Islands District consists of some twenty large and ...
of Hong Kong. A small northeastern portion of the island is located in the
Tsuen Wan District Tsuen Wan District is one of the 18 districts of Hong Kong. It is located in the New Territories and is served by the Tsuen Wan line of the MTR metro system. Its area is 60.7 km2. Its residents, who mostly live in Tsuen Wan Town, enjo ...
. Originally an island with fishing villages, it has been developed since the late 20th century with the construction of Tung Chung New Town on its north-western coast and the completion of several major infrastructure projects, including Lantau Link (1997),
Hong Kong International Airport Hong Kong International Airport is an international airport on the island of Chek Lap Kok in western Hong Kong. The airport is also referred to as Chek Lap Kok International Airport or Chek Lap Kok Airport, to distinguish it from its predec ...
(1998),
Hong Kong Disneyland Hong Kong Disneyland () (abbreviated HKDL; also known as HK Disneyland or Disneyland Hong Kong) is a theme park located on reclaimed land in Penny's Bay, Lantau Island, Hong Kong. It opened to visitors on Monday, September 12, 2005, at 13:00 H ...
(2005), and Ngong Ping 360 (2006).


Geography

With a land mass of , Lantau is the largest island in Hong Kong, almost twice the size of
Hong Kong Island Hong Kong Island () is an island in the southern part of Hong Kong. The island, known originally and on road signs simply as "Hong Kong", had a population of 1,289,500 and a population density of , . It is the second largest island in Hong Kon ...
. Lantau Island primarily consists of mountainous terrain. Lantau Peak () is the highest point of the island. It is the second highest peak in Hong Kong, after
Tai Mo Shan Tai Mo Shan is the highest peak in Hong Kong, with an elevation of above the , or around above mean sea level. It is located at approximately the geographical centre of the New Territories. The Tai Mo Shan Country Park covers an area of ...
, and is almost twice the height of
Victoria Peak Victoria Peak ( zh, t=太平山, j=taai3 ping4 saan1) is a hill on the western half of Hong Kong Island. It is also known as Mount Austin, and locally as The Peak only generally. With an elevation of , it is the tallest hill on Hong Kong Isla ...
. Other mountains include Sunset Peak (Tai Tung Shan) at , Lin Fa Shan at , Nei Lak Shan at and Yi Tung Shan at . Lantau Island is often referred to as "the lungs of Hong Kong", because of its abundance of indigenous forest and relative scarcity of high-rise residential developments which characterise
Hong Kong Island Hong Kong Island () is an island in the southern part of Hong Kong. The island, known originally and on road signs simply as "Hong Kong", had a population of 1,289,500 and a population density of , . It is the second largest island in Hong Kon ...
and
Kowloon Kowloon () is one of the areas of Hong Kong, three areas of Hong Kong, along with Hong Kong Island and the New Territories. It is an urban area comprising the Kowloon Peninsula and New Kowloon. It has a population of 2,019,533 and a populat ...
. The largest country park of Hong Kong, Lantau South Country Park is located on the island, which hosts two other parks, namely Lantau North Country Park and its extension. These parks cover slightly more than half of the area of Lantau Island. Shek Pik Reservoir is the third largest freshwater reservoir in Hong Kong. Completed in 1963, it covers an area of and has a capacity of . Fan Lau Kok at the end of Fan Lau Peninsula is the southwest end of the territory of Hong Kong. The small island of Peaked Hill, off Tsin Yue Wan (), marks the westernmost point on the land of Hong Kong territories.


Population

Lantau Island has relatively low
population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...
. Settlements are scattered throughout the island and each has its own distinctive characteristics. The completion of the
Hong Kong International Airport Hong Kong International Airport is an international airport on the island of Chek Lap Kok in western Hong Kong. The airport is also referred to as Chek Lap Kok International Airport or Chek Lap Kok Airport, to distinguish it from its predec ...
at
Chek Lap Kok Chek Lap Kok is an island in the western waters of Hong Kong's New Territories. Unlike the smaller Lam Chau, it was only partially leveled when it was assimilated via land reclamation into the island for the current Hong Kong International ...
in 1998 has led to economic development in north-western Lantau; the once quiet village of Tung Chung became a
new town New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz (South Korean band), The Boyz * New (album), ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 ** New (Paul McCartney song), "New" (Paul McCartney song), 2013 * New (EP), ''New'' (EP), ...
and is now home to over 45,000 people located in 30 to 50 storey high-rise housing estates and condominiums located near the airport. The neighbouring Yat Tung Estate houses 37,273 people, primarily in public housing. Over the next few years, the population of the
North Lantau New Town Tung Chung New Town, formerly named North Lantau New Town, is the newest of the nine New towns of Hong Kong, new towns in Hong Kong, a special administrative region of China, located on the northern coast of the Lantau Island in the New Terri ...
is expected to increase to a target population of over 200,000 across of
reclaimed land Land reclamation, often known as reclamation, and also known as land fill (not to be confused with a waste landfill), is the process of creating new land from oceans, seas, riverbeds or lake beds. The land reclaimed is known as reclamatio ...
stretching from Tung Chung to Tai Ho Wan.


Discovery Bay

Discovery Bay Discovery Bay is a picturesque residential community located on Lantau Island. The 2021 census recorded a population of 19,336 residents in DB, with 55% of them being non-Chinese. DB is home to a significant community compared of expatriates ...
is a privately owned residential development located on the south-eastern coast of Lantau. The district has a population of 20,271 residents from over 30 different countries, giving it a reputation as an
expatriate An expatriate (often shortened to expat) is a person who resides outside their native country. The term often refers to a professional, skilled worker, or student from an affluent country. However, it may also refer to retirees, artists and ...
enclave.


Villages

Other settlements include
Mui Wo Mui Wo is a rural town on the eastern coast of Lantau Island in British Hong Kong, Hong Kong. The 2011 Census recorded 5,485 people living in Mui Wo and its environs. Mui Wo (English: Mui Wo), formerly known as Mei Wo or Mei Wei (Cantonese: ...
,
Tai O Tai O () is a fishing town, partly located on an island of the same name, on the western side of Lantau Island in Hong Kong. The village name means ''large inlet'', referring to wiktionary:outlet, outlet for the waterways (Tai O Creek and Tai ...
, Tong Fuk, Sha Lo Wan villages, Pui O villages, Luk Keng Village, Nim Shue Wan Village, Pak Mong, San Shek Wan and The Sea Ranch.


Etymology

The name ''Lantau Island'' is based on the old local name of '' Lantau Peak'', (). Its Chinese name, , is sometimes
romanized In linguistics, romanization is the conversion of text from a different writing system to the Roman (Latin) script, or a system for doing so. Methods of romanization include transliteration, for representing written text, and transcription, ...
as Tai Yu Shan. The island has been historically known as Tai Hai Shan (), Tai Kai Shan (), Tai Yi Shan (), and Tuen Mun Island ().


History

Early human artifacts have been discovered on the island. These include rock carvings at
Shek Pik Shek Pik () is an area located along the southwestern coast of Lantau Island, Hong Kong. When the Shek Pik Reservoir was built, villages at Shek Pik were demolished and the villagers were relocated to other parts of Lantau Island and to Tsuen ...
, which are thought to date back to the
Bronze Age The Bronze Age () was a historical period characterised principally by the use of bronze tools and the development of complex urban societies, as well as the adoption of writing in some areas. The Bronze Age is the middle principal period of ...
, and a
stone circle A stone circle is a ring of megalithic standing stones. Most are found in Northwestern Europe – especially Stone circles in the British Isles and Brittany – and typically date from the Late Neolithic and Early Bronze Age, with most being ...
at Fan Lau which is probably from the
Neolithic The Neolithic or New Stone Age (from Ancient Greek, Greek 'new' and 'stone') is an archaeological period, the final division of the Stone Age in Mesopotamia, Asia, Europe and Africa (c. 10,000 BCE to c. 2,000 BCE). It saw the Neolithic Revo ...
Age. Both sites are located on the southwestern coast of the island. The island was often shown in navigation maps because of its proximity to a major sea route in
South China South China ( zh, s=, p=Huá'nán, j=jyut6 naam4) is a geographical and cultural region that covers the southernmost part of China. Its precise meaning varies with context. A notable feature of South China in comparison to the rest of China is ...
. In 1276, the
Southern Song dynasty The Song dynasty ( ) was an imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 960 to 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song, who usurped the throne of the Later Zhou dynasty and went on to conquer the rest of the Ten Kingdoms, endin ...
court fled to
Guangdong ) means "wide" or "vast", and has been associated with the region since the creation of Guang Prefecture in AD 226. The name "''Guang''" ultimately came from Guangxin ( zh, labels=no, first=t, t= , s=广信), an outpost established in Han dynasty ...
by boat to escape
Mongol Mongols are an East Asian ethnic group native to Mongolia, China (Inner Mongolia and other 11 autonomous territories), as well as the republics of Buryatia and Kalmykia in Russia. The Mongols are the principal member of the large family of M ...
invaders, leaving
Emperor Gong of Song Emperor Gong of Song (2 November 1271 – 1323), personal name Zhao Xian, was the 16th emperor of the Song dynasty of China and the seventh emperor of the Southern Song dynasty. The sixth son of his predecessor, Emperor Duzong, Zhao Xian c ...
behind. The resistance centred on two young princes, Emperor Gong's brothers. The older boy Zhao Shi, was declared emperor at the age of nine, ascending the throne as Emperor Duanzong of Song. In 1277, the imperial court sought refuge first in Silvermine Bay (
Mui Wo Mui Wo is a rural town on the eastern coast of Lantau Island in British Hong Kong, Hong Kong. The 2011 Census recorded 5,485 people living in Mui Wo and its environs. Mui Wo (English: Mui Wo), formerly known as Mei Wo or Mei Wei (Cantonese: ...
) on Lantau Island (then known as Gangzhou (), and later in today's
Kowloon City Kowloon City is an area in New Kowloon, Hong Kong. It is part of Kowloon City District. Compared with the council area of Kowloon City District, the Kowloon City area is History As early as in the Qin dynasty (221–206 BCE), Kowloon ...
. The older brother became ill, died, and was succeeded by the younger brother
Zhao Bing Zhao Bing (12 February 1272 – 19 March 1279), also known as Emperor Bing of Song or Bing, Emperor of Song (宋帝昺), was the 18th and last Emperor of China, emperor of the Song dynasty of China, who ruled as a minor between 6 and 7 years of ...
(Emperor Bing of Song) at the age of seven. He died in 1279, and the Song dynasty ended. These emperors are also believed to have held court in the Tung Chung valley, which takes its name from a local hero who gave up his life for the emperor. Lantau Island and
Tamão Tamão ( zh, 屯門) was a trade settlement set up by the Portuguese on an island in the Pearl River Delta, China. This was the first time Europeans reached China via the sea route around the Cape of Good Hope. The settlement lasted from 1514 ...
,
Tuen Mun Tuen Mun () or Castle Peak is an area 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 what is now Hong Kong and can be dated to the Neolithic period. In the mo ...
were among the first European trading settlements in the
Pearl River The Pearl River (, or ) is an extensive river system in southern China. "Pearl River" is often also used as a catch-all for the watersheds of the Pearl tributaries within Guangdong, specifically the Xi ('west'), Bei ('north'), and Dong ( ...
area, established by Portuguese traders in the 1510s. The Portuguese abandoned these settlements around 1517, following their defeat by Chinese troops in the Battle of Tunmen and Battle of Sincouwaan. Lantau was visited in 1607 by one of the early Dutch East India Company (VOC) fleet commanders Cornelis Matelieff de Jonge who describes his visit to the local "mandarin". A drawing of this official's compound was published in the 1648 edition of Matelieff's travelogue. Much later the island became an important trading post for the British, long before they became interested in
Hong Kong Island Hong Kong Island () is an island in the southern part of Hong Kong. The island, known originally and on road signs simply as "Hong Kong", had a population of 1,289,500 and a population density of , . It is the second largest island in Hong Kon ...
. There were nine settlements on the island in the early 16th century: Kai Kung Tau (),
Shek Pik Shek Pik () is an area located along the southwestern coast of Lantau Island, Hong Kong. When the Shek Pik Reservoir was built, villages at Shek Pik were demolished and the villagers were relocated to other parts of Lantau Island and to Tsuen ...
,
Tai O Tai O () is a fishing town, partly located on an island of the same name, on the western side of Lantau Island in Hong Kong. The village name means ''large inlet'', referring to wiktionary:outlet, outlet for the waterways (Tai O Creek and Tai ...
, Sha Lo Wan, Tung Sai Chung (, now known as Tung Chung), Tai Ho Shan (, now known as Lantau Peak),
Mui Wo Mui Wo is a rural town on the eastern coast of Lantau Island in British Hong Kong, Hong Kong. The 2011 Census recorded 5,485 people living in Mui Wo and its environs. Mui Wo (English: Mui Wo), formerly known as Mei Wo or Mei Wei (Cantonese: ...
, Lo Pui O (now known as Pui O) and Tong Fuk. The island was evacuated for about a decade, following the orders imposed by the
Great Clearance The Great Clearance (), also translated as the Great Evacuation or Great Frontier Shift, was caused by edicts issued in 1661, 1664, and 1679, which required the evacuation of the coastal areas of Guangdong, Fujian, Zhejiang, Jiangnan, and Shando ...
, and people were allowed to return to settle on the island in 1669. Five villages were subsequently resettled: Tai O, Tung Sai Chung, Lo Pui O, Shek Pik and Mui Wo. Salt was illegally produced on Lantau Island. This was discovered by the Chinese rulers during the 16th century, and the local warlord put many islanders to death as a result. Lantau Island was surveyed by a French fleet by Alexandre Dalmypre around the Delta of the
Pearl River The Pearl River (, or ) is an extensive river system in southern China. "Pearl River" is often also used as a catch-all for the watersheds of the Pearl tributaries within Guangdong, specifically the Xi ('west'), Bei ('north'), and Dong ( ...
in 1760. Lantau Island was already clearly visible on Western maps around the Delta, on the most important waterway to Canton. Lantau was once a base for pirates and smugglers, and was one of the haunts of Cheung Po Tsai in the 19th century. Galena, a mineral consisting of lead and silver, was mined at Mui Wo until the 19th century. Lantau Island was a major site of resistance against the Japanese during the Second World War. The resistance movement made use of the island's wooded areas and deep valleys in order to organise ambushes and move supplies. The resistance movement persevered through the war until the end of the Japanese occupation in 1945. In 2000, Lantau Island acted as an important base for the Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe project and the Asia-Pacific Cable Network which acts as an Internet bridge to the rest of the world.


Tourist attractions


Ngong Ping

The
Ngong Ping Ngong Ping () is a highland in the western part of Lantau Island, Hong Kong. It hosts Po Lin Monastery and Tian Tan Buddha amidst the hills which is about 34 m tall. There are several hills nearby which are also an attraction to tourists. It is ...
Plateau features the Po Lin Monastery and its vegetarian restaurant, as well as the -high
bronze Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals (such as phosphorus) or metalloid ...
Tian Tan Buddha (or "Giant Buddha") statue, once the world's largest seated outdoor bronze Buddha statue. Walkers can ascend from Tung Chung to the monastery in two hours. Visitors can also take a 25-minute ride on a Ngong Ping 360 cable car from Tung Chung to the Ngong Ping Plateau. Ngong Ping 360 is a tourism experience which combines a cable car journey with a cultural themed village and easy access to Tian Tan Buddha.


Tai O

Tai O Tai O () is a fishing town, partly located on an island of the same name, on the western side of Lantau Island in Hong Kong. The village name means ''large inlet'', referring to wiktionary:outlet, outlet for the waterways (Tai O Creek and Tai ...
is an over three centuries old fishing village located in the northwest of Lantau Island. Tourists visit Tai O for its several hundred stilt houses (''
pang uk ''Pang uk'' () is a kind of stilt house found in Tai O, Lantau Island, Hong Kong. ''Pang uk'' are built on water or on small beaches. A fire broke out in 2000 destroying some of the houses in Tai O, and some were later rebuilt. They were onc ...
''), though some of those houses have been repaired after a fire in July 2000 and others from damage caused by super typhoons and related storm surges in subsequent years. While Tai O is in the process of being revitalised with a series of measures such as new signages and two bridges to facilitate movement of visitors, Tai O retains most of its historical setting such as waterways, stilt houses and fishing boats and is famous for its fishing village scenery in a mountainous setting. Traditional
Chinese food Chinese cuisine comprises cuisines originating from China, as well as from Chinese people from other parts of the world. Because of the Chinese diaspora and the historical power of the country, Chinese cuisine has profoundly influenced many ...
like salted fish and locally produced
shrimp paste Shrimp paste or prawn sauce is a Fermentation, fermented condiment commonly used in Southeast Asian cuisine, Southeast Asian and Coastal Chinese cuisines. It is primarily made from finely crushed Shrimp and prawn as food, shrimp or krill mixed ...
can be found there.


Tung Chung

Tung Chung Fort was built in 1817 to thwart the
opium Opium (also known as poppy tears, or Lachryma papaveris) is the dried latex obtained from the seed Capsule (fruit), capsules of the opium poppy ''Papaver somniferum''. Approximately 12 percent of opium is made up of the analgesic alkaloid mor ...
trade and defend the coast from
pirate Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and valuable goods, or taking hostages. Those who conduct acts of piracy are call ...
s. There are 6 old cannons and the enclosures are made of
granite Granite ( ) is a coarse-grained (phanerite, phaneritic) intrusive rock, intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly coo ...
. During
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, the
Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
ese army occupied the fort. In 1979, it was listed as one of the historical monuments of Hong Kong and was refurbished in 1988. The ruins of the Tung Chung Battery, also a historical monument, are located nearby.


Trappist Haven Monastery

The Trappist Haven Monastery at Tai Shui Hang, home to a number of
Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
monks, sits on the east coast of Lantau Island, approximately halfway between the towns of Mui Wo and Discovery Bay. The Lantau
Trappist The Trappists, officially known as the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance (, abbreviated as OCSO) and originally named the Order of Reformed Cistercians of Our Lady of La Trappe, are a Religious order (Catholic), Catholic religious o ...
congregation was established in
Beijing Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...
in the 19th century.


Hong Kong Disneyland

Hong Kong Disneyland Hong Kong Disneyland () (abbreviated HKDL; also known as HK Disneyland or Disneyland Hong Kong) is a theme park located on reclaimed land in Penny's Bay, Lantau Island, Hong Kong. It opened to visitors on Monday, September 12, 2005, at 13:00 H ...
lies on the northeastern part of the island, approximately two kilometres from Discovery Bay. It opened on 12 September 2005 on a massive
land reclamation Land reclamation, often known as reclamation, and also known as land fill (not to be confused with a waste landfill), is the process of creating new Terrestrial ecoregion, land from oceans, list of seas, seas, Stream bed, riverbeds or lake ...
project in Penny's Bay. The US$1.8 billion project includes a Disney
theme park An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, and events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central theme, often fea ...
, three hotels, and retail, dining and entertainment facilities stretching over 1.26 km2 (310 acres). The project also has its own rail network linking from Sunny Bay MTR station in Yam O.


Nature

Over 50% of Lantau consists of national parks, including a large number of well-marked trails. The best known of these is the 70 kilometre, 12 section Lantau Trail composed of beauty of natural stone steps and the dense woodland along a 3-kilometer stretch. Section 11 of the Lantau Trail starts just across the Tung Chung Road, which is not far from Ngong Ping 360. This section of the trail will reach South Lantau Road at Pui O and hikers can appreciate the beauty of natural stone steps and the dense woodland along the 3 km journey. The national parks feature campsites and youth hostels. Lantau's longest beach is Cheung Sha and one of its most famous hikes is to Sunset Peak (Tai Tung Shan ), the third highest peak in Hong Kong.


Flora and fauna

Chinese white dolphin The Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin (''Sousa chinensis'') is a species of humpback dolphin inhabiting coastal waters of the eastern Indian and western Pacific Oceans. This species is often referred to as the Chinese white dolphin in mainland Chi ...
s, often called ''pink dolphins'', can be seen off the coast of Lantau. , a
marine park A marine park is a designated park consisting of an area of sea (or lake) set aside to achieve ecological sustainability, promote marine awareness and understanding, enable marine recreational activities, and provide benefits for Indigenous peo ...
, the Southwest Lantau Marine Park, is being planned to protect them. In the southern parts of Lantau Island, local residents rely on local oyster fields, lemon and tangerine trees to make preserved fruits. There are also feral
water buffalo The water buffalo (''Bubalus bubalis''), also called domestic water buffalo, Asian water buffalo and Asiatic water buffalo, is a large bovid originating in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. Today, it is also kept in Italy, the Balkans ...
s living in Mui Wo and Pui O. The entire southern part of Lantau Island has a well-established ecosystem.


Prisons

There are six prisons on Lantau Island:
Chi Ma Wan Chi Ma Wan () is a bay on southeastern Lantau Island, New Territories, Hong Kong. Chi Ma Wan Peninsula () is where Chi Ma Wan, as well as Cheung Sha Wan, Lantau, Cheung Sha Wan, Tai Long Wan, Chi Ma Wan, Tai Long Wan, Yi Long Wan and Mong Tung ...
Correctional Institution, Chi Sun Correctional Institution (formerly the Chi Ma Wan Drug Addiction Treatment Centre), Ma Mo Ping Prison, Tong Fuk centre west of Tong Fuk, Sha Tsui Detention Centre and the maximum security Shek Pik Prison, both located near Shek Pik Reservoir. Plans were put forward by the government to build an enormous "Super Prison" on the sparsely populated nearby island of Hei Ling Chau, to be connected by a bridge to
Mui Wo Mui Wo is a rural town on the eastern coast of Lantau Island in British Hong Kong, Hong Kong. The 2011 Census recorded 5,485 people living in Mui Wo and its environs. Mui Wo (English: Mui Wo), formerly known as Mei Wo or Mei Wei (Cantonese: ...
. However, this plan was indefinitely shelved after organised resistance by local residents.


Transport


Airport

Hong Kong International Airport Hong Kong International Airport is an international airport on the island of Chek Lap Kok in western Hong Kong. The airport is also referred to as Chek Lap Kok International Airport or Chek Lap Kok Airport, to distinguish it from its predec ...
(HKG/HKIA) is located on
Chek Lap Kok Chek Lap Kok is an island in the western waters of Hong Kong's New Territories. Unlike the smaller Lam Chau, it was only partially leveled when it was assimilated via land reclamation into the island for the current Hong Kong International ...
island and started service in July 1998. It is located off the north coast of Lantau, near the new town of Tung Chung and is connected to urban areas by the Lantau Link, which is composed of the Kap Shui Mun Bridge, the Ma Wan Viaduct, and the Tsing Ma Bridge.


Rail

The airport also has a metro rail connection to the rest of Hong Kong via the
MTR The Mass Transit Railway system, known locally by the initialism MTR, is a rapid transit system in Hong Kong and the territory's principal mode of Rail transport in Hong Kong, railway transportation. Operated by the MTR Corporation (MTRCL), ...
's Airport Express, along with several
bus A bus (contracted from omnibus, with variants multibus, motorbus, autobus, etc.) is a motor vehicle that carries significantly more passengers than an average car or van, but fewer than the average rail transport. It is most commonly used ...
routes. This was built in the 1990s, whilst the new airport was being built. Using the Airport Express, the journey time between Central, Hong Kong's business district, and Chep Lap Kok airport is 23 minutes (though the Airport Express does not make any stops in Lantau proper). In addition, one can reach Tung Chung by train on the
Tung Chung line The Tung Chung line () is one of the ten lines of the MTR system in Hong Kong, linking the town of Tung Chung with central Hong Kong. It was built in the 1990s as part of the Airport Railway project, part of the construction of the new ...
of the MTR, and the
Disneyland Resort line The Disneyland Resort line () is a rapid transit line connecting Sunny Bay to the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, coloured pink on the network diagram. It is the seventh line of the former MTR network before the MTR–KCR merger, merger o ...
branches off of the Tung Chung line at Sunny Bay station, serving the Disneyland Resort station at
Hong Kong Disneyland Resort The Hong Kong Disneyland Resort is a resort built and owned by Hong Kong International Theme Parks Limited, a joint venture of the Government of Hong Kong and The Walt Disney Company in Hong Kong on reclaimed land beside Penny's Bay, at the n ...
.


Water transport

Tourists can get to Lantau using
ferry A ferry is a boat or ship that transports passengers, and occasionally vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A small passenger ferry with multiple stops, like those in Venice, Italy, is sometimes referred to as a water taxi or water bus ...
services provided by Sun Ferry. This ferry service is available between Mui Wo and Central with a transportation time of about 30 to 50 minutes, depending on the vessel. A 24-hour ferry service operated by
HKR International Limited HKR International Limited (, abbreviated as HKRI) is a conglomerate headquartered in Hong Kong. The company was founded by Cha Chi-ming, a textile industrialist from Shanghai and one of the pioneers of Hong Kong's industrial boom in the 1950-70 ...
connects Pier 3 in Central to
Discovery Bay Discovery Bay is a picturesque residential community located on Lantau Island. The 2021 census recorded a population of 19,336 residents in DB, with 55% of them being non-Chinese. DB is home to a significant community compared of expatriates ...
with a transportation time of 25 minutes. There are also several smaller inter-island ferry services linking neighbouring islands and the mainland. These ferries, known locally as
kai-to The kai-to, sometimes kaito or kaido () is a type of small, motorised ferry that operates in Hong Kong. They are usually used to serve remote coastal settlements in the territory's outlying islands. There are currently 78 fixed kai-to routes ...
s (pronounced ''Guy-doe'') provide scheduled services. These include Nim Shue Wan; adjacent to Discovery Bay, and Peng Chau Island with a stopover at the Trappist Haven Monastery on Lantau, Nim Shue Wan and
Mui Wo Mui Wo is a rural town on the eastern coast of Lantau Island in British Hong Kong, Hong Kong. The 2011 Census recorded 5,485 people living in Mui Wo and its environs. Mui Wo (English: Mui Wo), formerly known as Mei Wo or Mei Wei (Cantonese: ...
on Lantau. Other Kai-To and ferry services link Peng Chau,
Mui Wo Mui Wo is a rural town on the eastern coast of Lantau Island in British Hong Kong, Hong Kong. The 2011 Census recorded 5,485 people living in Mui Wo and its environs. Mui Wo (English: Mui Wo), formerly known as Mei Wo or Mei Wei (Cantonese: ...
Lantau,
Chi Ma Wan Chi Ma Wan () is a bay on southeastern Lantau Island, New Territories, Hong Kong. Chi Ma Wan Peninsula () is where Chi Ma Wan, as well as Cheung Sha Wan, Lantau, Cheung Sha Wan, Tai Long Wan, Chi Ma Wan, Tai Long Wan, Yi Long Wan and Mong Tung ...
Lantau, and
Cheung Chau Cheung Chau (; ) is an outlying island of Hong Kong, located southwest of Hong Kong Island. It is also called Dumbbell Island () due to its dumbbell-like shape. It has been inhabited for longer than most other places in Hong Kong, and had ...
Island, and another links
Tuen Mun Tuen Mun () or Castle Peak is an area 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 what is now Hong Kong and can be dated to the Neolithic period. In the mo ...
, Tung Chung, Sha Lo Wan, and
Tai O Tai O () is a fishing town, partly located on an island of the same name, on the western side of Lantau Island in Hong Kong. The village name means ''large inlet'', referring to wiktionary:outlet, outlet for the waterways (Tai O Creek and Tai ...
. Travel between islands is also possible by ''walla walla'', a traditional water
taxi A taxi, also known as a taxicab or simply a cab, is a type of vehicle for hire with a Driving, driver, used by a single passenger or small group of passengers, often for a non-shared ride. A taxicab conveys passengers between locations of thei ...
, typically from nearby
Cheung Chau Cheung Chau (; ) is an outlying island of Hong Kong, located southwest of Hong Kong Island. It is also called Dumbbell Island () due to its dumbbell-like shape. It has been inhabited for longer than most other places in Hong Kong, and had ...
Island.


Road transport

Residents and tourists can travel within Lantau Island either by taxi or bus. The New Lantao Bus provides major bus services within the island, where one can get to Tai O and Po Lin Monastery from Mui Wo pier. Some of the roads and bridges were built in the 1990s, whilst the new airport was being built. In Hong Kong, there are three types of taxis. Red taxis serve the urban areas, green taxis serve the
New Territories The New Territories (N.T., Traditional Chinese characters, Chinese: ) is one of the three areas of Hong Kong, alongside Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. It makes up 86.2% of Hong Kong's territory, and contains around half of the population of H ...
while taxis on Lantau Island are blue in colour. All three taxi services can ply for passengers at the Airport and Tung Chung, but only the blue taxis can take passengers to other locations on Lantau Island. There are 75 blue taxis serving the Lantau Island area. (25 added in 2016) The southern part of Lantau Island are the most dangerous roads in all of Hong Kong due to the narrow and hilly roads that are inaccessible to buses with lack of
safety barrier A safety barrier is a component which prevents passage into a dangerous area, and is commonly used to mitigate risk. Description A safety barrier is a component which prevents passage into a dangerous area. It is commonly used to mitigate risk ...
s. From February 2016, owners of private vehicles that wish to travel to these roads must obtain a temporary permit. However, due to the dangerous roads, the permit only lasts from 8am-7pm, only has 25 allotments, and only available on weekdays, while residents of these areas must obtain a permanent permit.


Cable car

The Ngong Ping 360, a
gondola lift A gondola lift is a means of cable transport and type of aerial lift which is supported and propelled by cables from above. It consists of a loop of steel wire rope that is strung between two stations, sometimes over intermediate suppo ...
, is located on Lantau and is operated by the MTR. Opened on 18 September 2006, this provides a 5.7 km 20-minute gondola cableway journey between Tung Chung and
Ngong Ping Ngong Ping () is a highland in the western part of Lantau Island, Hong Kong. It hosts Po Lin Monastery and Tian Tan Buddha amidst the hills which is about 34 m tall. There are several hills nearby which are also an attraction to tourists. It is ...
.


Education

Most of Lantau Island is in Primary One Admission (POA) School Net 98, which contains multiple aided schools on Lantau Island, including two in Tung Chung; no government primary schools are in this net. Northeast Lantau Island is in POA School Net 62, which includes schools in Tsuen Wan and areas nearby. The net includes multiple aided schools and one government school, Hoi Pa Street Government Primary School.
Discovery Bay Discovery Bay is a picturesque residential community located on Lantau Island. The 2021 census recorded a population of 19,336 residents in DB, with 55% of them being non-Chinese. DB is home to a significant community compared of expatriates ...
, Nim Shue Wan, and Tai Pak Wan are in POA School Net 99, which contains two aided schools: SKH Wei Lun Primary School in Discovery Bay and Holy Family School in Peng Chau; no government primary schools are in this net. Discovery Bay International School and Discovery College are private co-educational schools in Discovery Bay. In Yu Tung Court, Po On Commercial Association Wan Ho Kan Primary School, HKFEW Wong Cho Bau Secondary School, PLK Ms Ma Kam Ming - Cheung Fook Sien College and Ching Chung Hau Po Woon Primary School are the main schools in the school area.


Proposed development

The Lantau Development Advisory Committee (LanDAC) was formed within the Development Bureau to advise the government on Lantau Island's development potential. The committee first met in 2014. Save Lantau Alliance, an activist group opposed to large-scale development of the island, called on the council members to disclose their conflicts of interest. Numerous members hold business interests on the island, including 10 non-official members who subsequently declared interests ranging from running the AsiaWorld–Expo events centre (Allen Ha) to holding directorships at major developers with land holdings in and around Lantau (Andrew Lam of Shui On Land, Randy Yu of
Sino Land Established in 1971, Sino Group () comprises three listed companies – Sino Land Company Limited (HKSE: 083), Tsim Sha Tsui Properties Limited (HKSE: 0247), Sino Hotels (Holdings) Limited (HKSE: 1221) – and private companies held by the Ng Fa ...
, Ivan Chu of Swire). Following the first meeting of the LanDAC, development chief
Paul Chan Mo-po Paul Chan Mo-po (; born 18 March 1955) is the Financial Secretary of Hong Kong and former Secretary for Development (Hong Kong), Secretary for Development of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. He was a member of the Legislative Council ...
told the press that the government would not rule out developing country parks. LanDAC member Wu Chi-wai stated publicly that the committee was ignoring a 2007 concept plan for Lantau, developed with public consultation, and spoke against developing the country parks. Lam Chiu Ying, conservationist and former head of the
Hong Kong Observatory The Hong Kong Observatory is a weather forecast agency of the government of Hong Kong. The Observatory forecasts the weather and issues warnings on weather-related hazards. It also monitors and makes assessments on radiation levels in Hong ...
, responded that Chan's remarks were "unacceptable" and stated, "while other cities are aiming for an increase (in greenery), we are doing the opposite. It's ridiculous." The committee's first report, a 33-page document entitled "Space for All", was discreetly released online on 10 January 2016. Only a Chinese version of the full report was released, with an English synopsis provided. The report recommends developing Lantau Island into a "metropolis" housing between 700,000 and 1,000,000 people, a new commercial hub, and a centre of tourism. It proposes large-scale land reclamation on the north shore of the island, and a series of highway and railway connections between
Kennedy Town Kennedy Town is a town and neighbourhood at the western end of Sai Wan on Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong. It was named after Arthur Kennedy (colonial administrator), Arthur Edward Kennedy, the 7th governor of Hong Kong from 1872 to 1877. Adminis ...
on Hong Kong Island, passing through Hei Ling Chau and a series of artificial islands, to land at
Mui Wo Mui Wo is a rural town on the eastern coast of Lantau Island in British Hong Kong, Hong Kong. The 2011 Census recorded 5,485 people living in Mui Wo and its environs. Mui Wo (English: Mui Wo), formerly known as Mei Wo or Mei Wei (Cantonese: ...
. Leung Chun-ying praised the report for having "fully considered the current situations of various districts in Lantau, including the conservation needs and the development potential" while it was denounced by green groups for being environmentally destructive. On 13 January 2016, during his annual policy address, CY Leung announced that a dedicated Lantau Development Office would be set up as soon as possible to take forward development on the island. The Lantau Tomorrow Vision was announced in 2018, with the intention of creating additional islands on the east coast of Lantau.


See also

* Beaches of Hong Kong * Public housing estates on Lantau Island * Route 8 (Hong Kong) *
Wanshan Archipelago The Wanshan Archipelago, formerly known as the Ladrones Islands, is a 104-island archipelago that is a part of Xiangzhou District, Zhuhai, Xiangzhou District in Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, China. Administration Most of the islands of the arch ...


References


External links


Lantau - island of secrets and surprises
Illustrated article. {{Lantautaxi Restricted areas of Hong Kong red public minibus Islands of Hong Kong Populated places in Hong Kong