Chek Lap Kok

Template:Short description Template:About Template:Infobox islands Template:Chinese

Map showing the reclaimed land of Lantau Island, Lam Chau and 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 Template:Convert island for the current Hong Kong International Airport, which opened for commercial aviation in 1998. The airport is popularly referred to as Chek Lap Kok Airport to distinguish it from the former Hong Kong International Airport, now commonly known as Kai Tak Airport.

Hong Kong SkyCity, a business and entertainment complex, is also located on Chek Lap Kok. It includes AsiaWorld–Expo, a convention and exhibition centre, which opened in 2005. Cathay Pacific City, the head office of Cathay Pacific;<ref>"Hong Kong." Cathay Pacific. Retrieved on 8 September 2010.</ref> HAECO,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and formerly Hong Kong Airlines<ref>"Contact Us > Hong Kong." Hong Kong Airlines. Retrieved on 7 November 2011. "Headquarter Office Address: L2 CNAC House, 12 Tung Fai Road, Hong Kong International Airport, Lantau, Hong Kong"</ref> are also located on the airport platform.

NameEdit

The name of the island may be derived from the bareness of the island ('da chek lak'), that the shape of the island resembles the Pagrus ('chek lap', {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}), or that the fish was once abundant in its vicinity.<ref name="AMO history">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

GeographyEdit

The island is located north of Lantau Island off Ma Wan Chung and Tung Chung. Before the building of the airport platform, it was a small and hilly island, about Template:Convert long, with an area of Template:Convert<ref name="site prep">Template:Cite book</ref> (other sources mention Template:Convert).<ref name="AMO history" /> The southern end of the island formed a small peninsula, which has been left largely undeveloped.<ref name="site prep" /> This area is facing Tung Chung and is now named Scenic Hill.<ref>Map of Chek Lap Kok showing Scenic Hill Template:Webarchive</ref><ref>Tung Chung - Ngong Ping Cable Car Project: Cultural Heritage Impact Assessment, March 2003</ref> It is the site of the Ancient Kiln Park<ref>Press release: "HKIA unveils Airport Trail and historical park", 18 March 2006</ref> and the Airport Island Angle Station of the Ngong Ping 360 cable car.<ref>Presentation of the Tung Chung Cable Car Project, 31 March 200</ref>

HistoryEdit

The island has been inhabited on and off since the Middle Neolithic period 6,000 years ago.<ref name="AMO history"/>

During the 19th and 20th centuries, the inhabitants of the island practiced farming, including rice cultivation,<ref name="site prep"/> and quarrying.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

At the time of the 1911 census, the population of Chek Lap Kok was 77. The number of males was 55.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> The population was about 200 in the 1950s, rising sharply in the 1960s. The population later declined, with some 20 families remaining on the island when the plan for the construction of a new airport was announced in the early 1990s.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Archeological surveys and investigations were conducted on the island starting in the late 1970s.<ref name="AMO history"/> A salvage archaeology project started in October 1990.<ref>Robert Esser, Chek Lap Kok: project synopsis as of 20 May 1991 Template:Webarchive</ref>

The original farming and fishing villages on the island were relocated to Chek Lap Kok New Village aka. Chek Lap Kok San Tsuen (Template:Zh) near Tung Chung on Lantau Island. A Tin Hau Temple had been built in 1823 at the north east of the island. The entire temple was built of granite quarried on the island.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It was dismantled in 1991 and rebuilt in 1994 at its present location.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Chek Lap Kok San Tsuen is a recognized village under the New Territories Small House Policy.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Also, Romer's tree frog (Philautus romeri), a unique species of finger-sized frog found only in Hong Kong, was relocated from Chek Lap Kok to new habitats on Lantau Island before construction of the airport.

A third runway at Hong Kong Airport is being built as part of the Hong Kong International Airport Master Plan 2030.

20091002 Hong Kong Ngong Ping 360 Skyrail 6420.jpg

View of the Airport Island Angle Station of the Ngong Ping 360 cable car system built on Scenic Hill, the unlevelled peninsula in the south of Chek Lap Kok.
Scenic Hill Pavilion.jpg

Scenic Hill Pavilion
HK ChepLapKokTinHauTemple.JPG

Rebuilt Tin Hau Temple in the new Chek Lap Kok Village.

ClimateEdit

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EducationEdit

Most of Lantau Island, including Chek Lap Kok New Village, is in Primary One Admission (POA) School Net 98, which contains multiple aided schools on Lantau Island; no government primary schools are in this net.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>