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Cheung Chau




Cheung Chau (長洲; lit. "Long Island") is a small Island 10 km southwest of Hong Kong Island . It has been inhabited for longer than most other places in the territory of Hong Kong , with a population of about 30,000. Administratively, it is part of the Islands District .


GEOGRAPHY

Geographically the island is formed from two mostly Granite lumps joined by what was presumably once a Tombolo , a kind of Sandbar . With an area of 2.45 km&2, 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 there are so narrow that virtually the only motor vehicles on the island are specially designed mini- Fire Engine s. Residential areas also exist on the hills of the north and south.

Traditionally the island was a fishing village and there is still a fishing fleet working from the harbour. However in recent years the island has become a major tourist attraction, offering a mixture of sandy swimming beaches and traditional Chinese culture.


SIGHTS

s in 1970 , 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.]]


Temples



Others



MISCELLANEOUS

The yearly Cheung Chau Bun Festival - is a 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.

Cheung Chau was the birthplace of Ms. Lee Lai Shan (born 1970 ), a Windsurfer who won the first Olympic gold for Hong Kong in 1996.

After 2000, a number of cases of suicide (most of them by "burning Charcoal ") have taken place on the island. For some time holiday resorts were not rented to people without companion. As can be expected, stories concerning Apparition followed. In 2005 local councillor Lam Kit-sing proposed that a theme-park be built to capitalise its macabre reputation, but his plans were rejected.


TRANSPORTATION

First Ferry operates Ferries between Central pier and Cheung Chau. They run approximately every 30 minutes depending upon time of day. Schedules on Sundays and public holidays differ from weekdays. The trip of about 16 miles takes 55 minutes or 35 minutes for ordinary ferries and high speed ferries respectively.


SEE ALSO



EXTERNAL LINKS