Native name: 大頭洲 | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Geography | |||||||||||||
Location | near Shek O, Hong Kong Island | ||||||||||||
Coordinates | 22°13′48.58″N114°15′30.67″E / 22.2301611°N 114.2585194°E | ||||||||||||
Adjacent to | Southern Waters of Hong Kong | ||||||||||||
Administration | |||||||||||||
China | |||||||||||||
SAR | Hong Kong | ||||||||||||
Region | the Hong Kong Island | ||||||||||||
District | the Southern District | ||||||||||||
Demographics | |||||||||||||
Population | 0 (2019) | ||||||||||||
Additional information | |||||||||||||
Chinese name | |||||||||||||
Traditional Chinese | 大頭洲 | ||||||||||||
Simplified Chinese | 大头洲 | ||||||||||||
Literal meaning | Big Head Island | ||||||||||||
|
Tai Tau Chau is an island in the Southern District, Hong Kong. Geographically, it is located in the southern Hong Kong Island. It connected to the Shek O Headland by a footbridge and a gravelbar (tombolo) under it. The island itself is uninhabited.
On the sides of Tai Tau Chau and Shek O Headland were Island Bay and Shek O Wan (Rocky Bay) respectively. On the south of Tai Tau Chau, is another island Ng Fan Chau. Shek O Headland and Tai Tau Chau are evidently as one rock formation, but was separated due to erosion, forming the tombolo between the headland and the island. [1]
The waters surrounding Tai Tau Chau and Shek O is a black spot for human smuggling and trafficking. [2] On 11 October 1979, a boat from Meilong, Haifeng County (Chinese :海丰县梅陇镇), Guangdong Province, had sunk near the island. [3] [4] It was reported that, as of 15 October 1979, 16 illegal immigrants from that boat were missing, which a few swam to Shek O Beach and trying to sneak to the city centre. And the rest of them were presume drown. Police also caught and rescued an additional 22 illegal immigrants, plus 9 corpses were discovered. [5] On 14 October 1979, another boat was discovered near the island, but the illegal immigrants escaped before the arrival of the police. [6] At that time Hong Kong had a policy that once the illegal immigrants had reached the city centre without being caught, they can apply for Hong Kong identity cards. The policy was terminated in 1980.
In 1982, another 15 illegal immigrants arrived Tai Tau Chau by using a sampan. [7]
Tai Tau Chau has footpaths for hikers. [8] [9] It is part of Shek O Headland Picnic Area. Accidents were also reported. For example, a rock climber injured her legs when falling from the cliff of the island in 1977. [10] In 1990, another rock climber was rescued by the firefighter. [11]
The island was used to be connected to Shek O Headland by a footbridge, as well as a tombolo that would be covered by water during high tides. However, the bridge was destroyed by a typhoon in 2018 [12] and being re-built as of 2019. [13]
Along the bridge deck, a waste water pipe was installed to transport waste water from Shek O Preliminary Treatment Works to the island [14] and then release to the Tathong Channel. [15] The pipe was also destroyed in that typhoon [16] and the waste water had polluted the beach nearby. [17]
The Southern District is one of the 18 districts of Hong Kong. It is located in the southern part of Hong Kong Island. It had a population of 274,994 in 2016.
Hong 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. As a result, large waves seldom appear at the bays, making them suitable for human swimming.
North District is the northernmost district of the 18 districts of Hong Kong. It is located in the northeastern part of the New Territories. The new town of Fanling–Sheung Shui is within this district. It had a population of 298,657 in 2001. The district has the second lowest population density in Hong Kong.
Most of the walled villages of Hong Kong are located in the New Territories.
Tung Ping Chau is an island in Hong Kong, part of Hong Kong UNESCO Global Geopark. It is also known as Ping Chau (平洲). Tung is prepended to the name at times so as to avoid possible confusion with Peng Chau, another island in Hong Kong with an identically pronounced name in Cantonese. Administratively, the island is part of the Tai Po District in the New Territories.
The Soko Islands are a group of islands in Hong Kong. The group consists of Tai A Chau, Siu A Chau and several smaller nearby islands, in the southwesternmost waters of the territory, to the southwest of Lantau Island.
The Ninepin Group or Kwo Chau Islands (果洲群島) is a group of 29 islands in the easternmost waters of Hong Kong. The Ninepin Group falls under the jurisdiction of Sai Kung District of Hong Kong.
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.
Sheung Shui is an area in the New Territories, Hong Kong. Sheung Shui Town, a part of this area, is part of the Fanling–Sheung Shui New Town in the North District of Hong Kong. Fanling Town is to its southeast.
Lam Tsuen is an area in Tai Po District, Hong Kong, noted for its Lam Tsuen wishing trees. The nearby Lam Tsuen River, empties into Tai Po Hoi.
Rocky Harbour or Leung Shuen Wan Hoi is a harbour at the south-east of Sai Kung Peninsula, Hong Kong.
Port Shelter, known in Cantonese as Ngau Mei Hoi, is a harbour south of Sai Kung Peninsula in Hong Kong. The water body connects to Inner Port Shelter, as well as Hebe Haven (白沙灣), Rocky Harbour (糧船灣海) and other water body. Outer Port Shelter, is situated at the mouth of the harbour.
Cham Tau Chau is a small uninhabited island in Hong Kong. Administratively, it belongs to the Sai Kung District. It lies within the Inner Port Shelter, south of Sai Kung Peninsula, north of Sharp Island and Tai Tsan Chau (大鏟洲). Cham Tau Chau has a coastline of 0.8 kilometres.
Shelter Island, known in Cantonese as Ngau Mei Chau is an island located in the water body Port Shelter, in the Sai Kung District, the New Territories, Hong Kong S.A.R., China.
Tai Tau Chau also known for its less popular name Urn Island, is an island in the water body Sham Tuk Mun (深篤門), Sai Kung District, Hong Kong. Inner Port Shelter and Rocky Harbour are in close proximity to the island.
The Nine Alliances of Lek Yuen or Kau Yeuk was a regional organization of various groups in Sha Tin Valley, Hong Kong.