U/W HAWAII| EXTRA| NEWS| ABOUT| EMAIL| HELP|
Lantau Island, Hong Kong
by ALOHA DEAN
Visitors are often surprised to learn that Hong Kong has some 260 outlying islands, many of which are easily accessible and offering a delightful getaway from city life. Among the most popular are those to the south and west, including Lantau (where the new airport is located), Cheung Chau, Lamma, and Peng Chau. Lantau is the biggest of all outlying islands, almost twice the size of Hong Kong Island itself.
On the outlying islands you will find flourishing forests and tranquil beaches, traditional fishing villages and rural hamlets, ancient monasteries and old temples. Archaeologists have unearthed stone carvings and other evidence of early habitation dating back thousands of years on some of the islands. Lamma, known to some as the Stone Age Island, is where the earliest relics have been discovered, while fossils of ancient marine lifeforms were found around Lantau.
In 1959, a young man found a fish fossil on Lantau Island at sunset. Being curious, he sent it to the British Museum in London for examination. It was found to be a Ganoid fossil from more than 150 million years ago.
In recent years, Hong Kong's social and economic progress has brought many changes to the outlying islands, as younger members of the traditional fishing and farming communities seek new opportunities in the city, while urban dwellers look to the islands for a respite from city life. There is also the need to make precious land available on the islands for major projects such as the new airport and Hong Kong Disneyland. Hong Kong's challenge is to ensure that the community's development needs can be met while retaining the unique character of island life. In the years to come, the outlying islands will have wider appeal than ever.
