View source for Ap Lei Chau

{{Short description|Island in Hong Kong}}
{{hatnote|"Aberdeen Island" redirects here. For the Canadian island in Georgian Bay, Ontario, see [[List of islands of Ontario#Georgian Bay|List of islands of Ontario § Georgian Bay]].}}
{{Use Hong Kong English|date=December 2018}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2018}}
{{Infobox islands
| name                            = Ap Lei Chau
| local_name                      = {{nobold|{{lang|zh-hant-HK|鴨脷洲}}}}
| image_name                      = Ap Lei Chau aerial view 202107.jpg
| image_size                      = 
| image_caption                   = Aerial view of Ap Lei Chau, across [[Aberdeen Harbour, Hong Kong|Aberdeen Harbour]] (2021)
| map_image                       = Ap Lei Chau - Hong Kong.svg
| map_caption                     = Location of Ap Lei Chau within Hong Kong
| coordinates                     = {{coord|22|14|30|N|114|9|20|E|type:city(90000)|display=inline,title}}
| etymology                       = 
| location                        = South of [[Hong Kong Island]]
| waterbody                       = 
| total_islands                   = 
| major_islands                   = 
| area_km2                        = 1.3
| area_footnotes                  = 
| rank                            = 
| length_km                       = <!-- or |length_m= -->
| width_km                        = <!-- or |width_m= -->
| coastline_km                    = <!-- or |coastline_m= -->
| elevation_m                     = 196
| highest_mount                   = [[Mount Johnston, Hong Kong|Mount Johnston]]
| country                         = Hong Kong
| country_admin_divisions_title_1 = District
| country_admin_divisions_1       = [[Southern District, Hong Kong|Southern District]]
| country_admin_divisions_title_2 = 
| country_admin_divisions_2       = 
| population                      = 79,727
| population_as_of                = 2021<ref name="census2021">{{cite web|title=District Profiles|url=https://www.census2021.gov.hk/en/district_profiles.html|website=2021 Population Census}}</ref>
| density_km2                     = 61,328
| density_rank                    = 
}}
{{Infobox Chinese
| pic = Ap Lei Chau in November 2016.jpg
| piccap = Ap Lei Chau viewed from Ap Lei Chau Bridge in 2016
| order = ts
| showflag = y
| t = {{linktext|鴨脷洲}}
| s = {{linktext|鸭脷洲}}
| j = {{tone superscript|Aap3 Lei6 Zau1}}
| cy = Aap<sup>3</sup>-lei<sup>6</sup>-jau<sup>1</sup>
| y = Aap Leih Jāu
| p = Yālìzhōu
| w = Ya-li-chou
| h = {{tone superscript|Ap5 Li4 Ziu1}}
| l = Duck-Tongue Island
| altname = Ap Lei San
| t2 = {{linktext|鴨脷|山}}
| s2 = {{linktext|鸭脷|山}}
| p2 = Yālìshān
| w2 = Ya-li-shan
| l2 = Duck-Tongue Island<br />Duck-Tongue Mountain
| altname3 = Hong Kong Village
| c3 = {{linktext|香港|村}}
| p3 = Xiānggǎngcūn
| l3 = Fragrant Harbour [[Villages of China|Village]]
}}

'''Ap Lei Chau'''<!--Chinese in infoboxes; see [[WP:MOS-ZH]]--> or '''Aberdeen Island''' is an [[List of islands and peninsulas of Hong Kong|island]] of Hong Kong, located off [[Hong Kong Island]] next to [[Aberdeen Harbour, Hong Kong|Aberdeen Harbour]] and [[Aberdeen Channel]]. It has an area of {{convert|1.30|km2}} after land reclamation.<ref>Survey and Mapping Office, Lands Department: [http://www.landsd.gov.hk/mapping/en/publications/hk_geographic_data_sheet.pdf Hong Kong geographic data sheet]</ref> Administratively it is part of the [[Southern District, Hong Kong|Southern District]]. Ap Lei Chau is one of the [[List of islands by population density|most densely populated islands on earth]], as well as the most densely populated island with a population of over 10,000.

In the 2000s, the [[Guinness World Records]] called it the world's most densely populated island on their website.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/content_pages/record.asp?recordid=46200#pagesrc=http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/content_pages/record_subcategory.asp?txtDirection=right&txtButtonWasHit=true&txtPage=5&subcategoryid=55 |title=History and Society/People & Places/Crowded Island - Most densely populated island|website=www.guinnessworldrecords.com |access-date=2 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050415162219/http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/content_pages/record.asp?recordid=46200#pagesrc=https://web.archive.org/web/20040925220307/http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/content_pages/record_subcategory.asp?txtDirection=right&txtButtonWasHit=true&txtPage=5&subcategoryid=55 |archive-date=15 April 2005 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[File:HK ALC Ap Lei Chau Bridge Road Precious Blood Primary School n SH4.JPG|thumb|Ap Lei Chau Bridge Road on Ap Lei Chau]]

==History==
Before the [[First Opium War]], Ap Lei Chau was a small fishing village, with its harbour forming an excellent natural [[Aberdeen Typhoon Shelters|typhoon shelter]]. The island appears on a [[Ming dynasty|Ming-era]] map<ref>Kuo Fei, ''Yueh ta-chi'', attached ''Guangdong Coastal Map'' (《粵大記》海防卷「廣東沿海圖」)</ref> with its primary settlement labelled "Fragrant Harbour Village". Its early phonetic rendering of the Cantonese phrase ''hēung góng'' is the probable origin of the name for [[Hong Kong]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=Facts about Hong Kong {{!}} Hong Kong Facts for Kids {{!}} China {{!}} Geography |url=https://www.kids-world-travel-guide.com/facts-about-hong-kong.html |access-date=2025-03-13 |website=www.kids-world-travel-guide.com}}</ref> although the town eventually took the name of its island.

Under the terms of the 1841 [[Treaty of Nanking]], it was ceded to the [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|British]] together with [[Hong Kong Island]]. It was sometimes known as '''Taplichan''',<ref>{{cite EB9 |wstitle = Hong-Kong |volume= XII |last= MacDonald |first= A. |author-link= |pages=141-142 |short= 1}}</ref> '''Taplishan''',<ref>{{Cite EB1911|wstitle= Hong-Kong |volume= 13 | pages = 657&ndash;659 }}</ref> &c. from an alternative name for the island.

The island had a largely uneventful history under [[British Hong Kong|British rule]].

In 1968, [[Hongkong Electric Company|Hongkong Electric]] opened a [[Ap Lei Chau Power Station|power station on Ap Lei Chau]] to provide electricity for the whole of Hong Kong Island. In 1980 and 1994, [[Ap Lei Chau Bridge|a bridge]] was constructed to connect the island to the Hong Kong Island, and this created momentum for rapid economic development. [[Public housing estates in Pok Fu Lam, Aberdeen and Ap Lei Chau|Public housing estates]] were built to accommodate people, including some who had suffered in a fire in the [[Aberdeen Typhoon Shelters|Aberdeen typhoon shelter]]. In 1989, the generators of the power station were relocated to [[Lamma Power Station|Lamma Island]], and the old power station has been demolished and re-developed into the [[South Horizons]] residential area, with the addition of some [[Land reclamation in Hong Kong|land reclaimed]] from the sea.

==Geography and demographics==
[[File:Mount Johnston Ap Lei Chau.jpg|thumb|Mount Johnston on Ap Lei Chau, viewed from [[Ocean Park Hong Kong|Ocean Park]]]]
Ap Lei Chau was named after the shape of the island, which resembles the tongue of a duck. ''Ap'' means ''duck'', ''Lei'' means ''tongue'', and ''Chau'' means ''island.'' The northern part has the highest population, while the southern part of the island is less densely populated.

The highest point on the island is [[Mount Johnston (Hong Kong)|Yuk Kwai Shan]] (玉桂山; aka. Mount Johnston), with an altitude of {{convert|196|m}}.

It comprises four main residential areas &mdash; [[Lei Tung Estate]], Ap Lei Chau Main Street, [[South Horizons]] and [[Ap Lei Chau Estate]], each of which comprises several [[highrise]] towers. There is also an industrial estate on the southern tip of the island.

The population of Ap Lei Chau is 79,727.<ref name=census2021 /> The sum of the population in constituency areas D02 to D07 and its area is {{convert|1.30|km2|abbr=off}}, giving it a population density of {{convert|61,328|pd/sqkm}} and making it [[List of islands by population density|the fourth most densely populated island in the world]].<ref>[http://www.worldislandinfo.com/SUPERLATIVESV2.html Island Superlatives]</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Population per District Council Constituency Area
|-
! !! District Council Constituency Area !! Population (2021)
|-
| D02 ||Ap Lei Chau Estate || align="right"| 12,089
|-
| D03 ||Ap Lei Chau North || align="right"|11,897
|-
| D04 ||Lei Tung I || align="right"|12,307
|-
| D05 ||Lei Tung II || align="right"|14,043
|-
| D06 ||South Horizons East || align="right"|14,444
|-
| D07 ||South Horizons West || align="right"|14,947
|-
| ||align="center"|'''Total''' || align="right"|'''79,727'''
|-
|}

Ap Lei Chau also lends its name to the Ap Lei Chau [[geologic formation]], which covers most of Hong Kong Island.<ref>[http://www.cedd.gov.hk/eng/about/organisation/kra.htm Ap Lei Chau Formation] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928020132/http://www.cedd.gov.hk/eng/about/organisation/kra.htm |date=28 September 2007 }}</ref>

==Places of interest==
[[File:Ap Lei Chau Shui Yuet Temple.JPG|thumb|Shui Yuet Temple on Ap Lei Chau]]
The [[Hung Shing Temple]] located on Hung Shing Street, off Main Street, Ap Lei Chau, is a notable site. Dating back to 1773, it is the oldest temple in the Aberdeen and Ap Lei Chau areas<ref>[http://www.ctc.org.hk/en/directcontrol/temple9.asp Chinese Temples Committee website - Hung Shing Temple, Ap Lei Chau] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081212022203/http://www.ctc.org.hk/en/directcontrol/temple9.asp |date=12 December 2008 }}</ref> and is a [[Declared monuments of Hong Kong|declared monument]].

The Shui Yuet Temple aka. Kwun Yum Temple is located at No. 181 Main Street, Ap Lei Chau. Dedicated to [[Guan Yin|Kwun Yum]], it was built at the end of the 19th century<ref>[http://www.ctc.org.hk/en/directcontrol/temple8.asp Chinese Temples Committee website - Shui Yuet Temple, Ap Lei Chau] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721094726/http://www.ctc.org.hk/en/directcontrol/temple8.asp |date=21 July 2011 }}</ref> and is a [[List of Grade III historic buildings in Hong Kong|Grade III historic building]]. The temple site is adjacent to the site of the former Aberdeen Police Station. Clearly chosen for its [[feng shui|fung shui]], the superior dragons were seen as being protection from the 'threat of the tiger's jaw' from the police station. Although the police station has now been demolished, the dragons are still present and seen as enduring feng shui guards. Apart from Kwun Yum, the temple also houses [[Guan Yu|Kwan Tai]], [[Mazu|Tin Hau]], [[Ji Gong|Chai Kung]] and [[Wong Tai Sin]].{{fact|date=August 2023}}

==Transport==
[[File:Ap Lei Chau Bridge 201508.jpg|thumb|right|Ap Lei Chau Bridge]]
Ap Lei Chau and Hong Kong Island are connected by the four-lane [[Ap Lei Chau Bridge]]s. Opened in 1983, it originally only had two lanes, and was widened to four in 1994 with a duplicated bridge to the northwest of the original one.

[[Bus services in Hong Kong|Buses]] are the main form of transport for the residents in Ap Lei Chau. Bus routes depart from the six bus termini on the island to various places on [[Hong Kong Island]] and in [[Kowloon]]:
* Ap Lei Chau Estate
* Ap Lei Chau (Lee Lok Street) and Ap Lei Chau (Lee King Street) in the industrial area
* Ap Lei Chau Main Street <!--not Main Street, Ap Lei Chau for the bus terminus, as shown in bus company website-->
* Lei Tung Estate
* South Horizons

[[Public light bus|Green minibuses]] and [[Taxicabs of Hong Kong|taxi]]s are available. [[Public light bus|Red minibuses]] are prohibited from entering the island.

There is a regular [[sampan]] service running between Ap Lei Chau Main Street and Aberdeen. (Service hours: 6am-12am)

The [[MTR]] [[South Island line]] opened on 28 December 2016 links [[Admiralty, Hong Kong|Admiralty]] of Hong Kong Island to Ap Lei Chau by the [[Aberdeen Channel Bridge]], to the southeast of the Ap Lei Chau Bridges. There are two stations on the island: [[Lei Tung station|Lei Tung]] (for Lei Tung Estate and Ap Lei Chau Main Street) and [[South Horizons station|South Horizons]] (for South Horizons, Ap Lei Chau Estate and Ap Lei Chau Industrial Estate).

==Education==
Ap Lei Chau is in Primary One Admission (POA) School Net 18. Within the school net are multiple aided schools (operated independently but funded with government money) and Hong Kong Southern District Government Primary School (香港南區官立小學) in Ap Lei Chau. Aided primary schools in Ap Lei Chau in POA 18 include Aplichau Kaifong Primary School (鴨脷洲街坊學校) and St Peter's Catholic Primary School (聖伯多祿天主教小學), both in [[Lei Tung Estate]], as well as Precious Blood Primary School (South Horizons) (海怡寶血小學).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.edb.gov.hk/attachment/en/edu-system/primary-secondary/spa-systems/primary-1-admission/school-lists/Net18.pdf|title=POA School Net 18|publisher=[[Education Bureau]]|accessdate=2025-10-12}}</ref>

[[Hong Kong Public Libraries]] operates the Ap Lei Chau Public Library in the Ap Lei Chau Municipal Services Building.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hkpl.gov.hk/en/locations/southern/library/ap-lei-chau.html|title=Ap Lei Chau Public Library|publisher=[[Hong Kong Public Libraries]]|access-date=2025-10-12}}</ref>

==Community issues==
Since Ap Lei Chau is currently the fourth most densely populated island in the world, public space is highly insufficient. In 2016, the Hong Kong Government reallocated the waterfront land of the former Hong Kong Driving School on Lee Nam Road for building luxury apartments, ignoring the suggestion of the locals and intensified the problem of insufficient land use.{{citation needed|date=May 2021}} In February 2017, it was reported that the land, measuring {{convert|11,761|m2|sqft}}, had been sold by tender for a record price of HK$16.86 billion (US$2.17 billion) to a venture between [[KWG Property]] and [[Logan Property Holdings]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.scmp.com/property/hong-kong-china/article/2073805/mainland-developers-logan-kwg-win-residential-site-ap-lei|title=Chinese builders pay record HK$16.86 billion for Ap Lei Chau site|first1=Peggy|last1=Sito|first2=Summer|last2=Zhen|first3=Naomi|last3=Ng|work=[[South China Morning Post]]|date=24 February 2017|access-date=4 May 2021}}</ref>

==See also==
{{portal|Hong Kong|Islands}}
* [[Ap Lei Pai]]
* [[List of places in Hong Kong]]
* [[List of islands and peninsulas of Hong Kong]]
* [[Shek Pai Wan]]
* [[Magazine Island]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==See also==
*[[List of islands by population density]]


==Further reading==
* {{cite news |last= Hayes|first= James|author-link=James W. Hayes|date= 1971|title= Rope-making and Dyeing/Calendering on Ap Lei Chau, Hong Kong|url= http://hkjo.lib.hku.hk/archive/files/a1fc9cc97e6c940bed10ee67d6e5c934.pdf|newspaper= Journal of the Hong Kong Branch of the [[Royal Asiatic Society]]|location= [[Hong Kong]]|volume=11|pages=199–200|access-date=15 September 2014}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Ap Lei Chau}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110926235619/http://home.netvigator.com/~camng/ History and Memories of Ap Lei Chau]
{{Southern District, Hong Kong}}
{{Islands of Hong Kong}}
{{Hong Kong Urban Areas}}
{{Reclaimed land in Hong Kong}}

[[Category:Ap Lei Chau| ]]<!--please leave the empty space as standard-->
[[Category:Southern District, Hong Kong]]
[[Category:Restricted areas of Hong Kong red public minibus]]
[[Category:Islands of Hong Kong]]
[[Category:Populated places in Hong Kong]]