Tsing Yi
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Tsing Yi (青衣), or Tsing Yi Island (青衣島) is an island of Hong Kong, to the northwest of Hong Kong Island. Area: 10.25 km². The island has extented drastically by reclamation of all its natural shore and annexation of Nga Ying Chau and Chau Tsai. Three major bays or harbours, Tsing Yi Tong (青衣塘), Mun Tsai Tong (門仔塘) and Tsing Yi Bay (青衣灣) in the northest are completely reclaimed one by one for new town.
Should the island be divided into four quarters, the northeast quarter is a residential area, the southeast quarter is a container port and heavy industry, the southwest holds heavy industry, and the northwest includes a recreation trail, a transportation interchange and some ship yards.
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Administration
Tsing Yi, together with Kwai Chung, is part of Tsuen Wan New Town of the Kwai Tsing district in the New Territories.
Note: Tsing Yi is not part of the Islands District.
Historical, Tsing Yi Island, with Kwai Chung, were usually on the same administration unit of Tsuen Wan becaus of their proximity and closely-knitted society.
Rural committee
Unlike Kwai Chung, whose villages are part of Tsuen Wan Rural Committee, Tsing Yi Island has its own, Tsing Yi Rural Committee.
The rural committee was politically significant until the establishment of a district council and Regional Council (abolished), when the urban population grew much larger than the rural population.
Location
The Rambler Channel hugs the north and east shore of Tsing Yi Island. Tsuen Wan and Kwai Chung are on the opposite shore of the channel. The south end of the channel touches the reclaimed land of Stonecutter's Island. The south water is Victoria Harbour. A smaller island, Ma Wan, which stands opposite to Tsing Yi Island, is separated by Ma Wan Channel (馬灣海峽).
Name
Tsing Yi (青衣) means green (or black) clothes. It is also a kind of fish, probably Green Wrasse, once abundant in nearby waters. People named the island after the fish.
Tsing Yi Tam (青衣潭) or Tsing Yi Tam Shan (青衣潭山) is also appeared on some early Chinese maps. Tam (潭) means pool, enclosed water and Shan (山) means hill, or hilly island on the map.
Historially, the island was also known as Chun Fa Lok (春花落), which lit. means the fall of spring flower, or Chun Fa Island, on some Western maps. Chun Fa Lok is still a place name on the southeast corner of the island. A Ming document source shows the water near Chun Fa Lok was Chun Fa Yeung (春花洋), probably now Rambler Channel. The Ming navy defeated a huge fleet of pirates there.
Alternative spelling
In some historical sources, Tsing-I Island is used instead of Tsing Yi Island, and Chung-Hue Island instead of Chun Fa Island.
Population
There were about 4000 people on the island when the British took the New Territories around 1898. From the 2001 Census, there were 193432 people, i.e. 55478 households, on the island. In the past hundred years, the population has grown to nearly 50 times the size.
History
In the early days, the inhabitants on the island were farmers and fishermen. The population concentrated in the northeast portion of the island. Farmers grew rice, vegetables and pineapples. At one point, Tsing Yi produced more pineapples than anywhere else in Hong Kong. Fishermen lived in the small harbour of Tsing Yi Tong (青衣塘) which stretched far back into the island. They lived on their junks and boats all the time and fished in the nearby waters. Even as late as the 1970s, Tsing Yi Tong resembled Tai O with it's stilted houses and junks. They worshipped Tin Hau, the goddess of mercy and the sea, and a temple was built on the shore of Tsing Yi Tong. At the birthday of Tin Hau, fishermen of all nearby waters would come to the Tin Hau Temple (天后廟) for celebrations.
From the 1920s, a mainland company came to build factories producing lime on the present site of Greenfield Garden. It is the earliest known industry on the island. The lime industry continued to flourish during the 1950s, and a tanning factory was also founded at the same period. After World War II, other heavy industries moved in. In the 1960s, several oil companies moved their oil storage depots to the island, together with a China Light and Power power plant, and a Green Island cement plant. Meanwhile, some small shipbuilding companies moved in, and remain on the north side of the island. In the 1970s, six big companies on the island collectively built Tsing Yi Bridge (青衣大橋) to connect Tsing Yi and Kwai Chung over the Rambler Channel. The bridge was soon given to the Hong Kong Government and remained the sole road connection to the island for over ten years. Several industrial buildings were created for light industries beside the bridge later. Several dockyards moved to west shore of the island at the end of the 1970s.
It is worth note that Tsing Yi Island was once famous for a paradise for nudist on Wak Tai Wan or big wok bay (鑊底灣) during the 1950s. Tsing Yi was once synonymous with nudism in Hong Kong!
After the establishment of the bridge, the Hong Kong Government started an extensive new town project on the island. Cheung Ching Estate (長青邨), Cheung Hong Estate (長康邨) and Mayfair Garden (美景花園) were consequently built . The proximity of the Mobil (美孚) oil storage depot to Mayfair Garden and Cheung Ching Estate aroused enormous concern for the safety of the residents. Some social workers and residents urged the government to relocate the storage facility. The government decided to halt the last phase development of Mayfair Garden. The storage facility remained there until the decision to build Container Terminal 9.
Later, the focus of town development shifted northward. Two fisherman harbours, Tsing Yi Tong, and Mun Tsai Tong (門仔塘) were reclaimed for residental use. Many fishermen were relocated to a new residental block, the Ching Tao House (青桃樓) of Chueng Ching Estate. The land inhibitants were concentrated to several designated areas to re-build their villages. The primary sectors are all gone under this stage of development. Tsing Yi Estate (青衣邨), Cheung On Estate (長安邨), Cheung Fat Estate (長發邨), Ching Tai Court (青泰苑) and Tsing Yi Garden (青怡花園) were built after finishing reclamation. Ching Wah Court (青華苑) was built near Cheung Hong Estate.
At the same time, Tsing Yi Bridge was badly overburdened and the structure was unable to cope with ever-increasing traffic. There was only one lane in each direction on the bridge. It became notorious for traffic congestion and aroused protest. Finally, Tsing Yi North Bridge (青衣北橋), a connection to Tsuen Wan was built to accommodate the explosion of the local residental population.
Tsing Yi was under furthur development and Greenfield Garden (翠怡花園), Serene Garden (海欣花園), Broadview Garden (偉景花園), Cheung Hang Estate (長亨邨) were built.
The final decision to relocate Hong Kong International Airport spurred a new chain of development - Airport Railway, Ting Kau Bridge to Ting Kau (汀九) and North New Territories, Tsing Ma Bridge to Ma Wan and Lantau Island, Rambler Channel Bridge (藍巴勒海峽大橋) to Kowloon and Hong Kong Island, Duplicate Tsing Yi South Bridge (青衣複製南橋) on the south side of Tsing Yi Bridge.
On the island, new residental projects, Tivoli Garden (宏福花園), Grand Horizon (海欣花園), Mount Haven (曉峰園), Villa Esplanada (灝景灣), Tierra Verde (盈翠半島), Cheung Wang Estate (長宏邨) were completed. The last part of reclaimed land near the shore lay waste for almost a decade until Tsing Yi Promenade was built during 2004, and has since provided a rich social focus for local residents. Local Hong Kong cultural persuits of Chinese music and dancing, walking and Chinese exercise are in evidence during most evenings.
During 2000 to 2004 Container Terminal 9 was built on the reclaimed southwest shore of the island, together with resident blocks, Rambler Crest (藍澄灣). Nearby, and well within sight of Hong Kong Central, a controversial new dioxin burning plant was also put into operation during 2004, arousing much concern for the residents of Tsing Yi and Hong Kong island.
Transportation
Tsing Yi Island is a transportation hub in Hong Kong. There are eight bridges connected to the island.
- Tsing Yi Bridge (青衣大橋) to Kwai Chung and Kowloon.
- Kwai Tsing Bridge (葵青橋) (Duplicate Tsing Yi South Bridge) to Kwai Chung and Kowloon.
- Tsing Tsuen Bridge (青荃橋), (Tsing Yi North Bridge) to Tsuen Wan.
- Ting Kau Bridge (汀九橋) to Tuen Mun and Yuen Long (Route 3).
- Cheung Tsing Bridge (長青橋) to Kowloon and Hong Kong Island (Route 3).
- Tsing Ma Bridge (青馬大橋) to Ma Wan and Lantau Island (Route 8).
- Tsing Lai Bridge (青荔橋) to Lai King Station (dedicated MTR viaduct)
- Stonecutter's Bridge (昂船洲大橋) (under-construction) to Stonecutter's Island, Kowloon and Sha Tin (Route 8).
Railway
MTR metro system have Tsing Yi Station on the island. It is part of the Tung Chung and Airport Express lines.
Bus Terminus
- Cheung Ching (長青巴士總站)
- Cheung Hang (長亨巴士總站)
- Cheung Hong (長康巴士總站)
- Cheung On (長安巴士總站)
- Cheung Wang (長宏巴士總站), formerly, Tsing Yan (青欣)
- Mayfair Garden (美景花園)
- Tsing Yi AR Station (青衣機鐵站)
- Tsing Yi Estate (青衣邨巴士總站)
- Tsing Yi Pier (青衣碼頭)
Pier
Before the completion of Tsing Yi Bridge, a ferry was the only public transport to the mainland. Tsing Yi Pier was built near Tsing Yi Market before the reclamation. The pier followed the change of shoreline owing after reclamation, and moved to the seafront near Greenfield Garden.
All ferry services ceased with rapid development of road and rail transport. It no longer takes residents to Tsuen Wan and Central. The pier is now open for public, and continues to be used as a dropping off point for fishermen, and as a mooring site for Government Fire Boats.
Religious buildings
- Tin Hau Temple (天后廟); the temple original located near Tsing Yi Tong. Upon reclamation of Tsing Yi, it was removed to Ha Ko Tan (下高灘), near now Chung Mei Lo Uk Village.
- Chun Kwan Temple (真君廟), or (真君古廟); the temple relocated near Tsing Yi Police Station.
- Tsing Tak Tong Tat-more Temple (清德堂達摩廟); the Bodhidharma temple in Tsing Yi Lutherian Village (信義新村).
- St. Thomas the Apostle Church (聖多默宗徒堂); the Catholic church building, near Tsing Yi Estate and Tsing Yi Park, was completed in July 1999.
- Tsing Yi Ward of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; The church is near Maritime Square and St. Pauls Village.
- Tai Yam Neong Neong Temple (太陰娘娘廟); Taoist temple, worshipping the Goddess of Moon, Sheung Ngo (嫦娥), located in Tsing Yi Lutherian Village.
- Tai Wong Temple (大王古廟), Taoist temple in Tsing Yi Lutherian Village.
- Tsing Lam Church (青霖堂), Protestant church by the side of Fishermen's Village and St. Paul's Village; the buildings were formally a school for the children of fishermen.
Medical service
The Department of Health runs two general out-patient clinics on the island. The first one is Tsing Yi Cheung Hong Clinic in Cheung Hong Estate and another is Tsing Yi Town Clinic near Tsing Yi Garden. There is also one maternal and child health centre, Tsing Yi Maternal and Child Health Centre, on the island, at the same floor of Tsing Yi Cheung Hong Clinic.
There are also at least one private clinics in each housing estate.
In town planning, Tsing Yi Hospital is supposed to be built near Cheung Hang Estate but the plan was put off owning to financial difficulty of Hospital Authority.
Miscellaneous
Tsing Yi Station has a huge shopping centre, Maritime Square, with hundreds of residential apartments above it, reaching up to a height of over 40 floors.
The apartments overlook a park on its southern side, where people practice Tai Chi in the early morning hours.