Hong Kong Island is an island in the southern part of Hong Kong. The island, known originally and on road signs simply as Hong Kong, has a land area of approximately and a population of 1,289,500 with a population density of , . It is the second largest island in Hong Kong, with the largest being Lantau Island. Hong Kong Island forms one of the three areas of Hong Kong, with the other two being Kowloon and the New Territories.
In 1842, following the Qing dynasty's defeat at the First Opium War (1839–1842), Hong Kong Island was formally ceded in perpetuity to the United Kingdom under the Treaty of Nanking. The City of Victoria was then established on the island by British forces, named in honour of Queen Victoria.Shelton, Barrie; Karakiewicz, Justyna; Kvan, Thomas (2011). The Making of Hong Kong: From Vertical to Volumetric. Routledge. p. 41. At that time, the island had a population of about 3,000 inhabitants scattered in a dozen fishing villages.
The northern-east part of the island, being known as the Central area is the historical, political, and economic centre of Hong Kong, with many government buildings being in the area, namely the Government House, Central Government Complex, Legislative Council Complex, Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal, and Hong Kong High Court. Many financial institutes and banks such as the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, Hong Kong Monetary Authority, HSBC, and Bank of China (Hong Kong) are also based in the area.
The northern coast of the island forms the southern shore of the Victoria Harbour, which is largely responsible for the development of Hong Kong due to its deep waters favoured by large trade ships. The island is home to many famous tourists sights, such as "The Peak", Ocean Park, Former Central Police Station Compound, Murray House, and many other historical sites and various large shopping centres. The mountain ranges across the island are also famous for hiking.
The northern part of Hong Kong Island, together with Kowloon and Tsuen Wan New Town, forms the "core urban area" of Hong Kong. Their combined area is approximately and their combined population is approximately 3,156,500, reflecting a higher population density of . The island is often referred to locally as "Hong Kong side" or "Island side". The suffix "-side" is also applied to other locations in Hong Kong, the sole remnant of which being "Kowloon side" when referring to the other side of Victoria Harbour.
History
Prehistoric and Imperial China period Human settlement of the area dates back 6,000 years ago, as evidenced by Neolithic artifacts discovered in Stanley, Hong Kong Island.
In 214 BC, the Qin dynasty defeated the Baiyue, and absorbed areas of what is now Guangdong, Guangxi, and northern Vietnam. Hong Kong Island was part of the annexed land and was listed under the jurisdiction of Panyu County () of the Nanhai Commandery (). On the sixth year of the Eastern Jin dynasty (AD 331), Hong Kong Island was listed under the jurisdiction of Bao'an County (.
Copper coins from the Sui, Tang and Song dynasty were unearthed in where the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club is presently located at, on where Kellett Island would have been prior to the land reclamation connecting the island to Causeway Bay in 1969. This suggests that during these periods of times, the island already had its own commercial activity. Song dynasty copper coins served as universal currency in transregional trade.
During the Wanli period of the Ming dynasty (1573), Hong Kong Island belonged to the territory of Xin'an County, and remained so until 1661, when the great clearance was issued by the Shunzhi Emperor of the Qing dynasty, forcing residents in coastal areas of Guangdong, Fujian, Zhejiang, Jiangnan, and Shandong to move in-land, to prevent the loyalists of the Ming dynasty in Formosa from approaching the shores of the Mainland and seek help from residents of the coastal areas.
The ban was lifted when the remnants of the Ming dynasty were exterminated in 1669, though not many original residents of Hong Kong Island returned to the area. Piracy was rampant in the area until the island was ceded to the United Kingdom in 1842.
British colony
Following the First Opium War (1839–1842), Hong Kong Island was ceded to Great Britain in 1842 under the Treaty of Nanking and the territory became a Crown colony. At the time, the island's population was only 7,450.
Japanese invasion and occupation
The Second World War was a dark period for Hong Kong. In the 1930s, the British anticipated a Japanese attack on Hong Kong. As the Wong Nai Chung Gap was a strategically important location of defence, large-scale defensive works were constructed there, including anti-aircraft batteries, howitzer positions and machine gun nests.
The Battle of Hong Kong began on 8 December 1941. British, Canadian and Indian armies and the Hong Kong Volunteer Defence Forces resisted the Japanese invasion commanded by Sakai Takashi, which began eight hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor. However, the Japanese took control of the Hong Kong skies on the first day of attack and outnumbered the defenders, which retreated from the Gin Drinkers Line and consequently from Kowloon under heavy aerial bombardment and artillery barrage.
On 18 December, the Japanese had conquered North Point, reaching the Wong Nai Chung Gap on the following day. British forces and the Canadian Winnipeg Grenadiers vigorously defended the crucial point of Wong Nai Chung Gap, and for a while successfully secured the passage between Central and the secluded southern parts of the island. Japanese casualties were about 600. However, Allied forces there were ultimately defeated by the Japanese on 23 December, and Wong Nai Chung Reservoir was lost. As Wan Chai Gap had also fallen that same day, the British surrendered.
Hong Kong surrendered to the Japanese on 25 December 1941, thereafter often called "Black Christmas" by locals as the surrender was on Christmas. The Governor of Hong Kong, Mark Young, surrendered in-person at the temporary Japanese headquarters, on the third floor of the Peninsula Hotel, thus beginning the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong. Isogai Rensuke became the first Japanese governor of Hong Kong. Hyper-inflation and food rationing followed; and the Japanese declared Hong Kong Dollars illegal. The Japanese enforced a repatriation policy throughout the period of occupation due to the scarcity of food and the possible counter-attack of the Allies. As a result, the unemployed were deported to the Mainland, and the population of Hong Kong had dwindled from 1.6 million in 1941 to 600,000 in 1945.
Post Second World War The population of Hong Kong Island grew exponentially after the Second World War and the Communist revolution in China. It became apparent that the lands in the old Central District were insufficient to accommodate the population. Many undeveloped or underdeveloped areas Hong Kong Island such as North Point, Shau Kei Wan, Aberdeen and Wong Chuk Hang began its development and urbanisation. These areas initially started off as industrialised areas, with some areas such as Quarry Bay, Wan Chai and Causeway Bay later becoming new commercial centres when Hong Kong moved away from its period of industrialisation, as these areas provided relatively cheaper rent than the traditional commercial district of Central.
On 1 July 1997, the sovereignty of Hong Kong Island was transferred to the People's Republic of China alongside Kowloon Peninsula and the New Territories, ending 156 years of British rule on Hong Kong Island.
Administration, suburbs and localities
Despite Hong Kong Island being an island, it is not part of the Islands District. Four districts of Hong Kong are located on the island:
Central and Western District Central (Admiralty, Tamar) Green Island and Little Green Island Lung Fu Shan (University of Hong Kong) Mid-Levels (West and Central) (SoHo) Mount Davis Sai Wan (Sai Ying Pun, Shek Tong Tsui (Belcher Point) and Kennedy Town) Sheung Wan Victoria Peak
Wan Chai District Causeway Bay (Tai Hang, Tin Hau and Victoria Park) Happy Valley Jardine's Lookout So Kon Po Mid-Levels (East) Wan Chai
Eastern District Braemar Hill Chai Wan (Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital) Fortress Hill Mid-Levels (North) North Point Shau Kei Wan Siu Sai Wan Quarry Bay (Taikoo Shing, Kornhill)
Southern District Aberdeen Ap Lei Chau Big Wave Bay Cyberport Pok Fu Lam (Queen Mary Hospital, Sandy Bay) Repulse Bay Shek O Stanley Tai Tam Tin Wan Wong Chuk Hang (Ocean Park)
Legislative Council Constituencies Since 2021, Hong Kong Island West and Hong Kong Island East have been the two Legislative Council geographical constituencies in Hong Kong Island. Between 1997 and 2021, Hong Kong Island was one geographical constituency of itself. Between 1995 and 1997 however, Hong Kong Island consisted of four geographical constituencies, with them being Hong Kong Island Central, Hong Kong Island East, Hong Kong Island South and Hong Kong Island West. In the previous council from 1991 to 1995, Hong Kong Island consisted of two geographical constituencies, Hong Kong Island West and Hong Kong Island East, similar to current arrangements.
Island Landscape
Geography
Hong Kong Island is the second-largest island of the territory, the largest being Lantau Island. Its area is , including of land reclaimed since 1887 and some smaller scale ones since 1851. It makes up approximately 7% of the total territory. It is separated from the mainland of the territory (Kowloon Peninsula and New Territories) by the Victoria Harbour.
Mountains, peaks and hills
Most hills across the middle of the island are included within the country parks.
NameHeight (in metres)Country ParkDistrictVictoria Peak 552Pok Fu Lam Country ParkCentral and Western DistrictMount Parker 532Tai Tam Country ParkEastern DistrictMount Kellett 501Central and Western DistrictHigh West494Pok Fu Lam Country ParkMount Gough479Mount Cameron 439Aberdeen Country ParkWan Chai DistrictMount Butler436Tai Tam Country ParkEastern DistrictViolet Hill433Southern DistrictJardine's LookoutWan Chai DistrictMount Nicholson 430Aberdeen Country ParkSiu Ma Shan424Tai Tam Country ParkEastern DistrictThe Twins South386Southern DistrictThe Twins North363Mount Collinson348Shek O Country ParkD'Aguilar Peak325Pottinger Peak312Eastern DistrictBrick Hill284Southern DistrictMount Davis269Central and Western DistrictLung Fu Shan253Lung Fu Shan Country ParkBraemar Hill200Eastern DistrictShouson Hill140Southern DistrictLeighton HillWan Chai DistrictMorrison Hill Mount Parish
Hiking trail The main hiking trail on Hong Kong Island is the Hong Kong Trail, which is 50 kilometers long and is divided into 8 sections. The trail starts in Victoria Gap on the peak and ends in Big Wave Bay. Sections 1 and 2 of the Wilson Trail across the New Territories of Hong Kong and Kowloon also passes through Tai Tam Country Park and its Quarry Bay Extension.
Marine reserve
The only marine reserve in Hong Kong, the Cape D'Aguilar Marine Reserve, is located on the southern tip of the island in Cape D'Aguilar. It was opened in July 1996 and has a sea area of approximately 20 hectares. The reserve was set up for the purpose of the conservation of marine resources, scientific studies and education for the appreciation of precious marine resources. Visits to the marine reserve by the public is discouraged, with water sports and coastal recreational activities prohibited in the area. It is managed by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department.
Beaches