Gazing across Discovery Bay, can you imagine it as a simple cattle ranch? In the 1960s, Discovery Bay was a world away from the bustling town it is today. It was a rural landscape, a single family’s cattle ranch and slaughterhouse, providing beef for Hong Kong when no such imports came from China. Cattle arrived by ship from Australia, unloaded at a pier where the original beach lay, the water teeming with fish. Pig farms dotted the hills, and the area shared Lantau’s undeveloped charm. Discovery Bay’s transformation began in the 1970s. The Cha Group and the Hong Kong Government envisioned a low-rise, traffic-free haven. However, the project faced setbacks, entangled in a web of debt to the Soviet-controlled Moscow Narodny Bank and legal disputes. Whispers of Cold War espionage even surround this period of Discovery Bay’s history. The head of the original owning family is rumored to be the inspiration for a character in John Le Carré’s spy novel, “The Honourable Schoolboy”. By 1979, Cha Chi-ming of the Cha Group took the reins, and Discovery Bay’s development truly began. Uniquely, everything was privately funded: roads, utilities, even the fire and police stations. Construction commenced on the reservoir and essential infrastructure, and the first homes of Beach Village, Headland Village, and Parkridge Village emerged in 1982. It’s hard to believe now, but beachfront properties on Seabee Lane, initially priced around HK$300,000, struggled to find buyers. Discovery Bay has blossomed into a vibrant community, a testament to its unusual and intriguing past. Today, it is a unique blend of international residents, attracted by the tranquil lifestyle and convenient ferry access to Hong Kong Island. While golf carts now navigate the car-free streets, the story of Discovery Bay remains, etched into the landscape and whispered in the sea breeze.
Центральный дом работников искусств
Step through the grand wooden doors of the Central House of the Workers of Art, and you’ll be transported to