Beneath the bustling runways of Chek Lap Kok International Airport lies a story waiting to be unearthed. Chek Lap Kok, once a quiet, unassuming island, now pulsates with the rhythm of global travel. But before the roar of jet engines and the hurried footsteps of travelers, Chek Lap Kok held a different kind of life. The island’s name itself whispers tales of a simpler time. Some say it refers to the island’s bare, rocky landscape, “da chek lak” in Cantonese. Others believe it resembles the red tripletail perch, “chek lap,” once plentiful in the surrounding waters.
Chek Lap Kok was far from deserted before the airport transformed it. Archaeological discoveries reveal a history stretching back 6,000 years to the Middle Neolithic period. Traces of pottery shards from the Han Dynasty hint at a small community. More substantial remnants from the Tang and Song Dynasties, including over twenty limekilns at Sham Wan Tsuen, paint a picture of a thriving settlement involved in maritime trade. Even the Yuan Dynasty, often elusive in Hong Kong’s archaeological record, left its mark on Chek Lap Kok with thirteen furnace structures, likely used for iron smelting, discovered at Ha Law Wan.
In the 19th and 20th centuries, life on Chek Lap Kok revolved around farming and quarrying. Rice paddies dotted the landscape. The granite quarried on the island provided the very stones for a Tin Hau Temple, built in 1823 at Miu Wan. This temple, a testament to the island’s community, was carefully dismantled and rebuilt in Tung Chung when the airport project began. The population of Chek Lap Kok fluctuated over the years. The 1911 census recorded a mere 77 inhabitants, a number that grew to around 200 in the 1950s. By the 1990s, when the airport’s construction loomed, only about 20 families remained.
The decision to build Hong Kong International Airport on Chek Lap Kok irrevocably altered the island’s destiny. The small, hilly island, approximately 4 kilometers long, was largely leveled and expanded through land reclamation to accommodate the airport’s vast footprint. The southern tip, however, remained largely untouched. Now called Scenic Hill, it offers a glimpse into Chek Lap Kok’s past. Here, the Ancient Kiln Park preserves the island’s industrial heritage. The Airport Island Angle Station of the Ngong Ping 360 cable car provides a breathtaking view of the transformed landscape. Chek Lap Kok’s story is a compelling blend of ancient history and modern marvel. It’s a reminder that even in the heart of a global hub, echoes of the past persist.