Tsing Yi
Tsing Yi (Chinese: 青衣), sometimes referred to as Tsing Yi Island (Chinese: 青衣島), is an island in the urban area of Hong Kong, to the northwest of Hong Kong Island and south of Tsuen Wan. With an area of 10.69 km², the island has extended drastically by reclamation along almost all its natural shore and the annexation of Nga Ying Chau (牙鷹洲) and Chau Tsai. Three major bays or harbours, Tsing Yi Lagoon, Mun Tsai Tong and Tsing Yi Bay (青衣灣) in the northeast, have been completely reclaimed for new towns.
The island generally is zoned into four quarters: the northeast quarter is a residential area, the southeast quarter is Tsing Yi Town, the southwest holds heavy industry, and the northwest includes a recreation trail, a transportation interchange and some dockyards and ship building industry. The island is in the northwest of Victoria Harbour and part of its coastline is subject to the Protection of the Harbour Ordinance.
Etymology
Tsing Yi (青衣) iterally means "green (or blue) clothes", but is also a kind of fish, probably blackspot tuskfish, once abundant in nearby waters. People named the island after the fish. Tsing Yi Tam (青衣潭, lit. Tsing Yi Pool) or Tsing Yi Tam Shan (青衣潭山, lit. Tsing Yi Pool Hill) also appeared on some early Chinese maps.
Tsing Yi Station
Tsing Yi is an interchange station on the Tung Chung Line of MTR and Airport Express on Tsing Yi Island in Hong Kong. On the Tung Chung Line, it is located between Sunny Bay Station and Lai King Station. On the Airport Express, it is between Airport Station and Kowloon Station. The livery of the station is dull teal. Tsing Yi station is connected to a major interchange for buses and maxicabs, situated adjacent to the station, which serves as a hub for the New Territories.
Location
Tsing Yi station is located in the northeastern quarter of the island of the same name, slightly to the west of Kowloon and mainland Hong Kong. To the west is Tsing Yi Town Park, while the Tsing Yi Sports Ground lies to the south. Otherwise, much of the area is residential with a number of educational establishments nearby.
Transit-oriented development
As with other MTR stations, Tsing Yi is a prime site for transit-oriented development by the MTR Corporation, whose properties division develops land above and in the vicinity of its stations. Owing to its ideal location between Kowloon and Lantau Island, MTR Properties has heavily invested in commercial and residential development around Tsing Yi, the most prominent of this investment being Maritime Square, a large shopping centre extending from the station, and the residential estate Tierra Verde, which lies on top of the station. Maritime Square contains 46,170 m2 (497,000 sq ft) of retail space, while the Tierra Verde complex comprises twelve residential towers and a total of 3,500 flats.
Tsing Yi Bay
Tsing Yi Bay (Chinese: 青衣灣) was a bay on the east side of Hong Kong's Tsing Yi Island, beside the Rambler Channel, approximately on the site of modern-day Tsing Yi Park. The whole bay was reclaimed for the development of new town. Before reclamation, it was surrounded by places known as Tsing Leng Tsui, Sheung Ko Tan (上高灘), Ha Chung Mei, Tai Wong Ha (大王下) and Tsing Yi Town. The names of these places have since changed, and can now be translated, approximately, as Grand Horizon, Green Field Garden, Fung Shue Wo Road, Tsing Yi Estate and Tsing Yi Garden.
Silting up
The mud and sand in the stream of Liu To settled on the shores of Tsing Yi Bay. A marsh formed at the mouth of the stream and the water in the bay became shallower and shallower. Finally, an isthmus developed between Tsing Yi Town and Sheung Ko Tan. The inner water is now separated from the bay outside the isthmus to become Tsing Yi Lagoon.
Reclamation
In the 1980s the Hong Kong Government started to reclaim the bay in three phases. The bay has now been completely reclaimed and the shore has been straightened from Nga Ying Chau to Tsing Leng Tsui.
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