History
A map dating from the Ming Dynasty shows the island. On this map is marked the village of Heung Kong Tsuen, lit. Hong Kong Village (香港村). It is probably where the name of Hong Kong originates from.
Ap Lei Chau shelters Aberdeen Harbour, creating an excellent typhoon shelter, and was a fishing village before the First Opium War. As a consequence of the Treaty of Nanking, it was ceded to the British together with Hong Kong Island in 1841. Since then, little attention had been placed on this small island.
In 1968, Hongkong Electric opened a power station on the island to provide electricity for the whole of Hong Kong Island. In 1980, a bridge was constructed to connect the island to the Hong Kong Island and brought momentum for rapid economic development. Public housing estates were built to accommodate people who suffered in a fire in the Aberdeen shelter.
In 1989, the power station was relocated to Lamma Island. The old power station was then demolished and the site was re-developed into the South Horizons residential area with the aid of land reclamation.
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