Lantau Island also Lantao Island, Lan Tao is Hong Kong's largest island, located west of Hong Kong Island and southwest of the Kowloon Peninsular, and part of the New Territories. Administratively, most of Lantau Island is part of Hong Kong Island. A small portion of the northeast of the island lies in the Tsuen Wan region.Originally a fishing village, built from the late 20th century with the construction of Tung Chung New Town on its northwest coast and the completion of many infrastructure projects, including Lantau Link (1997), Hong Kong International Airport (1998), Hong Kong Disneyland (2005) and Ngong Ping 360 (2006).With an area of 147.16 square kilometers , it is Hong Kong's largest island, almost double the size of Hong Kong Island. The island of Lantau mainly consists of a mountainous region. Lantau Peak 934 meters is the highest point on the island. It is the second highest in Hong Kong, after Tai Mo Shan, and almost twice the height of Victoria Peak. Other mountains include Sunset Peak at 898 m , Lin Fa Shan at 766 m , Nei Lak Shan at 751 m and Yi Tung Shan at 747 m
Lantau Island is often referred to as the “Hong Kong lungs”, due to the abundance of indigenous forests and the lack of equal habitat that defines Hong Kong and Kowloon Islands. Hong Kong's largest national park, Lantau South Country Park is located on an island, which is home to two other parks, namely Lantau North Country Park and its expansion. The parks cover more than half of the island area of Lantau.The Shek Pik Reservoir is the largest freshwater reservoir in Hong Kong. Completed in 1963, covers an area of 1.01 km and has a capacity of 24,500,000 m
Archaeological finds on the island have been discovered. These include the Shek Pik stone carvings, thought to date back to the Bronze Age, and the Fan Lau stone collection that may have originated in the Neolithic Age. Both locations are located on the southwest coast of the island.The island was often shown on navigation maps because it was close to the main sea lane in South China.
In 1276, a Southern Song Dynasty court fled to Guangdong by boat to escape Mongol invaders, leaving Emperor Gong of Song behind. This opposition centered on two young officials, the brothers of Emperor Gong. The eldest son, Zhao Shi, was proclaimed Emperor at the age of nine, ascending to the throne as Emperor Duanzong of Song. In 1277, a royal court first sought refuge in Silvermine Bay on Lantau Island died at the age of seven. He died in 1279, at the end of the Song Dynasty.
Lantau Island and Tuen Mun were among the first European trading centers in the Pearl River area, founded by Portuguese traders in the 1510's. The Portuguese abandoned the area about 1517, following their defeat by Chinese troops. Lantau was visited in 1607 by one of the first Dutch East India naval officers Cornelis Matelieff de Jonge who described his visit to the local "mandarin". A drawing of this official building was published in the 1648 edition of Matelieff's travelogue. The island later became an important trading center for the British, long before they became interested in Hong Kong Island.
Lantau was a major target for Japanese warfare during World War II. The opposition movement used the wooded areas of the island and the deep valleys to organize ambassadors and to move supplies. Opposition movements continued during the war until the end of the Japanese occupation in 1945.
In 2000, Lantau Island served as an important base for the Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe project and the Asia-Pacific Cable Network serving as a worldwide internet bridge.
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