Chu Lu Kuk / Chek Lap Kok Island Granite Quarry – early 19th century to 1960s?
James Chan: I found this reference to Chu Lu Kok Island Granite Quarry while looking for something else. The documents here come from the Public Works Department, 1906.
The documents say the island was “on the north of Lantao Island” though the Particulars of the Lot say “north of Chu Lu Kuk. A mistake? I can’t find where this island was either as Chu Lu Kuk or Chu Lou Kok. Is it Chek Lap Kok (also known as Chek Lap Chau), which was almost entirely flattened when the airport was built?
Maybe I am missing something very obvious. Does anyone have more information ?
Thomas Ngan has replied as a comment re-posted here:
That should be Chek Lap Kok alright. I could a blog entry (http://architecturelog.blogspot.hk/) talking about squatters in Tai O and it would seem some of the squatters built in the 1940’s or earlier used granite blocks from Chek Lap Kok Quarry as foundations.
The romanization variations must have been caused by some local dialects as different dialects could have very different pronunciations even with the same written Chinese words or phrases. In some extreme circumstances a pronounced word might not even have its written counterpart at all.
hkgro.lib.hku.hk
Chek Lap Kok Island 1964
www.amo.gov.hk/
Thomas Ngan adds: The online exhibition section link below mentioned “Quarrying started in early 19th century to mid 20th century, mainly at the north coast of the island”. A Tin Hau Temple built with granite there had been removed and rebuilt in Lantau.
http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/ce/Museum/Monument/en/oe_lantau_modern.php
Hugh Farmer: Here is what the above webpage says, “The inhabitants of the island practiced farming and quarrying. Quarrying started in early 19th century to mid 20th century, mainly at the north coast of the island. There were about 200 people living on the island in the 1950’s. The number of inhabitants rose sharply in the 1960’s. The population started to fall with the decline in agricultural and quarrying activities. There were only some 20 families remaining on the island when the government announced the plan for the construction of a new airport in the early 1990’s.”
The following also contains information about quarrying on Chek Lap Kok:
http://www.cedd.gov.hk/eng/publications/sheet/doc/g2_chapter_8.pdf
This also mentions mining on the island and I will open a new post to introduce this.
This article was first posted on 12th February 2014.
See:
- Quarrying in Hong Kong – how the City of Victoria was built
- Lam Tei Quarry connections with post WW2 proposed Ping Shan Airport
- Lam Tei Quarry – Ping Shan Airport , RAF Technical Magazine Report, May 1946
- Ling Hang Quarry (China) – supplier to Green Island Cement Company
- Of gods, diamonds and brothels – quarrying questions
Hi there,
That should be Chek Lap Kok alright. I could a blog entry (http://architecturelog.blogspot.hk/) talking about squatters in Tai O and it would seem some of the squatters built in the 1940’s or earlier used granite blocks from Chek Lap Kok Quarry as foundations.
The romanization variations must have been caused by some local dialects as different dialects could have very different pronunciations even with the same written Chinese words or phrases. In some extreme circumstances a pronounced word might not even have its written counterpart at all.
Thanks & Best Regards,
T
Thanks Thomas. So Chek Lap Kok it is. Very interesting to read about the Tai O connection, and as there was no road into the latter until the Shek Pik Reservoir was built much later the granite blocks must have been transported by boat.
I have re-posted your comments into the main article.
We need more information about this quarry. I wonder what remained of it before the airport was built?
Hi there,
Before the Shek Pik Reservoir and the South Lantau Road, villagers travels either by boat, or by ancient foot paths between major villages on Lantau. You might have heard a few months some Villagers of a few villages in the Tung Chun area had blocked the foot path going through their villages. It was around the same month of the Oxfam Trailwalker event when Villages of Sai Wan blocked a small section of the Maclehose Trail, forcing the event for a detour.
Some of these ancient boulder ways still exist today. You might like to take a look at https://sites.google.com/site/hongkongbouldertrackways/ for a bit more information of these tracks.
Thanks & Best Regards,
T
Hi there,
The online exhibition section link below mentioned “Quarrying started in early 19th century to mid 20th century, mainly at the north coast of the island”. A Tin Hau Temple built with granite there had been removed and rebuilt in Lantau.
Thanks & Best Regards,
T
http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/ce/Museum/Monument/en/oe_lantau_modern.php
Thomas thanks.
I have added the information and website you mentioned onto the post.
I have also added part of a Civil Engineering and Development Department report which goes into some detail about mining on Chek Lap Kok Island. I will open a new post to dealing with this aspec.t
During World War 2 in fact on the first day of the war (8th Dec 1941) Japanese seaplanes that had been attacking the gun boat HMS Cicala turned their attention on Chu Lu Kok Island (spelt this way on pre war maps). The Island was bombed causing a fire to break out. This was approx. 1430 hours (Source: HMS Cicala War Diary). Tis Island is of course now part of Chep Lak Kok Airport.