Chek Lap Kok is an island in the western waters of Hong Kong's New Territories. Unlike the smaller Lam Chau, it was only partially leveled when it was assimilated via land reclamation into the 12.48 square kilometres (4.82 sq mi) island for the current Hong Kong International Airport, which opened for commercial aviation in 1998. The airport is popularly referred to as Chek Lap Kok Airport to distinguish it from the former Hong Kong International Airport, now commonly known as Kai Tak Airport (啟德機場).
Aerial view of the airport island in 2010
View of the Airport Island Angle Station of the Ngong Ping 360 cable car system built on Scenic Hill, the unlevelled peninsula in the south of Chek Lap Kok.
Scenic Hill Pavilion
Rebuilt Tin Hau Temple in the new Chek Lap Kok Village.
Land reclamation in Hong Kong
The reclamation of land from the ocean has long been used in mountainous Hong Kong to expand the limited supply of usable land with a total of around 60 square kilometres of land created by 1996. The first reclamations can be traced back to the early Western Han dynasty, when beaches were turned into fields for salt production. Major land reclamation projects have been conducted since the mid-19th century.
Sha Tin New Town under development in the 1980s
Kai Tak Airport in the 1970s, before more reclamation work was undertaken.
Hong Kong Disneyland Resort under construction (October 2004)
The airport platform of Hong Kong International Airport in 2010