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Tai Tau Chau (Sai Kung District)

Coordinates: 22°22′26.33″N 114°19′36.37″E / 22.3739806°N 114.3267694°E / 22.3739806; 114.3267694
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Not to be confused with Tai Tau Chau (Southern District).
Tai Tau Chau
Native name:
大頭洲
Nickname: Urn Island
Aerial view of Tai Tau Chau (bottom left) and the West Dam of High Island Reservoir (right)
Tai Tau Chau is located in Hong Kong
Tai Tau Chau
Tai Tau Chau
Geography
LocationSham Tuk Mun, Eastern Waters of Hong Kong
Coordinates22°22′26.33″N 114°19′36.37″E / 22.3739806°N 114.3267694°E / 22.3739806; 114.3267694
Area0.48 km2 (0.19 sq mi)[1]
Highest elevation58 m (190 ft)[1]
Administration
China
SARHong Kong
Regionthe New Territories
DistrictSai Kung District
Additional information
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese大頭洲
Simplified Chinese大头洲
Literal meaningBig Head Island
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinDàtóu zhōu
Yue: Cantonese
Yale Romanizationdaaih tàuh jāu
Jyutpingdaai6 tau4 zau1

Tai Tau Chau also known for its less popular name Urn Island, is an island in the water body Sham Tuk Mun (深篤門), Sai Kung District, Hong Kong. Inner Port Shelter and Rocky Harbour are in close proximity to the island.

History

The name Urn Island was mentioned in Asiatic Pilot by the U.S. Hydrographic Office in 1910.[2] The book described that vessels can enter Rocky Harbour from Port Shelter by passing through water passage near islets Urn Island (Tai Tau Chau) and Yim Tin Tsai. The book recommends to use sea chart as a guide, as the channel is narrow.[2]

Since the 1980s, some part of the island became an approval burial site for fishermen.[3]

Biodiversity

62 species of vascular plant were discovered on the island.[1]

Economy

Several floating fish farms were located in the waters next to the island,[4] known as Tai Tau Chau Fish Culture Zone. In 1982, councillors of the Sai Kung District Board, had requested to expand the area of the Fish Culture Zone, in order to accommodate fishermen from nearby Lap Sap Chau [zh].[5] In 1989, a refugee camp for Vietnamese was proposed to establish on High Island, a former island that near to the Fish Culture Zone. Councillors and fishermen worried that sea water of the Fish Culture Zone would be polluted by the increasing human population.[6][7]

In the past, the fish rafts were used for commercial fish farming.[4] Brown-dotted grouper and red grouper were the dominant species to culture in the Tai Tau Chau Fish Culture Zone.[8]

However, in recent years some of them were converted to use by the tourists for recreational fishing.[4] Red tides were also observed, affecting the Fish Culture Zone.[9]

In 2019, a teen tourist was drowned in a fish farm of the island.[10]

Permitted Burial Ground

The island hosts Permitted Burial Grounds (PBGs), land used for graves. In 2021, the government took action against illegal burials on the island.[11]

References

  1. ^ a b c 胡普炜 [Hu Puwei]; 邢福武 [Xing Fuwu]; 陈林 [Chen Lin]; 王美娜 [Wang Meina]; 王发国 [Wang Faguo]; 陈红锋 [Chen Hongfeng] (2011). "Xiānggǎng xīgòng niúwěihǎi línjìn dǎoyǔ zhíbèi yǔ zhíwù wùzhǒng duōyàng xìng" 香港西贡牛尾海邻近岛屿植被与植物物种多样性 [Vegetation and vascular plant diversity of islands surrounding Port Shelter, Hong Kong, China]. 生物多样性 [Biodiversity Science] (in Chinese (China)). 19 (5): 607. doi:10.3724/SP.J.1003.2011.05049. ISSN 1005-0094.
  2. ^ a b Asiatic Pilot Vol.3: Coast of China, Yalu River to Hongkong with Formosa 1909. U.S. Hydrographic Office. 1910. pp. 549–550.
  3. ^ 糧船灣養魚業協會. 西貢海域的漁業文化特色. hktraveler.com (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Hong Kong: Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department. Retrieved 16 December 2019.
  4. ^ a b c 西貢‧香港後花園 – 漁家的自然之道. 野Guide (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). HK Discovery Limited. 16 May 2018. Retrieved 16 December 2019.
  5. ^ 大頭洲海魚養殖區　西貢區議員盼擴大　以安置垃圾洲百五十七戶漁民. Ta Kung Pao (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Hong Kong. 21 August 1982. p. 6.
  6. ^ 逃出越南西貢進住香港西貢　西貢創興水上中心　設船民羈留中心　區議員已發動地方社團反對. 新界版. Wah Kiu Yat Po (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Hong Kong. 29 June 1989. p. 6.
  7. ^ 萬宜水庫若安置越船民　大頭洲養魚區面臨威脅　漁民憂慮被偷魚十餘分鐘抵達. 新界版. Wah Kiu Yat Po (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Hong Kong. 21 August 1989. p. 6.
  8. ^ 黎 [Lai], 偉聰 [Wai-chung (Lawrence)] (1992). "Marine fish culture and pollution: An initial Hong Kong empirical study". Ekistics. 59 (356–357). Athens Center of Ekistics: 354. JSTOR 43622273.
  9. ^ 毒紅潮襲大頭洲養魚區. Oriental Daily News (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Hong Kong. 1 January 2010. Retrieved 16 December 2019.
  10. ^ Hui, Sophie (8 July 2019). "Teenager drowns while swimming at Sai Kung floating fish farm". The Standard. Hong Kong: Sing Tao News Corporation. Retrieved 16 December 2019.
  11. ^ "Enforcement actions against illegal hillside burial cases". Hong Kong Government. 14 July 2021.
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