Hengqin
Encyclopedia
Hengqin Dao
is an island in Zhuhai
, a prefecture-level city
and Special Economic Zone in the Guangdong province
of the People's Republic of China
. It has a population of about 3,000.
The whole island is designated a special economic district, as Hengqin New Area, similar to Binhai New Area
in Tianjin
and Pudong New Area in Shanghai
.
and Ilha de Coloane
of Macau
, and is connected to Macau's Cotai
via the Lotus Bridge
. The island is the largest among the 146 islands of Zhuhai, being roughly three times the size of Macau. It has broad bays, sandy beaches, strangely shaped jagged rocks, beautiful scenery, fresh air, and natural vegetation cover.
Hengqin was formerly made up of two islands, Xiao Hengqin
and Da Hengqin
, which were recently connected as a result of land reclamation
. The reclaimed island is 96 square km (37 square miles).
, along with the larger former island of Wanzai
(Portuguese: Lapa
) — now a peninsula — to their north, as part of the Província da Macau, because "Portuguese schools are established there." In 1896, Portuguese determined to occupy the two islands of Hengqin, but it was unsuccessful. They were briefly occupied by Portugal before World War II
.
Since the land reclamation and development, there has been a growing opinion in Macau that the island should be leased to Macau, where land is very limited and there is little room for further development. By 1 September 2005, plans were revealed that the government of Guangdong will allow tax exemptions and adopt flexible immigration control in Hengqin to promote investment from Hong Kong
and Macau.
In late 2005, Las Vegas Sands
openly discussed its multi-billion dollar plan to develop parts of Hengqin Island into a convention and resort destination. The project was to include four million sq ft of convention space, hotels, retail, vacation homes, and golf, tennis and yachting amenities.
On 27 June 2009 it was officially announced by the government of Macau
that the University of Macau
will build its new campus on 1 km2 of the island, in a stretch directly facing the Cotai area, south of the current border post. This is the first of other possible projects. Construction of the campus shall take three years and is slated to include an underwater tunnel. Macau law shall apply in the university campus and it will not be necessary to pass a formal border post. The Macau Special Administrative Region shall pay an amount of rent which has not yet been set for the use of the land.
On 29 November 2010, the main body of the Chime-Long International Ocean Resort with an initial investment of RMB 10 billion has kicked off the construction on Hengqin Island and is expected to become operational in 2013.
Also breaking ground is the “Ocean Kingdom” project which consisting of entertainment, amusement rides, performances, high-tech experiences and animal watching as well as the dolphin-themed hotel with 1,888 guest rooms. Plans indicate that the ocean resort will cover Fuxiang Bay, Hengqin Hill and Dolphin Bay, with a total investment of over RMB 20 billion.
The entire project will be constructed in two phases. The first phase of RMB 10 billion mainly involves the facilities in Fuxiang Bay and is due to become operational in about two years’ time. The "Ocean Kingdom" is regarded as a "super theme park" with independent intellectual property rights. It is divided into eight theme zones, each of them consisting of the three main components of amusement designs, performances and animal watching.
The park will also house a night zoo, water world, the world’s highest ferris wheel
, the longest wooden roller coaster as well as an advanced theatre.
The dolphin-themed hotel after completion is set to become the largest ecological-themed hotel in mainland China. It is expected that more than 20 million visitors from around the world will be attracted to the ocean resort after it is fully operational.
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
is an island in Zhuhai
Zhuhai
Zhuhai is a prefecture-level city on the southern coast of Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in the Pearl River Delta, Zhuhai borders Jiangmen to the northwest, Zhongshan to the north, and Macau to the south. Zhuhai was one of the original Special Economic Zones...
, a prefecture-level city
Prefecture-level city
A prefectural level city , prefectural city or prefectural level municipality is an administrative division of the People's Republic of China, ranking below a province and above a county in China's administrative structure. Prefectural level cities form the second level of the administrative...
and Special Economic Zone in the Guangdong province
Guangdong
Guangdong is a province on the South China Sea coast of the People's Republic of China. The province was previously often written with the alternative English name Kwangtung Province...
of the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
. It has a population of about 3,000.
The whole island is designated a special economic district, as Hengqin New Area, similar to Binhai New Area
Binhai New Area
Binhai New Area ，short for Binhai is a major economic development zone within the jurisdiction of Tianjin municipality in China. Binhai New Area locates on the east coast of Tianjin and center of Circum-Bohai-Sea Region.Binhai New Area is a new growth pole in china, and maintain an annual growth...
in Tianjin
Tianjin
' is a metropolis in northern China and one of the five national central cities of the People's Republic of China. It is governed as a direct-controlled municipality, one of four such designations, and is, thus, under direct administration of the central government...
and Pudong New Area in Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
.
Geography
Hengqin Island is adjacent to Ilha da TaipaTaipa
Taipa is the smaller of the two islands in the Chinese special administrative region of Macao .- Geography :It is 2.5 kilometres from Macau Peninsula and east of the Lesser Hengqin Island of Zhuhai, Guangdong Province...
and Ilha de Coloane
Coloane
Coloane is one of the two main islands of the Macau Special Administrative Region, located directly south of Macau's other main island, Taipa , and east of Hengqin Island of Zhuhai in Guangdong province....
of Macau
Macau
Macau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China...
, and is connected to Macau's Cotai
Cotai
Cotai is a 5.2 km2 piece of newly reclaimed land between Taipa and Coloane islands in Macau, that has not yet been assigned to any of the freguesias. The Chinese and Portuguese names are a portmanteau of the two islands, Coloane and Taipa....
via the Lotus Bridge
Lotus Bridge
Lotus Bridge is a cross-border bridge linking the Cotai reclamation area of Macau with Hengqin Island in Zhuhai, Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China . The bridge is the second road crossing between mainland China and Macau, the other being the Posto Fronteiriço das Portas do Cerco at...
. The island is the largest among the 146 islands of Zhuhai, being roughly three times the size of Macau. It has broad bays, sandy beaches, strangely shaped jagged rocks, beautiful scenery, fresh air, and natural vegetation cover.
Hengqin was formerly made up of two islands, Xiao Hengqin
Dom João
Dom João was a Chinese island adjacent to Taipa of Macao. After land reclaimation, it no longer exists as an island and has become part of an island called Hengqin in Zhuhai, Guangdong, China.The Chinese called Dom João 'Xiao Hengqin' ....
and Da Hengqin
Montanha, Zhuhai
Montanha was a Chinese island adjacent to Coloane of Macao. After land reclaimation, it no longer exists as an island and has become part of an island called Hengqin in Zhuhai, Guangdong, China.The Chinese called Montanha 'Da Hengqin' .-See also:...
, which were recently connected as a result of land reclamation
Land reclamation
Land reclamation, usually known as reclamation, is the process to create new land from sea or riverbeds. The land reclaimed is known as reclamation ground or landfill.- Habitation :...
. The reclaimed island is 96 square km (37 square miles).
History
Both Xiao Hengqin and Da Hengqin were claimed by PortugalPortugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, along with the larger former island of Wanzai
Lapa, Zhuhai
Lapa is an island in the Xiangzhou District of the city of Zhuhai in Guangdong, China. It is adjacent to Península de Macau of Macau.The Chinese call the island 'Wanzai' ....
(Portuguese: Lapa
Lapa, Zhuhai
Lapa is an island in the Xiangzhou District of the city of Zhuhai in Guangdong, China. It is adjacent to Península de Macau of Macau.The Chinese call the island 'Wanzai' ....
) — now a peninsula — to their north, as part of the Província da Macau, because "Portuguese schools are established there." In 1896, Portuguese determined to occupy the two islands of Hengqin, but it was unsuccessful. They were briefly occupied by Portugal before World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Since the land reclamation and development, there has been a growing opinion in Macau that the island should be leased to Macau, where land is very limited and there is little room for further development. By 1 September 2005, plans were revealed that the government of Guangdong will allow tax exemptions and adopt flexible immigration control in Hengqin to promote investment from Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
and Macau.
In late 2005, Las Vegas Sands
Las Vegas Sands
Las Vegas Sands Corp. is an integrated resort company based in Paradise, Nevada, USA.-History:Founded in 1988, the company was the owner and operator of the Sands Hotel, which was demolished in 1996 to make room for The Venetian, which opened in 1999....
openly discussed its multi-billion dollar plan to develop parts of Hengqin Island into a convention and resort destination. The project was to include four million sq ft of convention space, hotels, retail, vacation homes, and golf, tennis and yachting amenities.
On 27 June 2009 it was officially announced by the government of Macau
Government of Macau
The Government of the Macau Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China , are headed by secretariats or commissioners and report directly to the Chief Executive of Macau. The affairs of the Government are decided by secretaries, who are appointed by the Chief Executive and...
that the University of Macau
University of Macau
The University of Macau, ;, established in 1981, was the first and currently the largest university in Macau, a former Portuguese colony. It was formerly known as University of East Asia , and was renamed the University of Macau in 1991. The university offers about 100 Doctoral, Master's and...
will build its new campus on 1 km2 of the island, in a stretch directly facing the Cotai area, south of the current border post. This is the first of other possible projects. Construction of the campus shall take three years and is slated to include an underwater tunnel. Macau law shall apply in the university campus and it will not be necessary to pass a formal border post. The Macau Special Administrative Region shall pay an amount of rent which has not yet been set for the use of the land.
Subdistricts of Hengqin New Area
- Northwestern Zone - reserved for environmentally friendly development projects
- Northern Zone - A Bridge and main entrance between Central Zhuhai and Hengqin New Area
- Northeastern Exhibition Zone - development of an exhibition center and hotels
- Central Channel - develop as a leisure and recreational theme park
- Eastern Residential and Commercial Zone - codevelopment of PRC and Macau projects such as University of MacauUniversity of MacauThe University of Macau, ;, established in 1981, was the first and currently the largest university in Macau, a former Portuguese colony. It was formerly known as University of East Asia , and was renamed the University of Macau in 1991. The university offers about 100 Doctoral, Master's and...
's new campus - Southern Tourist Zone - A future tourism attraction which is further divided into seven sub-zones
- Theme Park Area
- Seaside Hotel Area
- Natural Tourist Area
- Scenic Area
- Water Activities Area
- Seaside Holiday Resort Area
- Golf Course Holiday Resort Area
On 29 November 2010, the main body of the Chime-Long International Ocean Resort with an initial investment of RMB 10 billion has kicked off the construction on Hengqin Island and is expected to become operational in 2013.
Also breaking ground is the “Ocean Kingdom” project which consisting of entertainment, amusement rides, performances, high-tech experiences and animal watching as well as the dolphin-themed hotel with 1,888 guest rooms. Plans indicate that the ocean resort will cover Fuxiang Bay, Hengqin Hill and Dolphin Bay, with a total investment of over RMB 20 billion.
The entire project will be constructed in two phases. The first phase of RMB 10 billion mainly involves the facilities in Fuxiang Bay and is due to become operational in about two years’ time. The "Ocean Kingdom" is regarded as a "super theme park" with independent intellectual property rights. It is divided into eight theme zones, each of them consisting of the three main components of amusement designs, performances and animal watching.
The park will also house a night zoo, water world, the world’s highest ferris wheel
Ferris wheel
A Ferris wheel is a nonbuilding structure consisting of a rotating upright wheel with passenger cars attached to the rim in such a way that as the wheel turns, the cars are kept upright, usually by gravity.Some of the largest and most modern Ferris wheels have cars mounted on...
, the longest wooden roller coaster as well as an advanced theatre.
The dolphin-themed hotel after completion is set to become the largest ecological-themed hotel in mainland China. It is expected that more than 20 million visitors from around the world will be attracted to the ocean resort after it is fully operational.
External links
- Hengqin.com: news and resources, mostly in Simplified Chinese
- Edmonds, Richard Louis, "Macau in the Pearl River Delta and Beyond", China Perspectives, no. 44, November-December 2002
- Satellite image by Google Maps