Hei Ling Chau
Hei Ling Chau, formerly Hayling Chau or Nai Gu Island, is an island of Hong Kong, located east of Silver Mine Bay and Chi Ma Wan of Lantau Island. Administratively, it is part of the Islands District.
Geography
Hei Ling Chau is located south of Peng Chau and north of Cheung Chau. Its companion, Sunshine Island, is at its northeast. It has an area of, and the highest hill heighted. The island is L-shaped with angle pointed northeast. Southwest water of the island is zoned as.History
The island was originally known as Nai Gu Island. Settled at the end of the 19th century, it become home to about 100 people across 10 families by 1951. In 1950, it was designated as a leper colony, and the islanders were relocated to Tai Pak, Shap Long and Cheung Chau. In 1954, leprosarium was established through a collaboration between the Leprosy Mission London and the Hong Kong Government. The facility reach its peak in the early 1960s, housing as many as 540 patients. In 1974, the leper colony was closed, and the remaining patients were relocated to the newly established Lai Chi Kok Hospital. Following the closure of the colony, the island was repurposed by the Correctional Services Department.In recognition of the island's new purpose, the island was renamed to Hei Ling Chau, which translates to "Island of Joyful Healing".
Facilities
Rehabilitation
The Hei Ling Chau Addiction Treatment Centre occupies the north-western part of the island and students often get a chance to visit the island by joining preventive drug education programmes. The Centre Annex is located at the southeastern end of the Island.Correctional services
The Hei Ling Chau Correctional Institute is located on the eastern part of the island. The Lai Sun Correctional Institution is located on the northern side of the island. The Lai Sun Correctional Institution is the first Vocational Training Centre operated by the Correctional Services Department which aims to train inmates to develop useful and market-oriented vocational skills before re-integrated into society.Religious institutions
There are two Tin Hau Temples on the island. One was built in 1925 and was converted into a store room. The extant temple was built in 1985.Proposed projects
In 2004, the Hong Kong Government proposed to spend HK$12 billion to build a super jail on the island. The proposal met strong opposition from the general public and experts alike, and was shelved indefinitely.In 2006, CLP explored the possibility of constructing a second commercial wind turbine installation on Hei Ling Chau Island in order to promote the use of renewable energy in Hong Kong.