Kap Shui Mun () or Throat Gates (historically spelled Capsuimoon) is the channel between
Lantau Island
Lantau Island (also Lantao Island, Lan Tao) is the largest island in Hong Kong, located West of Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula, and is part of the New Territories. Administratively, most of Lantau Island is part of the Islands ...
and
Ma Wan
Ma Wan is an island of Hong Kong, located between Lantau Island and Tsing Yi Island, with an area of .[Hong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...](_blank)
.
[Geology of North Lantau Island and Ma Wan, Chapter 1. 1995](_blank)
/ref> It is part of major sea route along the coast of South China
South China () is a geographical and cultural region that covers the southernmost part of China. Its precise meaning varies with context. A notable feature of South China in comparison to the rest of China is that most of its citizens are not n ...
, from Victoria Harbour
Victoria Harbour is a natural landform harbour in Hong Kong separating Hong Kong Island in the south from the Kowloon Peninsula to the north. The harbour's deep, sheltered waters and strategic location on South China Sea were instrumental i ...
to the Pearl River
The Pearl River, also known by its Chinese name Zhujiang or Zhu Jiang in Mandarin pinyin or Chu Kiang and formerly often known as the , is an extensive river system in southern China. The name "Pearl River" is also often used as a catch-a ...
. It joins north with Urmston Road
Urmston Road ( Chinese: 龍鼓水道, literally 'Dragon Drum Channel', also named as 暗士頓水道) is a broad body of water between Lantau Island and Tuen Mun in Hong Kong. It forms an inshore passage between the northwest end of Victoria Har ...
. Kap Shui Mun Bridge
The Kap Shui Mun Bridge (KSMB) in Hong Kong, part of Lantau Link of Route 8, is one of the longest cable-stayed bridges in the world that transports both road and railway traffic, with the upper deck used for motor vehicles and the lower deck u ...
, part of Route 8, spans the channel.
Name
The original Chinese name of Kap Shui Mun is ''kap shui mun'' (), the gate of fast-moving water. This exactly describes the current of the channel. The name 'fast-moving water' was associated with accidents for ships and boats. To remove this malign influence, it was renamed to a title with similar sound, ''k'ap shui mun'' (), meaning 'water-fetching gate'. For Chinese, water represents fortune and wealth.
See also
* Tang Lung Chau
Tang Lung Chau () is a islet located off the southern coast of Ma Wan island to the northwest of Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong.
Lighthouse
Tang Lung Chau Lighthouse and the former light keeper's house, located on Tang Lung Chau, was declare ...
* Tsing Chau Tsai Peninsula
Tsing Chau Tsai Peninsula () is the peninsula located at the northeast of Lantau Island, New Territories, Hong Kong, including Yam O, To Kau Wan, Tai Tsing Chau, Tsing Chau Tsai and Penny's Bay.
Administration
Tsing Chau Tsai Peninsula admin ...
References
New Territories
Channels of Hong Kong
Ma Wan
Lantau Island
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