The Hong Kong Report - Victoria Harbour Tour

After passing past Britain's Former Royal Navy Base at Hong Kong the "Jonk" starts it's approach to Tsing Ma , the 5th Longest Suspension Bridge in the World (at the time these photos were taken, 1999).

Passing under Lantau Bridge one can see the tiny vehicles passing over the bridge continuously. During dangerous weather with high winds the upper deck of the bridge is closed to Traffic, leaving the lower deck, passing inside the concrete to continue along the bridge at all but the most violent times. During the second half of 1999, just before these photos were taken Typhoon's Sam & York both crashed directly into Tsing Ma Bridge, giving it it's first real endurance test.

Lantau Bridge's roadway-decks are constructed of 97 seperate concrete sections, spanning the over 3,5 kilomters to the newly arranged Lantau Island. The huge bridge now connects The City of Hong Kong with it's new International Airport at Lantau Island, carrying a 2 layered structure with both a modern high-speed railway, and multiple highway lanes.

Victoria Harbor and the Skyline at the South-Western Point of Hong Kong Island , where Victoria Harbor channels between a collection of islands and opens up into the South China Sea. From here one can follow the Pearl River estuary upstream and end up at Canton. Or go to nearby Macau or take to the High-Seas.

Lantau Bridge between Lantau Island and mainland Hong Kong carries 2 decks in Suspension.

1 deck for train-traffic, the other with a 6 lane , 2 way, highway.

A Famous Hong Kong Starferry crossing over from Kowloon to Hong Kong Island. Slightly to the right in the background is The clocktower at the end of the (former) Asian Orient Express. The Tall white Fronted Building is the Famous Peninsula Hotel. Waterfront: The Planetarium & Space Museum.

Office Buildings in Kowloon , on their lower Floors what Hong Kong is Famous for : a shopping Bonanza ! Shopping Malls are everywhere. Kowloon Park lies hidden away in the Middle of This.

Your usual Victoria Harbor Tour by "Chinese Jonk" starts at the extreme South End of the Kowloon peninsula, with the Jonks docking just a short walk distance from the docking point (at Kowloon) of Kong Kong's famous green-and-white star ferries.

From here one has a good view looking South & out over Victoria Harbor. Hong Kong Island's World influential Business & Banking - Central District with the Hong Kong Convention Center is in prominent view just across the waters on Hong Kong Island's North Shore. See star-ferries, jonks, small tug boats and a mix of other small vessels pass by along the Channel. Big Ships are not seen here regularly and venture and keep to other parts of this vast Harbor, hid between a collection of islands and the Chinese mainland.

Hong Kong is a busy port regularly visited by a number of Cruise-Liners. Enjoy watching the docking and undocking of these huge ships from Kowloon and feel the special celebrative mood. Kowloon Harbor Star Ferry Terminal & Kowloon Clocktower are all nearby. A number of New and Modern Hotels and of course Shopping Malls caters directly to passengers and HK visitors.

Ben at the Lantau Bridge Official Viewing Point which carries a Plaque by Former Prime Minister Margeret Thatcher.

(You can also find pictures from this viewing point in this website)

Our Turning Point at The New Territories. Passing under the Lantau Bridge again. Somewhere uphere is the small tourist point overlooking the Bridge and water traffic inside the Bay down below.

There is a small memorial remembering the official opening of the Bridge by Britain's (then) Prime-Minister Margaret Thatcher.

Tsing Ma, or Lantau Bridge leading from Hong Kong City towards the newly enlarged Lantau Island, home of The Golden Buddha and it's Old Monastery, but now also the realm of Hong Kong's large new International Airport. Tsing Ma, Lantau Bridge was the largest combination-road-train-bridge in the World at the Time of it's construction in the 1990's. It is truely an awing and magnificient site. At most times it is hard to see both ends of the bridge at the same time, during this Tour.

One of the Jonks offering harbor tours bobbing on the waves of an unruly Victoria Harbor. If you are liable to get sea-sickness you may think of trying a more modern cruise, when available.

Pulling away from land tour-passengers get a good look of South Kowloon with it's prominent motorola building and old trainstation Clock Tower in Full View. Just down the Line are the Hong Kong Museum.

As predicted by the engineers the powerful winds of both Typhoons, topping speeds of over 150 miles an hour left the Bridge completely unscathed and operational. Lantau Bridge has proudly passed its first test with flying colors. No incidents have happened at the bridge, so far, since.

Overhead aircraft are taking off and landing, while a cloud of pollution may pass by from nearby Pearl River Delta, now one of China's busiest and most polluted industrial area's. And that is saying something.

Lantau Island, the island remodelled before the construction of the new airport was smaller and had a second island at first. Joining Lantau and Tjek Kap Kok island's together using the rock-waste from the mountains on top of the islands, a new Island was created. The new Lantau Island with the airport now measures 3 by 4 kilometers and is mainly flattened.

Lantau Island, with it's airport lies about 2.5 kilometers from the mainland. Lantau Airport and Island were proudly taken into use in 1998.