Discovery Bay
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| Discovery Bay | |||||||||||||||
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| Traditional Chinese: | 愉景灣 | ||||||||||||||
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Discovery Bay (DB) is a residential development in Hong Kong situated on the north-eastern coast of Lantau Island in the New Territories. The development spans an area of 650 hectares, and includes two bays, the Tai Pak Bay (大白灣) and Yi Pak Bay (二白灣).
DB has a current population of around 16,000 residents[1] with a sizeable community of expatriates from over thirty countries. DB is located 2km west of Hong Kong Disneyland and approximately 12km west from the nearest point on Hong Kong Island, with the co-ordinates of .
As of today, DB is a privately owned development consisting of 13 development phases with properties ranging from garden houses to high rise towers of up to 29 storeys. The development also features a 400m man-made beach (Tai Pak Bay), 4 private membership clubs including a golf club and a marina club. While it is considered to be a low-density development by Hong Kong standards due to the amount of open spaces (plot to development ratio), DB is however the second most populous district (after the New Town of Tung Chung) on the sparsely populated Lantau Island. Unlike many other developments in Hong Kong, pets are allowed in DB, whereas other developments generally ban them due to limited space.
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[edit] History
DB was originally conceived in 1976 as a comprehensive leisure resort by Mr Eddy Wong, the previous owner of Hong Kong Resort Company Limited (HKR) in agreement with the Hong Kong government. Mr Wong planned to develop DB into a tourist attraction with hotels, condominiums and 3 golf courses. However, Mr Wong got into to great financial difficulty and DB nearly ended in the hands of a Russian Bank, Mr Wong’s creditor. Both the Chinese and British governments were concerned that the property rights of the single largest piece of privately controlled land in Hong Kong might fall into the hands of the Russian bank at a time of political uncertainty.
The Cha family, up to then better known as an international textile group, came to HKR’s rescue. By 1979, all debts were paid off and, with the Government’s approval, work started on the reservoir and the core infrastructure for a very different sort of project – essentially a residential community offering a relaxed lifestyle.
Unlike other large Hong Kong developments, everything in DB had to be privately built; there was no road, electricity nor water supply. The project involved heavy capital investment and a great deal of risk, not to mention the numerous challenges on the technical engineering side. Even the Government-operated fire and police stations and the Government-aided local primary school were built by the developer. The Government acts as the approving and checking authority, with development proceeding under an official Master Plan.
The idea of a self-contained community with resort characteristics was unique and proved popular in Hong Kong; when the first phase of DB went on sale in 1980, houses and flats sold out quickly.
Despite early doubts and difficulties, the bold concept and meticulous execution proved a success. DB is now home to about 16,000 residents in a resort like community with education, commercial and recreational facilities including a golf course and a marina.
[edit] Current development
DB was developed in phases and the developer, HKR, envisages that DB will eventually be home to 25,000 residents. The following data applies as of April 2008:
- Phases of development
- Phase 1: Beach Village, Headland Village, Parkridge Village
- Phase 2: Midvale Village
- Phase 3: Headland Village, Parkvale Village, Hillgrove Village, Parkridge Village
- Phase 4: Peninsula Village
- Phase 5: Greenvale Village
- Phase 6: DB Plaza
- Phase 7: La Vista, Bijou Hamlet
- Phase 8: La Costa
- Phase 9: La Serene
- Phase 10: Neo Horizon
- Phase 11: Siena One
- Phase 12: Siena Two
- Phase 13: Chianti
- Current and planned projects
- A community centre at Yi Pak Bay (2008)
- Yi Pak Transport Interchange and associated works (2008)
- Discovery College, a private independent 'through-train' school operated by the English Schools Foundation (2008)
- A shopping mall and a conference & resort hotel with spa facilities (2009)
- Phase 14 of Discovery Bay (2010)
[edit] Community, recreation and entertainment
Community life in DB is centred on DB Plaza, a commercial hub containing a bus terminus, ferry pier, an open piazza, and a range of shops including a supermarket, specialty stores, clinics, and a vet to serve the large pet population.
DB Plaza is also home to over 20 restaurants and food outlets offering alfresco dining and drinking.
The DB development includes various amenities, including a man-made beach at Tai Pak Bay, and 4 private membership recreational clubs including a 27-hole golf course and a marina (where some residents choose to live on yachts moored in the marina), natural streams and rock pools, a bicycle track alongside Discovery Bay Road, an astro-turf football pitch, basketball courts, a number of children's playgrounds scattered around the developments and hiking paths leading to other parts of Lantau Island - including the Trappist Haven Monastery and Mui Wo.
DB is a 15 minute bus ride from Tung Chung, where a number of additional options, from a multiplex cinema to three shopping malls, are available.
- Clubs in DB
(All are private clubs with separate membership fees)
- Discovery Bay Residents Club (DBRC)
- Discovery Bay Marina Club (DBMC)
- Discovery Bay Golf Club (DBGC)
- Club Siena
Housing units in DB used to be sold with a DBRC debenture (and later a right to join the club), although residents can choose whether to be active members and pay a monthly aubscription. DBRC members are automatically members of Club Siena. Debentures of DBMC and DBGC are traded in the secondary market.
DBMC provides berthing and land-based facilities for boat owners, many of whom live on their vessels. The Marina opens into Nim Shue Wan, a bay immediately to the West of DB, where there is also a public landing stage used by cargo boats and by privately operated ferries known as Kai-tos that provide shuttle services between DB, the nearby Peng Chau Island and the Trappist Haven Monastery pier about 2km away along the Lantau coast to the West. The Kai-to service has also replaced the high-speed ferry to Mui Wo (Silvermine Bay) that was formerly operated by Discovery Bay Transportation Services Limited (DBTPL).
A number of resident-run activities and groups are also based in DB, offering more choices to the community. These include the Lantau Boat Club, Discovery Bay Pirates Rugby Club and numerous religious worship services including churches of all different denominations.
[edit] Landscape and Wildlife
As with most of the terrain in Hong Kong, Lantau Island seems to be a set of hills that rise out of the water. DB is wedged between the hills and the sea and both environments are accessible from the edges of the developed areas. The hills directly behind DB reach up to 465m (1,525ft), and the hiking trails that traverse all the peaks on Lantau Island are accessible from those hills. The hills of Lantau tend to fall dramatically into jungle-covered valleys that spread up into verdant, grass-covered hills. DB has a series of rock-pools which lead to one such valley and into a man-made addition to the water-drainage system. The DB reservoir collects and distributes water to the community, but, owing to the topography of the area, rainwater build-up is dangerously high, and so connected pathways of cement were built to deal with the torrential rain of the monsoon season. These huge aqueducts empty out into the sea, flowing over natural rock formations, creating pools and waterfalls of fresh rainwater. [Note: DB has switched to Government potable water supply since December 2000]
DB is home to animals of many kinds, most of which are domesticated pets. There are, however, a number of wild species that lived or are living on Lantau Island that can be found in and around DB. Most of these creatures are birds such as finches, tits, gulls and kites, however pelicans, loons and herons have been sighted. Birds were adaptable to the growing human population, though, and have remained unperturbed by the expansion of DB. Until the construction of the new Hong Kong International Airport in Chek Lap Kok, wild cattle and water buffalo thrived in the pasture-like hills. Increasingly vigorous development all over Hong Kong has reduced the habitat of the local dolphin and whale populations. The most famous of these is the Chinese White Dolphin, often called the Pink Dolphin due to a slight pinkish cast to their skin. (See Ecology of Hong Kong)
[edit] Transportation network
DB is accessible from the rest of Hong Kong via a road tunnel to the North Lantau Expressway and by a 24-hour ferry service.
All services (except Kai-to services) accept Hong Kong's Octopus card as well as cash. Half-price discounts are offered to children, senior citizens and students under the age of 18 on the external bus and ferry routes.
[edit] External transport
Scheduled external public transport services include:
- Ferry services
- A 24-hour ferry service plies between DB Pier on Tai Pak Bay and Pier 3 in Central District on Hong Kong Island (journey time of approximately 25-30 minutes; frequency of around 15-30 minutes during day time, but 60-90 minutes from roughly midnight until dawn. Current ticket price is HKD$27 for a single journey. In addition, ferries accept single trip tokens and stored trip transport cards. Since end-2005, ferries have been equipped with free on-board Wi-Fi wireless broadband Internet, which is unique not only in Hong Kong but across Asia.[2]
- Kai-to ferries operated by an independent operator link DB to nearby Peng Chau Island (via Trappist Haven Monastery) and Mui Wo, also on Lantau Island (journey time approximately 10 and 20 minutes respectively)
Ferries were the only way to reach Discovery Bay until the opening of the DB Tunnel in 2000. Ferries remain the main way to reach DB and are operated by DBTPL, a wholly owned subsidiary of HKR. The route between DB and Central are served by monohull and catamaran waterjets manufactured by Marinteknik in Singapore; seating 300 and 500 passengers respectively.
- Road transport
In 2000, a 2.4km road tunnel linking DB to the North Lantau Expressway opened, enabling access to DB by road - and shortening the journey to other parts of Lantau, Kowloon and the New Territories. From the tunnel's inauguration, shuttle bus services ran to Tung Chung and the Hong Kong International Airport in Chek Lap Kok, and shortly after the opening of Hong Kong Disneyland and the Sunny Bay MTR station in September 2005, an additional route between Sunny Bay and DB was launched, further shortening the time to reach Kowloon and New Territories.
The three external bus routes are operated by Discovery Bay Transit Services Limited (DBTSL), another wholly owned subsidiary of HKR:
- DB01R: From DB Plaza to Tung Chung MTR station (journey time approximately 15-20 minutes; frequency of every 20 minutes during day time).
- DB02R: From DB Plaza to Hong Kong International Airport in Chek Lap Kok (via Cathay City; journey time approximately 20-30 minutes; 24-hour service)
- DB03R: From DB Plaza to Sunny Bay MTR station (journey time approximately 15-20 minutes; frequency of every 20 minutes during day time, every 8 minutes at peak hours).
[edit] Internal transport
Commuting within DB is done via a 24-hour internal shuttle bus service operated by DBTSL, which runs between various parts of DB and the Bus Terminus by the DB Plaza/the ferry pier. Travelling between the various villages by bus requires a change at the Bus Terminus. The same applies for residents not living on a direct connection to the schools, churches and most of the clubs. Yet, residents can use the hire car service which is provided on a point-to-point basis. Residents can also drive their own golf carts or bicycles to travel around DB as an alternative. Generally, DB is considered quite pedestrian friendly due to the dearth of motorized vehicles.
[edit] Private transport
Private cars are generally not permitted to enter the area, with a few exceptions for certain agents of the developer, local businesses or for emergency needs. A key icon of DB is the use of golf carts to commute from one part of DB to another. The number of golf carts is highly restricted by the Transport Department to a total of 500 vehicles and demand for golf carts can push prices up to around HK$700,000 – almost as expensive as a brand new car.
[edit] Education
As of April 2008, DB was served by three kindergartens and two primary schools. A number of independent residential play-groups also operate in various venues.
With its burgeoning children and young adult population, school places in DB are limited. Many students, both primary and secondary, travel by ferry to various secondary schools located on Hong Kong Island, or by bus to the schools in Tung Chung and the Kwai Tsing District.
Discovery College, a primary and secondary ‘Through-Train’ school, would be opened in the 2008 school term. It will bring a much needed boost to the quality education facilities in DB, particularly for secondary school places.
- Nursery & Kindergartens
- Sunshine House (private/international)
- Discovery Bay International School (DBIS) Kindergarten (private/international)
- Discovery Mind Kindergarten (DMK) (private/Chinese & international sections)
- Primary schools
- Discovery Bay International School (DBIS) (private/international)
- SKH Wei Lun Primary School (government-aided primary school/Chinese)
- Primary and Secondary 'Through-Train' Schools (proposed)
- Discovery College (ESF)(opening in August 2008; private/international)
- Discovery Bay Catholic School (proposed to be built; government-aided)
[edit] Municipal services
DB is owned and developed by HKR, the developer. Discovery Bay Services Management Limited (DBSML), a subsidiary of HKR, manages the development. DB used to have its own private water supply from a reservoir and water treatment plant located near the golf course in the mountain valley above the estate. Since DB Tunnel opened in 2000, DB has been connected to the municipal supply from the Water Supplies Department which sources its water both from reservoirs throughout Hong Kong, Lantau Island and the New Territories and from the Pearl River Delta in the Mainland. Current municipal facilities inside DB include a fire station and ambulance depot, a post office and a police reporting post. These facilities were built by the developer and services rendered by various government bodies.
With the opening of the DB Tunnel in 2000, the Government deemed the police station and fire station/ambulance depot unnecessary, and DB relies on services provided by the headquarters in Tung Chung. A Community Centre has also been built at the Yi Pak Bay and it will be handed over to and operated by the Government.
[edit] Issues and criticisms
Like many developments, DB has its own share of issues. An oft-made complaint is that DB is expensive compared to the rest of Hong Kong; from its member-only recreation and entertainment clubs to its limited shopping options. Furthermore, various groups such as teenagers and the elderly complain that there are few activities catered to them. Plans have been made to open a skating area for the former, also to be used as a Tai-Chi area for the latter. However, although an area has been paved for this purpose, the opening is stalled as discussions with nearby residents are still being held.
Transport A frequent complaint is with regard to its transportation. Whereas other parts of Hong Kong are generally well-served by frequent transport options from competing operators, DB is served solely by DBTSL and DBTPL, both subsidiaries of HKR. These services, while reliable, may take longer than the advertised times depending on weather and traffic conditions.
Construction As an ongoing residential development, construction sites and the related dust and noise is an ever-present issue in DB. Buildings are generally renovated every seven years, in compliance with the government regulations.
Miscellaneous DB suffers few natural disasters, with the exception of typhoons and hillfires as a result of a mixture of dry weather and carelessness.
Eco-Business Award DB has always been a green town. It has clinched the Green Property Management Award (Private Housing) in 2002. To make DB a greener town, DBSML, the management company of DB, has replaced conventional ballasts with energy-saving tubes. The number of lights in common corridors and main entrances of buildings were re-assessed and unnecessary lights were removed. It was thought that a 30% reduction in electricity charges was achieved in La Vista, one of the villages. Apart from energy reduction, flea market, old books collection, old clothes collection and used household items collection have been held on a regular basis in order to promote recycling.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Discovery Bay at a glance http://www.dbay.hk/icms2/template?series=2&article=5 (2007 figure, retrieved 1 Apr 2007)
- ^ First Wi-Fi Service on Ferries in Asia commences in Discovery Bay http://www.hkri.com/cms1/hkr/hkr2771.html
[edit] External links
- Official sites
- Discovery Bay (official website)
- DbAY (official community website)
- Oceanfront Alfresco Dining Designation in Discovery Bay (official website)
- HKR International Limited (developer's website)
- Community information
