Discovery Bay (愉景灣, abbr. D'Bay, DBAY or DB) is a large-scale, low-density private residential development wholly owned by Hong Kong Resort Company Limited in Northeast Lantau Island, Islands District. Since the commencement of the project in 1973, Discovery Bay has gradually developed into a self-contained small community where Chinese and Western cultures converge.
The traffic and transport arrangements in Discovery Bay are "waterborne as backbone, land transport as supplement"[1]. The Government has all along been restricting the classes or types of vehicles that may pass through the area through the Discovery Bay Tunnel and Tunnel Link Ordinance (愉景灣隧道及連接道路條例) (Cap. 520), instead of issuing permits. Discovery Bay Transit Services Limited (DBTSL), a subsidiary of HKRI, is the sole operator of both local and external land-based public transport services.
History[]
Tai Pak Wan cattle ranch[]
Discovery Bay is situated in Tai Pak Wan, a deserted village with a few families in the 1960s, where a Hong Kong businessman, Mr. Wong Wing-cheung (王永祥), imported cattle from Australia in 1966 and set up a cattle ranch. On 25 May 1973, the Wongs incorporated the Hong Kong Resort Company Ltd, with the aim of developing Tai Pak Wan into a fully equipped resort with a wide range of recreational facilities. In exchange for the development right, Wong used his personal landholdings in the New Territories and a Letter of Entitlement for a Class B Land Exchange from the indigenous residents. [2]
The development was supported by the British Hong Kong Government and the Hong Kong Tourist Association (now the Hong Kong Tourism Board), and with the approval of the Executive Council and Governor Murray MacLehose, the Secretary for the New Territories, Sir David Akers-Jones, granted a 650-hectare site at Tai Pak Wan to HKRI on 10 September 1976 at a premium of HK$61.5 million for a resort and commercial/residential use. The terms of the lease, as originally conceived by the company, specified that the development should include a number of restaurants, hotels, holiday homes, swimming pools, nature trails, horse riding and sailing facilities, a cable car (cable car) system to the Peak, two membership golf courses and a public golf course, with limited commercial and residential facilities [3]. HKRI announced that it would spend HK$2 billion to build 2,400 residential units and villas in Tai Pak Wan, with three golf courses, swimming pools and tennis courts, a large shopping and commercial centre, six hotels, seven restaurants and nightclubs, as well as schools, clinics, a baby care centre, a fire station and a police station. Construction was scheduled to begin in early 1977, and it was estimated that the project would take six to eight years to complete. [4][5]
A few months after acquiring the land at Tai Pak Bay, Wing-cheung was forced to mortgage a large part of HKRI to the Moscow Narodny Bank of the USSR after his business suffered a loss and he had difficulty in liquidity. [6] When the loan of $30 million matured in April 1977, Wing-cheung was unable to repay the loan, and the bank could take over the ownership of the Tai Pak Bay property at any time. Although the mortgagee was willing to continue the development of DB as originally planned, the British Hong Kong Government did not want this large piece of private land to fall into the hands of the Soviet Union during the Cold War between the Chinese Communist Party and the Soviet Union [7]. Through the good offices and encouragement of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council of the PRC, the Cha family, which was engaged in the textile and bleaching and dyeing industries, together with the Central Construction Company Limited, a subsidiary of the Woo Ying Sheung family, formed the Fung Lee Company Limited in May 1977, and acted as white knights to redeem all the shares of HKRITA from the National Bank of Moscow at a cost of $30 million [8].
In November 1978, the Cha family acquired HKRI's shareholding under the Central Construction Company, and HSBC, together with the Tin Yuen Ho family's Man Tai Garment Company Limited, became shareholders of HKRI in early 1979, allowing the company to settle all its debts in the same year, thus enabling the development of Discovery Bay to commence smoothly.
Cattle ranch became a resort[]
The construction of the advance infrastructure and private reservoir works of Discovery Bay commenced in 1979 [9] and the Master Deed of Mutual Covenant (DMC) of Discovery Bay was executed on 30 September 1982 [10] under which the Manager who manages the entire development was appointed. Under the Master DMC, the developer owns more than 70% of the undivided shares in the development, which are mainly in common areas such as piers, access roads, reservoirs and other common facilities. [11]
However, after the Cha family took over ownership of Discovery Bay, the development concept gradually shifted from a holiday resort to a large-scale community with an emphasis on residential development, supplemented by a variety of recreational facilities. HKRI applied to the Government several times for the removal of the cable car and public golf course from the Master Plan, the conversion of the hotel into a non-compulsory development, and the increase of residential floor area in the area, which was approved by the authorities in 1985.[3] HKRI also applied to the Government for the removal of the cable car and public golf course from the Master Plan, the conversion of the hotel into a non-compulsory development, and the increase of residential floor area in the area. [3]
Discovery Bay Tunnel bringing new developments[]
The town centre of Tung Chung has been thriving as a result of the construction of the new airport and the accompanying development of North Lantau. A self-financed tunnel linking Yi Pak Wan in the north with Cheung Tung Road in Siu Ho Wan was built by the developer of Discovery Bay. The Discovery Bay Tunnel was opened to traffic on 27 May 2000, making it the first privately-run tunnel in Hong Kong, which was restricted to delivery lorries, school buses and resident buses only, and two new resident bus routes, DB01R and DB02R, were approved for service at the same time.
Since then, HKRI has been vigorously developing Discovery Bay North, with Phases 11 to 16 completed and occupied. Discovery Bay (North) Commercial Centre, which previously housed the Siena sales office, also opened in late 2009. Auberge Discovery Bay Hong Kong, located at 88 Siena Avenue, opened in spring 2013. The hotel features Hong Kong's first "White Chapel by the Sea", which was first unveiled on 12 December 2012 to provide couples with an unforgettable wedding ceremony by the sea.
Street Structure[]
Discovery Bay Road is the backbone of Discovery Bay, running through most of the housing estates in the area. Each phase is connected by a complementary road and is served by various bus routes. Discovery Valley Road, which links to Discovery Bay Golf Club and Bijou Terrace, connects to Discovery Bay Road near Hillgrove Village. The Marina Drive connects to the Discovery Bay Marina Club and the DBTSL Depot, and the Our Lady of Joy Abbey and Mui Wo can be accessed via the village path beside it.
The private roads in Discovery Bay has a total length of 14 kilometres [12], with the first eight phases of the road were gazetted on 18 November 1994. [13]
The following table lists the named roads:
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Golf Carts[]
Many residents choose to use golf carts, which are powered by electricity, as the only means of private transport in Discovery Bay. According to the Road Traffic Ordinance, golf carts are classified as "village vehicles", with an overall length of not more than 3.2 metres and an overall width of not more than 1.2 metres, and are constructed as motor vehicles used or intended to be used for the carriage of a driver and other passengers on a golf course. The driver of a golf car must be at least 18 years of age and hold a valid driving licence (classified as private car (vehicle class 01) or light goods vehicle (vehicle class 02)) and a village vehicle permit, the number of which must be painted in a conspicuous position on the body of the vehicle. The licence number must be painted in a conspicuous position on the body of the vehicle. Front and rear lights are required to be illuminated when travelling at night, but passengers are not required by law to wear seat belts. [14]
The number of golf carts travelling on the roads in Discovery Bay is controlled by the Transport Department in accordance with the Road Traffic Ordinance and the Deed of Mutual Covenant of Discovery Bay Management Company. In the 30 years since the development of Discovery Bay, the Government has ceased to issue "Village Vehicle" licences for golf carts since 1994, and the number of such vehicles has been maintained at 500 [15], resulting in a continuous increase in the value of the golf carts and their licences. The transaction price of a four-seater Golf Car rose from $80,000 to $90,000 to $650,000 in 1997 [16], then dropped to $100,000 in 2001, and then jumped to more than $2 million in recent years, which is equivalent to the price of a Porsche sports car, and the monthly rental of a Golf Car costs nearly $8,000. However, golf carts are hard to come by, and staff of Discovery Bay Golf Cart Service Company said that there are no such vehicles available in the market at present.
Hong Kong's first privately-run traffic tunnel[]
The Hong Kong Resort Company Limited has been preparing for the construction of the Discovery Bay Tunnel since before 1994, with a total investment of over HK$500 million. The 2.4-kilometre Discovery Bay Tunnel and its link road comprise a 630-metre tunnel section with a link road to Cheung Tung Road in Siu Ho Wan.
After years of construction, HKRI received official notification from the Transport Department (TD) that the tunnel would be officially opened to traffic on 27 May 2000, which was the first time the tunnel had been opened to traffic in the past two decades. For the past 20 years, Discovery Bay has been relying on ferry services for external transport. The opening of the Discovery Bay Tunnel is not only an important milestone for HKRI, but also a significant milestone for Discovery Bay residents as they can now take resident buses to Tung Chung and the Airport, which makes travelling to and from various districts in Hong Kong more convenient.
To control the number of vehicles entering Discovery Bay and to avoid excessive traffic flow in the area, the Discovery Bay Service Management Limited has implemented a series of traffic control measures. Only designated types of vehicles approved by the Transport Department (TD), including residents' buses, goods vehicles making deliveries or providing other services, government vehicles on duty and emergency vehicles, etc., are allowed to use the Tunnel, and they must apply for a permit from the company at least 48 hours before their intended arrival time at Discovery Bay. These vehicles are required to apply for a licence from the Company at least 48 hours before their intended arrival time at Discovery Bay. It should be noted that private cars, public light buses, taxis, golf carts, bicycles and pedestrians will not be allowed to use the tunnel during its initial operation. [17]
The Government relaxed the restriction on 26 October 2014 to allow urban taxis, Lantau taxis and coaches to enter Discovery Bay via the Discovery Bay Tunnel and its Tunnel Link, but these vehicles are also restricted to travelling only along the covered walkway of Discovery Bay North and Siena Avenue opposite DB North Plaza, and are not allowed to enter other areas in the district. [18]
Since then, HKRI has been vigorously developing Discovery Bay North, and Siena Avenue is the major road in the northern part of the Discovery Bay, mainly connecting Siena One and Siena Two, Auberge Discovery Bay Hong Kong and DB North Plaza, with the section to the north of Auberge being the only road section in Discovery Bay accessible by urban taxis, Lantau taxis and coaches.
Traffic Services[]
The public transport services in Discovery Bay are solely operated by the Discovery Bay Transit Services Limited (DBTSL). Since the commissioning of Phase I of the Discovery Bay, the public can only travel in and out of Discovery Bay by taking the ferry service operated by Discovery Bay Transportation Services (DBTPL) at the Central Ferry Piers, or by using the Kaito ferry to go to places such as Mui Wo and Peng Chau.
With the commissioning of Discovery Bay Tunnel through Siu Ho Wan on North Lantau on 27 May 2000, DBTSL introduced two external residents' bus routes simultaneously, thus obviating the need for residents to rely solely on the sea for travelling. Currently, there are six external bus routes DB01P, DB01R, DB02A, DB02R, DB03P and DB03R connecting the nearby Tung Chung Station and Sunny Bay Station of MTR Tung Chung Line as well as the Hong Kong International Airport, with Airport Route DB02R providing 24-hour service.
Located next to DB Plaza and the D'Deck waterfront dining area, Discovery Bay Pier is a regional transport hub from which most of the bus routes in the region depart; three of the six external bus routes originate from the pier. In recent years, HKRI has shifted its development focus to the area around Pak Pak Bay and built DB (North) Commercial Centre (now known as DB North Plaza) with a bus terminus, from which Routes DB02A and DB03P now originate.
In early 2016, Hong Kong Resort (HKR), the developer of Discovery Bay, launched the "Discovery Bay Enhancement Programme", under which, among other things, the original Discovery Bay Pier bus terminus was expanded into DB Plaza, and a new terminus was constructed on the top floor [19]. During the redevelopment of the terminus, the contractor built a temporary bus terminus at the open space between Hillgrove Village and Discovery Bay Fire Station, and outside the ferry pier at Marina Drive to accommodate some of the local routes and all external routes, while the rest of the routes were combined into a number of temporary routes starting with the letter "T" as an interim arrangement during the redevelopment of the terminus [20][21].
The above two temporary termini were completed in early February 2017, and DBTS announced the closure of the Discovery Bay Ferry Pier bus terminus from 3:00 a.m. on 25 February 2017 and the commencement of the expansion works at DB Plaza [22], with the new terminus eventually opening on 13 April 2019.
In response to the 2020 novel coronavirus pneumonia outbreak, the demand for overnight ferry service between Discovery Bay and Central dropped significantly. DBTSL launched temporary overnight route DB08R between DB Plaza and Central Pier 3 to replace the overnight ferry on 10 August 2020, which became the first bus route of the company and the first Discovery Bay bus route to travel to and from outside Lantau Island.
Internal Routes[]
| Information of internal bus routes | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Bus route | Termini | Full Fare | Remark |
| 1 | DB Plaza Bus Terminus ↺ Headland Drive ● | $6.2 | |
| 2 | DB Plaza Bus Terminus ↔ Midvale ● | ||
| 3 | DB Plaza Bus Terminus ↔ Parkvale ● | ||
| 4 | Coastline Villa → DB North ● | ||
| 4A | DB North → Coastline Villa ● | ||
| 5 | DB Plaza Bus Terminus ↔ La Serene ● | ||
| 6 | DB Plaza Bus Terminus ↺ Seabee Lane ● | ||
| 9 | Caperidge Drive → Chianti ● | ||
| 9A | Chianti → Caperidge Drive ● | ||
| 18 | DB Plaza Bus Terminus ↔ IL PICCO ● | ||
| DB04R | Member: Free Non-member: $5.0 |
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| DB06R | Discovery Bay Recreation Club ↔ Siena Clubhouse | Members only | |
| Golf Club Shuttle Bus | Discovery Bay Golf Club ↔ DB Plaza Bus Terminus | Member: Free Guest: $15.0 |
Daily 24-hour service Non-resident bus route |
External Routes[]
| Information of external bus routes | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Bus route | Termini | Fare | Remarks |
| DB01A | DB North Plaza ↔ Tung Chung Station Bus Terminus ● | $14.3 | |
| DB01P | Tung Chung Station Bus Terminus → DB Plaza Bus Terminus ● | $14.3 | |
| DB01R | DB Plaza Bus Terminus ↔ Tung Chung Station Bus Terminus ● | $14.3 | |
| DB02A | DB North Plaza ↔ Hong Kong International Airport (New Coach Terminus) ● | $48.0 | Airport route |
| DB02R | DB Plaza Bus Terminus ↔ Hong Kong International Airport (New Coach Station) ● | $52.7 | Airport route; daily 24 hour service |
| DB03P | DB North Plaza ↔ Sunny Bay Station ● | $14.3 | |
| DB03R | DB Plaza Bus Terminus ↔ Sunny Bay Station ● | $14.3 | |
| DB08R | Discovery Bay (28 Coastline Villa) ↔ Central Pier 3 ● | $58.0 | Overnight route |
List of bus stops[]
| List of bus stops in Discovery Bay | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Note:
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Gallery[]
Related Articles[]
Notes and References[]
- ↑ LCQ7 : Types of vehicles permitted to access Discovery Bay, 30 May 2007.
- ↑ "愛國查濟民為中共拒蘇聯 發展愉景灣查懋聲中槍" (Patriotic Cha Chi-ming stood with CCP but not USSR: Cha Mou Sing laid down when coming to developing Discovery Bay), Apple Daily, 10 May 2017
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 The Audit Commission of the Government of the HKSARG, Report No. 43 of the Director of Audit (Hong Kong: Audit Commission of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, October 2004)
- ↑ "大白灣二白灣闢度假勝地計劃甚龐大 擬建橋通青衣馬灣" (Resort project at Tai Pak Wan and Yi Pak Wan in large scale, bridge linking Tsing Yi and Ma Wan suggested), Wah Kiu Yat Po, 4 October 1975.
- ↑ "大白灣度假區計劃 仍有實現希望" (Resort project at Tai Pak Wan still has hope), Wah Kiu Yat Po, 11 April 1977.
- ↑ 集團四十周年紀念特刊 (Special Issue on the 40th Anniversary of the Group), Hong Kong Resort International Group Limited
- ↑ Michael Share, Where Empires Collided: Russian and Soviet Relations with Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macao (Hong Kong: The Chinese University Press, 2007), pp. 162-163.
- ↑ Letter from Sir David Akers-Jones to Dr Philip Wong, Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee of the Legislative Council: "Response to the Public Accounts Committee's enquiry on Chapter 6, Director of Audit Report No. 43", 5 January 2005.
- ↑ "大嶼山龐大住宅度假區愉景灣 首期一千單位預料今年底推出發售" (1st phase of 1000 units of sprawling residential resort Discovery Bay on Lantau Island to be launched for sale by end of this year), Ta Kung Pao, 18 September 1979.
- ↑ 有關愉景灣規劃及不可分割業權的提問 (Questions on Planning and Undivided Ownership in Discovery Bay), Islands District Council meeting, 1 February 2016
- ↑ Business for the meeting of the Bills Committee on Building Management (Amendment) Bill 2005 on 2 June 2005, Legislative Council Paper No. CB(2)2017/04-05(02), 20 June 2005
- ↑ LCQ8: Private roads of a total length of more than three kilometres, 11 July 2007
- ↑ G.N. 4386 (Lands Department: Naming of Streets), The Hong Kong Government Gazette, Vol. 136, No. 46, 18 November 1994
- ↑ 高球車疑違例險釀車禍 (Golf cart suspected to have violated road regulations nearly causing an accident), Apple Daily, 10 October 2013.
- ↑ 牌價衝破二百萬 高球車牌廿年升25倍 (Licence price surges to over $2 million with a 25-fold increase in 20 years), Eastweek, 23 September 2011.
- ↑ 愉景灣高球車炒至200萬 (DB Golf Cart price per unit speculated to $2 million), Oriental Daily News, 23 February 2011
- ↑ 香港興業有限公司宣布愉景灣隧道及接駁道路本周六正式通車 (Hong Kong Resort Company Limited Announces the Official Opening of Discovery Bay Tunnel and Tunnel Link this Saturday), Hong Kong Resort Press Release, 24 May 2000
- ↑ 的士明日起可直達愉景灣 (Taxis can reach Discovery Bay tomorrow onwards), Oriental Daily News, 25 October 2014
- ↑ 愉景灣廣場翻新（涉及巴總新設計） (DB Plaza revamp (new bus terminus design included)), HKiTalk.net, 7 March 2016
- ↑ Temp Arrangement for Bus Services in DB, DiscoveryBayForum.com, 27 August 2016
- ↑ 愉景灣碼頭總站重建期間 路線重組及站位安排 (Route Reorganisation and Stopping Arrangements during Discovery Bay Pier Bus Terminus reconstruction), HKiTalk.net, 24 January 2017
- ↑ Progress Update on Discovery Bay Enhancement Project (#7), Hong Kong Resort Company Limited, 15 February 2017
External Links[]
- HKR Website: Discovery Bay
- Discovery Bay official website
- Discovery Bay community official website
- Discovery Bay Recreation Club (DBRC) and Club Siena official website
- Discovery Bay Golf Club official websote
- Discovery Bay D' Deck official website
- Auberge Discovery Bay Hong Kong
- Discovery Bay Development Programme official website
- Hong Kong Resort (HKR)(Internet Archive:The Wayback Machine)
- OpenStreetMap: Map of Discovery Bay
DB, DBAY, D'Bay, DBAY, Tai Pak Wan and Yi Pak Wan
Template:Administrative districts