Editing Cheung Chau (section)

==History==
In 1898, Cheung Chau was leased to the [[United Kingdom]] for 99 years (till 1997) under the [[Second Convention of Peking]], alongside some 200 other [[Outlying Islands, Hong Kong|outlying islands]] and the [[New Territories]]. The island thus became part of [[British Hong Kong]]. 

At that time, the island was mainly a [[fishing village]] and had more residents living on [[Junk (ship)|junks]] than on land. Cheung Chau had already been settled by people from other places in [[Northern and southern China|Southern China]]; for example, [[Hoklo people|Hoklo]], they are mainly fishing people; [[Hakka people]]; [[Chiu Chau]]; and [[Yue Ca]]. The island slowly evolved into a commercial hub with merchants selling supplies to the local fishing people, boat repair and fishing gear as well as the place to do business for fishing people and small farmers of other nearby islands like [[Lantau Island]].

At the time of the 1911 census, the population of Cheung Chau, both land and boat based, was 7,686. The number of males was 4,519.<ref>{{Cite journal| last = Hase| first = Patrick |author-link=Patrick Hase| title = Traditional Life in the New Territories: The Evidence of the 1911 and 1921 Censuses| journal =Journal of the [[Royal Asiatic Society Hong Kong Branch]]| volume = 36| page = 82| year = 1996| url = https://hkjo.lib.hku.hk/archive/files/ecc123316b3526a31a101b3c4cf08a12.pdf| issn = 1991-7295}}</ref>

From the late-1990s to the early-2000s, a spate of suicide cases (usually by [[Charcoal-burning suicide|charcoal-burning]]) took place inside rental holiday flats of the island's Bela Vista Villa on Tung Wan beach, seeing more than 25 suicide attempts and 20 deaths by 2008.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cheung |first=Amy |date=2005-08-11 |title=Ghost Town |url=https://www.scmp.com/magazines/hk-magazine/article/2032689/ghost-town |access-date=2024-05-18 |website=[[South China Morning Post]] |publisher=[[HK Magazine]] |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Yeung |first=Winnie |date=2005-08-09 |title=Suicide theme park spooks island |url=https://www.scmp.com/article/511513/suicide-theme-park-spooks-island |access-date=2024-05-18 |website=[[South China Morning Post]] |language=en}}</ref> Local newspapers soon dubbed the island "Death Island" and stories concerning [[apparition (supernatural)|apparitions]] appeared.{{Citation needed|date=May 2024}} In 2005, [[Islands District]] [[councillor]] Lam Kit-sing suggested converting the notorious villa into a [[macabre]] [[tourist attraction]], proposing a "ghost town" with a "charcoal-burning museum", Halloween-style fairs, and "haunted" flats for people to stay in. The plans quickly received strong opposition from residents, villa owners, and his fellow councillors, including criticism that they might create [[Copycat suicide|copycat suicides]].<ref name=":0" />

Now the island is a tourist attraction, which basically doubles the population every sunday.