Lantau Island Is the Largest Island in Hong Kong

On January 26, 1841, Commodore Bremer officially took possession of Hong Kong Island on behalf of the British Empire. Since then, Hong Kong Island has always been the administrative and financial center of Hong Kong.

However, contrary to what one might expect, Hong Kong Island is not Hong Kong’s largest island; that honor goes to Lantau Island, located 7.3 kilometers (4.55 miles) west of Hong Kong Island at its closest point.

Unlike Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula, which were ceded to the British Empire following the First and Second Opium Wars, respectively, Lantau Island was leased to the British along with the New Territories and several smaller islands in 1898.

Covering an area of 147.16 square kilometers (56.82 square miles), Lantau Island is about 1.9 times larger than Hong Kong Island. Yet, despite being much larger, Lantau Island had a population of approximately 200,000 as of 2026, most of whom live in Tung Chung.

This corresponds to a population density of 1,040 inhabitants per square kilometer (2,700 inhabitants per square mile), a density comparable to that of the British Crown dependency of the Bailiwick of Jersey. To put this number in perspective, Hong Kong Island has a density of 14,760 inhabitants per square kilometer (38,230 inhabitants per square mile).