Wanzai, Small Hengqin and Great Hengqin islands

Three islands sit near the Macau Peninsula.

Long ago, these were three separate islands. They were called Wanzai, Small Hengqin, and Great Hengqin.

People added land to join two islands together. Now they are one big island called Hengqin.

Small Hengqin and Great Hengqin are now joined. A tiny creek is all that stays between them. This helped make the new, larger island.

Today, people build new homes there. It is a place for many visitors to see.

Three islands sit near the Macau Peninsula.

These islands are Wanzai, Small Hengqin, and Great Hengqin. They are part of Zhuhai in China. Long ago, they were separate. A small group of Chinese people lived there.

Portuguese missionaries lived on these islands a long time ago. They used different names for them. They called Wanzai Lapa. They called Small Hengqin Dom João. They called Great Hengqin Montanha. On old maps, Lapa was called Patera Island. This name means "Island of the priests."

In the past, water channels sat between the islands. These channels were shaped like a plus sign. People called this area the Shizimen Channel. This name means "cross gate." Now, the channels are gone. People added land to join the islands together.

Small Hengqin and Great Hengqin are now one big island. We call this island Hengqin. A small creek called Central Creek still sits between them.

Hengqin is growing fast today. People are building new homes there. There are plans to build hotels for visitors. A bridge called the Lotus Bridge connects Hengqin to Macau.

Three islands sit near the Macau Peninsula in China.

These islands are Wanzai, Small Hengqin, and Great Hengqin. They are part of the city of Zhuhai in Guangdong. In the past, these islands were separate from each other. They were also near the islands of Taipa and Coloane.

Many years ago, only a small number of Chinese people lived there. Today, the area looks very different because people have changed the land.

In the past, water channels flowed between these four islands. These channels were shaped like a plus sign. Because of this shape, people called the area the Shizimen Channel. This name means "cross gate" in Chinese.

Over time, people used land reclamation to fill in the water. Land reclamation is a way to make new land from the sea. This process joined Small Hengqin with Great Hengqin. It also connected Taipa to Coloane. Now, the Shizimen name is used for a district on the new island.

Portuguese missionaries arrived on these islands a long time ago. Some records show they were there by the end of the 1600s. In 1645, a priest named João Rodrigues was buried on the island of Lapa. The Portuguese called Wanzai the island of Lapa.

Some old maps even called it Patera Island. That name means "Island of the priests." Other missionaries also lived on these islands for many years. They even built schools for the local Chinese residents.

History on the islands was sometimes difficult. In 1938, the Japanese invaded China. The Portuguese took official control of the islands to protect their missionaries. However, the Japanese Army threatened the Portuguese troops in 1941. This led to Japan occupying the islands. After World War II ended, China took control of the three islands again. Today, the islands are part of a Special Economic Zone. This means the area has special rules for business and growth.

Today, the islands are changing very quickly. Small Hengqin and Great Hengqin are now one big island called Hengqin.

An embankment joins the two parts together. A small, swampy area called Central Creek still separates them. The Lotus Bridge connects Hengqin to the Cotai area of Macau.

People are building many new homes and residential areas there. There are even plans to build luxury resorts and hotels for tourists to visit.

Wanzai, Small Hengqin, and Great Hengqin are three islands located near the Macau Peninsula in China.

These islands sit west of the Macau islands of Taipa and Coloane. They are now part of the Special Economic Zone of Zhuhai in Guangdong province. Historically, these islands were inhabited by small Chinese populations. Today, the landscape has changed significantly through human activity. Much of the original geography has been altered by land reclamation. This process involves creating new land from the sea to expand territory.

In the past, the geography of this region was defined by complex water channels. These channels flowed between Small Hengqin, Great Hengqin, Taipa, and Coloane. The arrangement of these waterways formed a shape similar to a plus sign. Because of this specific shape, the area was known as the Shizimen Channel. In Chinese, Shizimen literally means "cross gate." Over time, the physical nature of these channels changed due to land reclamation. This engineering work connected Small Hengqin with Great Hengqin. It also connected Taipa with Coloane. While the water channels have disappeared, the name "Shizimen" remains as a district name on the merged Hengqin island.

Small Hengqin and Great Hengqin have undergone a major physical transformation. They were once two separate islands. Small Hengqin was adjacent to Taipa, while Great Hengqin was adjacent to Coloane.

Through land reclamation, they were combined into a single large island called Hengqin. An embankment now joins the two former islands together. The only remaining separation between them is a small, swampy creek called Central Creek. This creek is located in the northern part of the new island. Wanzai, which the Portuguese called Lapa, underwent a different change. It was once an island but became a peninsula connected to the mainland through reclamation.

Portuguese influence on these islands has a long and documented history. Some historical registers suggest missionaries were present by the end of the 17th century. In 1645, a mandarin from Canton authorized the burial of a Jesuit priest named João Rodrigues on the island of Lapa. This event is noted as an early sign of Portuguese presence. Other missionaries, such as Augustinians and Dominicans, also settled there. Some ancient maps refer to Lapa as Patera Island. The etymology of Patera means "Island of the priests." These religious groups maintained facilities on the islands for many years. Records show these facilities were still mentioned in letters as late as 1764.

During the 19th century, the islands saw increased administrative and social changes. Portuguese missionaries began to populate and evangelize the other two islands. The Macau government started collecting taxes from the local populations. In exchange for these taxes, the government provided protection. This was necessary because the islands were not protected by Chinese soldiers. The Portuguese also established social institutions on the islands. They built a leper colony on the island of Dom João. They also built schools to educate the small number of Chinese residents living there.

The islands also experienced significant political and military shifts during the 20th century. In 1938, the Japanese invasion of China occurred. The Portuguese officially occupied the three islands during this time. They used the excuse of protecting their missionaries to take control. However, the Japanese Army threatened Portuguese troops in 1941. This threat forced the Portuguese to abandon the islands. Consequently, Japan occupied the territory. Following the end of World War II, China was able to reoccupy the three islands.

Modern Hengqin is a site of intense economic development and planning. It is currently part of a Special Economic Zone designed to promote growth. The Lotus Bridge provides a vital connection between Hengqin and the Cotai area of the Macau Special Administrative Region.

There are active proposals to turn the sparsely populated island into a major tourist destination. This would include the construction of many hotels and luxury resorts. New residential areas are also being built to support the growing population. On September 1, 2005, the Chinese Central Government introduced new economic policies for the area. They allowed entrepreneurs from Macau and Hong Kong to be exempt from certain taxes and fees. They also allowed more flexibility in controlling migration to help promote investment in the region.