[3] Before the First Opium War, Ap Lei Chau was a small fishing village, with its harbour forming an excellent natural typhoon shelter.

The island appears on a Ming-era map[4] with its primary settlement labelled "Fragrant Harbour Village".

Public housing estates were built to accommodate people, including some who had suffered in a fire in the Aberdeen typhoon shelter.

The nearby site was re-developed into the South Horizons residential area, with the addition of some land reclaimed from the sea.

Dating back to 1773, it is the oldest temple in the Aberdeen and Ap Lei Chau areas[9] and is a declared monument.

Dedicated to Kwun Yum, it was built at the end of the 19th century[10] and is a Grade III historic building.

Clearly chosen for its fung shui, the superior dragons were seen as being protection from the 'threat of the tiger's jaw' from the police station.

There is a regular sampan service running between Ap Lei Chau Main Street and Aberdeen.

(Service hours: 6am-12am) The MTR South Island line opened on 28 December 2016 links Admiralty of Hong Kong Island to Ap Lei Chau by the Aberdeen Channel Bridge, to the southeast of the Ap Lei Chau Bridges.

[11] Since Ap Lei Chau is currently the fourth most densely populated island in the world, public space is highly insufficient.