Tsing Yi (青衣) literally means "green/ blue/ black clothes", but is also a kind of fish, most likely blackspot tuskfish, once abundant in nearby waters.

Historically, Tsing Yi Island, with Kwai Chung, were usually in the same administration unit as Tsuen Wan because of their proximity and close-knit neighbourhood.

The rocks on the island are mainly granite and were exposed due to extensive housing, industrial and infrastructure construction.

The Tsing Yi Peak climbs to 334 m (1,096 ft)and is a barrier separating industrial west and residential east.

Farmers grew rice, vegetables and pineapples, while fishermen lived in huts connected by plank walkways in the small harbour of Tsing Yi Tong which stretched far back into the island.

Even as late as the 1970s, Tsing Yi Tong resembled Tai O with its characteristic stilt houses and water vehicles.

Like many other fishing villages in Hong Kong, the Tsing Yi dwellers worshipped Tin Hau, the goddess of mercy and the sea.

From the 1920s onwards, a Chinese company built lime factories on the present site of Greenfield Garden.

CLP later commissioned its 1520MW oil-fired Tsing Yi Power Station in 1969 at Nam Wan due to its proximity to the oil tank farms.

The bridge was soon transferred to the Hong Kong Government, remaining the sole road connection to the island for more than ten years.

After the establishment of the Tsing Yi Bridge, the Hong Kong government commenced an extensive new town project on the island.

The vicinity of the Mobil oil storage depot to Mayfair Garden and Cheung Ching Estate once aroused enormous concern for the safety of the residents.

At the same time, Tsing Yi Bridge was seriously overburdened and its structure was unable to cope with increasing traffic.

Finally, Tsing Yi North Bridge, a connection to Tsuen Wan town was built to ease off the congestion, as well as to accommodate the local residential population boom.

On the island, new residential projects, Tivoli Garden, Grand Horizon, Mount Haven, Villa Esplanada, Tierra Verde, and Cheung Wang Estate were completed.

The final part of reclaimed land near the shore had been laid waste for almost a decade until Tsing Yi Promenade was built in 2004.

From 2000 to 2004, Container Terminal 9 was built on the reclaimed southwest shore of the island, together with resident blocks, Rambler Crest.

Victoria, a controversial new dioxin burning plant was also put into operation during 2004, arousing much concern for the residents of Tsing Yi and Hong Kong island.

Tsing Yi is served by an extensive bus network, with routes terminating at different parts of Hong Kong.

There are 9 bus termini on the island: Before the completion of Tsing Yi Bridge, ferry was the only public transport to mainland Hong Kong.

Hovercraft service between Tsuen Wan, Tsing Yi and Central was provided by the former Hongkong and Yaumati Ferry.

The pier is now open to the public, and continues to be used as a drop-off point for fishermen and tourists, and as a mooring site for government boats.

In the post-World War II era, Hong Kong Government provides 9-year free education to all children from primary one to secondary three.