Investment and settlement in Hong Kong experience Hong Kong life: Anyone who has taken a flight from Hong Kong to various parts of the world, if traveling by land to the famous Hong Kong International Airport, commonly known as Chek Lap Kok Airport, has the opportunity to pass by and see the spectacular Tsing Ma Bridge.
The Tsing Ma Bridge is the longest road-rail dual-use suspension bridge in the world and the sixth longest suspension bridge in the world.
In addition to setting the record for the longest bridge of its kind, the "Airport Core Programme," which includes the Tsing Ma Bridge, was awarded one of the "Top Ten Architectural Achievements of the 20th Century" by the American architectural community in 1999, sharing this honor with other world-class projects such as the Panama Canal, the Channel Tunnel, and the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.
Since its opening, the Tsing Ma Bridge has become a major highway connecting Lantau Island's Hong Kong International Airport and the urban area. It spans the Ma Wan Channel, linking Tsing Yi Island with Ma Wan, and together with another cross-sea bridge—the Lantau Link Bridge—forms part of the Tsing Yi Lantau Link.
The Tsing Ma Bridge features a double-deck design, with the upper deck serving as a three-lane, two-way roadway, while the lower deck accommodates two railway lines for the Tung Chung Line and Airport Express, as well as two single-lane emergency roadways for use during emergencies (such as typhoons).
The Tsing Ma Bridge has become a major architectural landmark and tourist attraction in Hong Kong, drawing visitors from around the world; however, due to the absence of pedestrian walkways, tourists cannot walk across the bridge.
To appreciate the Tsing Ma Bridge up close, the best way is to take a bus or taxi from Kowloon and the New Territories to Tung Chung or Hong Kong International Airport, allowing for a thrilling experience of crossing the longest bridge of its kind in the world over the vast ocean.
For a magnificent view of the Tsing Ma Bridge, the viewing platform at the Tsing Yi Lantau Link Visitor Centre is the best choice. Next to the path leading to the viewing platform stand two monuments that symbolize the spirit of the bridge—the high towers that support the cables and a cross-section of the main cable. To support the main cable that holds up the bridge deck, these towers on both sides were constructed, forming a massive cable with a diameter of 1.1 meters and a length of 16,000 kilometers, with enough wire length to circle the Earth.
To accommodate the large number of tourists, the government established the Tsing Yi Lantau Link Visitor Centre and viewing platform at the northwest end of Tsing Yi Island, diagonally opposite the Tsing Ma Bridge. The visitor centre and viewing platform officially opened in 1997, with former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher officiating the ceremony, and the Tsing Ma Bridge officially opened to traffic in May of the same year.
The visitor centre provides specialized information about the construction of the Tsing Yi Lantau Link, including models, photographs, and exhibitions, and regularly plays videos introducing the construction process of the Tsing Ma Bridge and the Airport Core Programme. It is equipped with two computers featuring quiz software to test visitors' knowledge of the Tsing Yi Lantau Link; from the viewing platform, one can appreciate the grandeur of the Tsing Ma Bridge, with its imposing steel structure symbolizing the greatness of human engineering. On the other end of the viewing platform, one can see the "Tsing Kwan O Bridge," with its yellow cables facilitating traffic between Hong Kong Island and the New Territories, its bright yellow color often overshadowing the Tsing Ma Bridge during the day.
