Kowloon

Kowloon c. 1868, depicting the Qing-era Kowloon Walled City and Lion Rock (in the background)

Map of Kowloon in 1915

Hong Kong's old airport, Kai Tak, was located in Kowloon.

The name Kowloon stems from the term nine dragons, alluding to eight mountains and a Chinese emperor: Kowloon Peak, Tung Shan, Tate's Cairn, Temple Hill, Unicorn Ridge, Lion Rock, Beacon Hill, Crow's Nest and Emperor Bing of Song.[1] The part of Kowloon south of Boundary Street, together with Stonecutters Island, was ceded by Qing China to the United Kingdom under the Convention of Peking of 1860. For many years the area remained largely undeveloped, used by the British mainly for tiger-hunting expeditions.[2] The part of Kowloon north of Boundary Street (New Kowloon) was leased by the British as part of the New Territories under the 1898 Second Convention of Peking for 99 years. Within New Kowloon is Kowloon City, an area of Hong Kong where the Kowloon Walled City used to be located. The Kowloon Walled City itself was demolished in 1993. The same area was called Guanfuchang (官富場) during the Song dynasty (960–1279). "New Kowloon" has remained part of the New Territories.

Statutorily, "Kowloon" is only the area south of Boundary Street and Stonecutters Island, but in common use, New Kowloon is not regarded as part of the New Territories but as an integral part of the Kowloon urban area whether north or south of Boundary Street.

Large-scale development of Kowloon began in the early-20th century, with the construction of the Kowloon-Canton Railway and the Kowloon Wharf, but because of Kowloon's close proximity to Kai Tak Airport, building construction was limited by flight paths. As a result, compared to Hong Kong Island, Kowloon has a much lower skyline.[1] After World War II, Kowloon became extremely congested when slums for refugees from the newly established China gave way to public housing estates, mixed with private residential, commercial and industrial areas.

The area of reclaimed land known as West Kowloon was once home to a dockyard for the Royal Navy.

One of the many tunnels that link Kowloon with Hong Kong island.

A 13-foot high stone wall was built in 1847 around Kowloon. The 1911 census recorded a population of 7,306, with most being Hakka.[3] The invasion of China by Japan in 1937 caused the population of Kowloon to grow drastically. Between 1937 and 1939, 750,000 refugees arrived in Kowloon and nearby areas, with many not having residence.[4]

As of 2011, 2,108,419 people lived in Kowloon.[5]

94.2% of Kowloon's residents are of Cantonese ethnicity. The largest ethnic minority groups are Indonesians (1.8%), Filipinos (1.5%), Indians (0.5%), Nepalese (0.4%), and British (0.3%).[5] 86% of Kowloon's residents use Cantonese as their usual language, while 2.3% use English and 1.2% use Mandarin.[5]

Kowloon comprises the following localities of Hong Kong:

• 
  Centenary Garden Fountain, Tsim Sha Tsui
• 
  Maze Garden, Kowloon Park, Tsim Sha Tsui
• 
  An Air France Boeing 747 passing above Kowloon, prior to landing at the old airport in 1998.
• 
  Star Ferry Pier, with the Hong Kong Cultural Centre and Tsim Sha Tsui Clock Tower in the background.
• 
  Kowloon Masjid
• 
  The Salisbury, YMCA of Hong Kong

Kowloon Peninsula panorama

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Kowloon.

• Media related to Kowloon at Wikimedia Commons
• Media related to Kowloon West at Wikimedia Commons