Kowloon () is one of the three areas of Hong Kong, along with Hong Kong Island and the New Territories. It is an urban area comprising the Kowloon Peninsula and New Kowloon. It has a population of 2,019,533 and a population density of in 2006. It is the smallest, second most populous, and most densely populated of the divisions.
Location
Kowloon is located directly north of Hong Kong Island across
Victoria Harbour. It is bordered by the Lei Yue Mun strait to the east, Mei Foo Sun Chuen,
Butterfly Valley, and Stonecutter's Island to the west, a mountain range, including Tate's Cairn and
Lion Rock to the north, and
Victoria Harbour to the south.
Administration
Kowloon comprises the following districts:
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Kowloon City
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Kwun Tong
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Sham Shui Po
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Wong Tai Sin
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Yau Tsim Mong
Name
The name 'Kowloon' () alludes 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.
[Fallon, Steve. (2006) Hong Kong and Macau. Lonely Planet Publishing. ] It was also spelt 'Kawloong' in some 19th-century sources.
History
The part of Kowloon south of
Boundary Street, together with Stonecutters Island, was ceded by
Qing empire 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.
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 Kwun Fu Cheung (官富場) during the
Song dynasty (9601279). "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 the close proximity of Kowloon's built-up area to Kai Tak Airport, building construction was limited by flight paths. As a result, compared to Hong Kong Island, Kowloon had a much lower skyline.
The area of reclaimed land now known as West Kowloon was once home to a dockyard for the Royal Navy.
The 1911 census recorded a population of 7,306, with most being Hakka.[James Hayes, The Hong Kong Region 18501911. Hong Kong, 2012. ] 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.
Demographics
, 2,108,419 people lived in Kowloon.
About 94.2% of Kowloon's residents are of ethnicity. The largest ethnic minority groups are Indonesians (1.8%), Filipinos (1.5%), Indians (0.5%), Nepalese (0.4%), and British people (0.3%).
Localities
Kowloon comprises these localities of Hong Kong:
Education
Lists of primary and secondary schools in Kowloon by district:
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List of schools in Kowloon City District
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List of schools in Kwun Tong District
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List of schools in Sham Shui Po District
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List of schools in Wong Tai Sin District
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List of schools in Yau Tsim Mong District
Tertiary education
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City University of Hong Kong
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Hong Kong Polytechnic University
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Hong Kong Baptist University
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Open University of Hong Kong
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Tung Wah College
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Hong Kong Nang Yan College of Higher Education
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Gratia Christian College
Notable people
Transport
Kowloon is connected to Hong Kong Island by two road-only
(the Cross-Harbour Tunnel and the Western Harbour Crossing), three MTR railway tunnels (Tsuen Wan line, Tung Chung line/Airport Express and East Rail) and one combined road and MTR rail link tunnel (Eastern Harbour Tunnel, containing the Tseung Kwan O line and road traffic in separate parallel conduits). No bridges connect the island and Kowloon.
Gallery
File:The Urban Council Centenary Garden Fountain 2009.jpg|Urban Council Centenary Garden fountain, Tsim Sha Tsui
File:Maze Garden, Kowloon Park, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong - DSC06248.JPG|Maze Garden, Kowloon Park, Tsim Sha Tsui
File:Boeing 747-428, Air France AN0278440.jpg|An Air France Boeing 747 passing above Kowloon, prior to landing at the old airport in 1998.
File:Tsim Sha Tsui Star Ferry Pier.jpg|Star Ferry Pier, with the Hong Kong Cultural Centre and Tsim Sha Tsui Clock Tower in the background.
File:Kowloon Masjid and Islamic Centre from East 2.jpg|Kowloon Masjid and Islamic Centre
File:Kowloon-from-Hong-Kong-Island-2015-Luka-Peternel.jpg|Night view of Kowloon from Hong Kong Island
External links
