What does the name Kowloon mean? It means “nine dragons”. Kowloon is an urban area in Hong Kong. It includes the Kowloon Peninsula and New Kowloon.
Kowloon’s name alludes to eight mountains and an emperor. The mountains are Kowloon Peak, Tung Shan, Tate’s Cairn, Temple Hill, Unicorn Ridge, Lion Rock, Beacon Hill, and Crow’s Nest. The emperor is Emperor Bing of Song. Kowloon was once spelled “Kawloong” in some 19th-century texts.
Kowloon is located directly north of Hong Kong Island. Victoria Harbour separates them. To the east is the Lei Yue Mun strait. To the west are Mei Foo Sun Chuen, Butterfly Valley, and Stonecutter’s Island. A mountain range borders it to the north. This range includes Tate’s Cairn and Lion Rock. Victoria Harbour is to the south.
The United Kingdom acquired part of Kowloon in 1860. This area was south of Boundary Street. Stonecutters Island was also included. Qing China ceded it under the Convention of Peking. The British used the area mainly for tiger-hunting expeditions. For many years, it remained largely undeveloped.
The British leased the area north of Boundary Street in 1898. This was part of the New Territories. The Second Convention of Peking established the 99-year lease. Kowloon City is within New Kowloon. The Kowloon Walled City was once located there but it was demolished in 1993.
“New Kowloon” remains part of the New Territories. “Kowloon” technically only includes the area south of Boundary Street. It also includes Stonecutters Island. However, New Kowloon is generally considered part of the Kowloon urban area. This is true whether it is north or south of Boundary Street.
Large-scale development began in the early 20th century. This included the Kowloon-Canton Railway and the Kowloon Wharf. Building construction was limited due to Kai Tak Airport’s proximity. Kowloon had a much lower skyline than Hong Kong Island. After World War II, Kowloon became extremely congested. Slums for refugees from China led to public housing estates. These were mixed with private residential, commercial, and industrial areas.
The area now known as West Kowloon once housed a dockyard for the Royal Navy. The 1911 census recorded a population of 7,306. Most residents were Hakka. Japan’s invasion of China in 1937 caused Kowloon’s population to grow drastically. Between 1937 and 1939, 750,000 refugees arrived in Kowloon and nearby areas. Many lacked permanent residences.
In 2011, Kowloon had a population of 2,108,419 people. About 94.2% of residents are of Han Chinese ethnicity. The largest ethnic minority groups include Indonesians, Filipinos, Indians, Nepalese, and British. Around 86% of residents use Cantonese as their usual language. 2.3% use English and 1.2% use Mandarin.
Kowloon is connected to Hong Kong Island by several tunnels. These include road and railway tunnels. The Cross-Harbour Tunnel and the Western Harbour Crossing are road-only. Three MTR railway tunnels also connect the areas. These are the Tsuen Wan line, Tung Chung line/Airport Express, and East Rail. The Eastern Harbour Tunnel is a combined road and MTR rail link tunnel.
One infamous area within Kowloon was the Kowloon Walled City. It was known as the “City of Darkness”. The governments of Hong Kong and China decided to demolish it in 1987. Demolition began in 1993 and was completed in 1994. Today, the site is Kowloon Walled City Park. The park incorporates traditional Chinese architecture. It features a garden, pavilions, and relics from the walled city’s past.