Kowloon City

Kowloon City is an area in New Kowloon, Hong Kong. It is part of Kowloon City District.

For the administrative district, see Kowloon City District. For the former enclave, see Kowloon Walled City.

Kowloon City
High-rise buildings have been built in Kowloon City after the relocation of the Hong Kong International Airport from Kowloon City to Chek Lap Kok.
Traditional Chinese九龍城
Simplified Chinese九龙城
Aerial view of Kowloon City

Compared with the council area of Kowloon City District, the Kowloon City area is vaguely bounded in the south by Prince Edward Road West and Prince Edward Road East, north with Lok Fu, east with Kai Tak Nullah and west with Kowloon Tsai.

History
Low-flying aircraft were a common sight in Kowloon City before the relocation of Hong Kong's airport

As early as in the Qin dynasty (221 BCE – 206 BCE), Kowloon City was famous for its pearl production. During the Song dynasty (960–1279), Kowloon City was a part of Kwun Fu Cheung (traditional Chinese: 官富場; simplified Chinese: 官富场; pinyin: guān fù chǎng), which was a part of salt yard governed by Chinese officials. During the late Song Dynasty, two young emperors Zhao Bing and Duanzong sought refuge at current day Kowloon City, roughly at present day Sung Wong Toi Garden to escape from the growing Mongol Army. There are also historic relics and a temple which dates back to 800 years ago.

Part of the area was the location of the original Kowloon Walled City, erected during the Qing dynasty. This is now Kowloon Walled City Park. The former Kai Tak International Airport was also located in the district.

In 1982, Hong Kong was divided into 18 districts, and Kowloon City and its neighbouring areas, such as Hung Hom, have been part of the Kowloon City District since then.

Prior to 1998, a strict building height restriction was imposed in Kowloon City and over much of Kowloon to minimise the hazards of air traffic commuting through the Kai Tak Airport. The closure of Kai Tak as a result of the opening of the new Chek Lap Kok Airport lifted the height restriction, and more high-rise apartments started to appear. In more recent years, rapid gentrification takes place and new residential skyscrapers have replaced old tong laus.

Nearby Sights

Features

Kowloon City is an old district in Hong Kong; however, it has been transforming into a modern district with a lot of new shops and restaurants over the years. The district is well known for its wide range of cuisine. Other than the traditional Hong Kong-style restaurants that offer local dishes, there are numerous restaurants that offer Southeast Asian dishes like Thai, Vietnamese and Indonesian. Many Thai grocery stores can be found throughout this place, too. Due to the prevalence of Thai restaurants and stores as well as the population of Thai-speaking ethnic Chinese, Kowloon City is also known as "Hong Kong's Little Thailand".[13] It is not only a food paradise for authentic main dishes of many cultures, but also a popular place for both traditional Hong Kong-style and western desserts.[14] With a sizable population from the Chiushan area of Guangdong Province, Kowloon City is famous for Chiuchow-style braised dishes (滷水).

Transport

Major roads that serves the area include:

See also

Footnotes
  1. These locations are part of Kowloon City District, but some sources stated that they are not part of the Kowloon City proper.[5][6]

References
  1. DeWolf, Christopher (23 September 2011). "Best wet markets in Hong Kong". CNN Travel. Retrieved 9 October 2011.
  2. Goldberg, Lina (24 February 2013). "10 of the world's best fresh markets". CNN Travel. Retrieved 24 February 2013.
  3. 聯絡我們 [Contact us] (in Chinese). Holy Trinity Cathedral. Retrieved 6 January 2021.
  4. "Diocesan Office". Diocese of Eastern Kowloon. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
  5. 九龍城區名勝地宋王台闢作公園樂善堂及街坊會負責人曾向當局請求保存古蹟. Ta Kung Pao (in Chinese). 16 December 1955. p. 6.
  6. 2018香港大地圖 [Complete City Guide of Hong Kong 2018] (in Chinese). Wan Li Book. p. 106.
  7. 鏟平宋王台工程進行中. The Kung Sheung Evening News (in Chinese). 9 January 1952.
  8. 宋王台新公園工程積極大門豎四石柱分三入口. Wah Kiu Yat Po (in Chinese). 15 January 1956. p. 5.
  9. 宋王台公園夏間可完成. Wah Kiu Yat Po (in Chinese). 10 March 1956. p. 5.
  10. 宋王台古石　移置公園內工程將完成. The Kung Sheung Evening News (in Chinese). 2 August 1956. p. 4.
  11. "小畫家宋王台揮毫". Wah Kiu Yat Po (in Chinese). 4 April 1979. p. 13.
  12. 宋王台公園　離奇命案. The Kung Sheung Daily News (in Chinese). 13 September 1979. p. 7.
  13. "A walking tour of Hong Kong's Little Thailand".
  14. "Why we love Kowloon City".

Further reading
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