:Kowloon

{{transliterationof|Kowloon|{{noitalic|{{lang|zh-hant|九龍}}}}|九龍 (disambiguation)}}

{{Infobox settlement

|official_name = Kowloon

|native_name = {{nobold|{{lang|zh-hant|九龍}}}}

|nickname =

|motto =

|image_skyline = Union Square and Tsim Sha Tsui.jpg

|image_caption = Kowloon as viewed from Hong Kong Island

|image_flag =

|image_seal =

|image_map = Hong Kong Kowloon.svg

|map_caption = Location within Hong Kong (in green)

| subdivision_type =

| subdivision_name =

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|area_magnitude =

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|area_total_sq_mi =

|area_land_km2 = 67

|area_land_sq_mi =

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|area_urban_km2 =

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|population_footnotes =

|population_as_of = 2011

|population_note =

|population_total = 2,108,419 (2.1 million)

|population_density_km2 = 43033

|population_density_sq_mi =

|timezone = Hong Kong Time

|utc_offset = +8

|footnotes =

|imagesize = 250px}}

{{infobox Chinese

|pic=Kowloon (Chinese characters).svg

|piccap="Kowloon" in Traditional (top) and Simplified (bottom) Chinese characters

|picupright=0.45

|t={{linktext|九龍}} |s=九龙

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|y=Gáulùhng

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|j=gau2 lung4

|h={{tone superscript|giu3lung2}}

|p=Jǐulóng

|tp=Jiǒulóng

|w={{tone superscript|Chiu3-lung2}}

|mi={{IPAc-cmn|j|iu|3|.|l|ong|2}}

|bpmf=ㄐㄧㄡˇ ㄌㄨㄥˊ

|l="Nine Dragons"

}}

Kowloon ({{IPAc-en|ˌ|k|aʊ|ˈ|l|uː|n}}) 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 {{cvt|43,033|/km2}} 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

{{main|Kowloon Central (disambiguation){{!}}Kowloon Central|Kowloon East|Kowloon West}}

Kowloon comprises the following districts:

Name

The name 'Kowloon' ({{zh|t=九龍|l=nine dragons}}) 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. {{ISBN|981-258-246-0}} It was also spelt 'Kawloong' in some 19th-century sources.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/264605267507|title=KAWLOONG FERRY STATION: Hong Kong postcard (C48147)|website=eBay|access-date=27 February 2022|archive-date=12 November 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221112071704/https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/264605267507|url-status=dead}}

History

File:Kowloon City, Mainland, opposite Hong Kong.jpg-era Kowloon Walled City and Lion Rock (in the background)]]

File:Victoria City and Kowloon 1915.jpg

File:Hong Kong Kai Tak Airport 1971.jpg, was located in Kowloon Bay.]]

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.{{Cite book

|title = 10,000 Chinese Numbers

|isbn = 9780557006212

|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=OSrrrgbS2v4C

|publisher = Lulu.com

|page = 207

|url-status = live

|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160823050748/https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=OSrrrgbS2v4C

|archive-date = 23 August 2016

|df = dmy-all

}}{{self-published source|date=February 2020}}{{self-published inline|date=February 2020}}

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 ({{lang|zh-hant|官富場}}) during the Song dynasty (960{{ndash}}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 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. After World War II, Kowloon became extremely congested when slums for refugees from the newly established People's Republic of China gave way to public housing estates, mixed with private residential, commercial, and industrial areas.

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 1850{{ndash}}1911. Hong Kong, 2012. {{ISBN|9888139118}} 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.{{cite web|url=http://www.yearbook.gov.hk/2003/english/chapter21/21_05.html|title=Hong Kong 2003{{snd}}History|website=www.yearbook.gov.hk|access-date=28 April 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110926094615/http://www.yearbook.gov.hk/2003/english/chapter21/21_05.html|archive-date=26 September 2011}}

Demographics

{{As of|2011}}, 2,108,419 people lived in Kowloon.{{Citation|title=District Profiles|access-date=27 September 2013|date=2011|publisher=Hong Kong Census|url=http://www.census2011.gov.hk/en/district-profiles.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130927182828/http://www.census2011.gov.hk/en/district-profiles.html|archive-date=27 September 2013}}

About 94.2% of Kowloon's residents are of {{cn-span|Han Chinese|date=May 2022}} ethnicity. The largest ethnic minority groups are Indonesians (1.8%), Filipinos (1.5%), Indians (0.5%), Nepalese (0.4%), and British (0.3%). Around 86% of Kowloon's residents use Cantonese as their usual language, while 2.3% use English and 1.2% use Mandarin.

Localities

Kowloon comprises these localities of Hong Kong:

Education

File:The Hong Kong Polytechnic University east.jpg in Hung Hom]]

File:King george v school front facade 2004.jpg, Homantin]]

Lists of primary and secondary schools in Kowloon by district:

=Tertiary education=

City University of Hong Kong
Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Hong Kong Baptist University
Open University of Hong Kong
Tung Wah College
Hong Kong Nang Yan College of Higher Education
Gratia Christian College

Notable people

Sean Parry (born 1987), cricketer
Jackson Wang (born 1994), musician

Transport

File:Western Harbour Tunnel.JPG, one of the tunnels that link Kowloon with Hong Kong Island]]

Kowloon is connected to Hong Kong Island by two road-only tunnels (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

{{wide image|HK Kowloon Panorama 2009.jpg|800px|align-cap=center|Kowloon Peninsula panorama}}

References

External links

{{Commons category-inline|Kowloon}}
{{Commons category-inline|Kowloon West}}

Category:Populated coastal places in Hong Kong