Kowloon Tong
Kowloon Tong | |||||||||||||||||
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Traditional Chinese | 九龍塘 | ||||||||||||||||
Simplified Chinese | 九龙塘 | ||||||||||||||||
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Kowloon Tong (Chinese: 九龍塘) is an area of Hong Kong located in Kowloon West. The majority of the area is in the Kowloon City District.[1] It is located south of Beacon Hill and north of Boundary Street. It is one of the most expensive residential districts in Hong Kong.[2]
It is popular among Hong Kong's wealthy residents because of its schools and low-density private housing.[3] In addition, this area is noted for its love hotels and nursing homes. Within Kowloon West, it is administratively divided between Kowloon City District and Sham Shui Po District.
History
Kowloon Tong was originally a small village located in present-day Police Sport Association near Boundary Street, south of Woh Chai Hill. The area allowed cultivation based on rivers running down from Beacon Hill.
In the 1920s, the Hong Kong Government developed the area of east of Kowloon Tong and Kowloon Tsai on both sides of Kowloon–Canton Railway into a low density residential area (based British architecture). The residential area is thus known as Kowloon Tong. The area's roads and streets are largely named after counties in England. It was the home of a large number of wealthy English businessmen.
The name of Kowloon Tsai is preserved in the hill west of the former village of Kowloon Tsai. Kowloon Tong is notoriously remembered as the site of martial artist Bruce Lee's death on Friday, July 20, 1973.[4]
Landmarks
Notable landmarks in Kowloon Tong include:
- Beacon Hill — a hill with a height of 457 m, and several residential developments.
- Festival Walk — a large shopping centre operated by Swire Group and CITIC, now owned by Singaporean investment firm Mapletree.
- Broadcast Drive — a road where all of Hong Kong's free-to-air TV stations (TVB, ATV), Hong Kong's oldest radio station (Radio Television Hong Kong), and Commercial Radio Hong Kong are headquartered.
- St. Teresa's Church
- 41 Cumberland Road, Bruce Lee's former home in Hong Kong. Demolished in 2019.
Media
The two biggest radio companies in Hong Kong, Commercial Radio Hong Kong and Radio Television Hong Kong, are both located on Broadcast Drive, Kowloon Tong. Minibus route 29A serves Broadcast Drive from MTR Kowloon Tong Station.
Education
The Hong Kong Baptist University and the City University of Hong Kong are located in Kowloon Tong. Many leading local English medium of instruction (EMI) primary and secondary schools on the Kowloon peninsula are located in the area, including Kowloon True Light Middle School, Kowloon Tong School (Secondary Section), Maryknoll Convent School, La Salle College and the Beacon Hill School. Other well known international schools in the area include the American International School, Yew Chung International School, Concordia International School, Australian International School, and the Delia School of Canada.
Schools
- Kindergarten
- Kentville Kindergarten
- St. Nicolas English Kindergarten
- York International Kindergarten
- Tutor Time International Nursery & Kindergarten
- SDM-Chatsworth International Kindergarten
- International schools
- American International School
- Australian International School Hong Kong
- Yew Chung International School
- Primary schools
- Alliance Primary School, Kowloon Tong
- Kowloon Tong Government Primary School
- Kowloon Tong School (Primary School)
- Kingston International School
- Secondary schools
- Holy Family Canossian School
- Kowloon True Light Middle School
- Kowloon Tong School (Secondary Section)
- United Christian College (Kowloon East)
Transport
Kowloon Tong is served by the MTR's East Rail Line and Kwun Tong Line at Kowloon Tong Station. Passengers may change here between the two lines. The stretch of Waterloo Road through Kowloon Tong forms part of Hong Kong's Route 1. It leads into the Lion Rock Tunnel, and as such serves as an important artery for traffic heading into and out of the New Territories (in particular Sha Tin). Yau Ma Tei is also accessible via Waterloo Road.
Streets
Streets in Kowloon Tong include:
- Boundary Street, partially in Kowloon Tong
- Waterloo Road, partially in Kowloon Tong
- York Road (約道) (see also Henry Tang illegal basement controversy)
See also
References
- ^ "District Council Constituency Boundaries - Kowloon City District" (PDF). Electoral Affairs Commission of HK Gov't.
- ^ "Luxury housing to love hotels: the unusual history of Kowloon Tong". South China Morning Post. 2018-11-05. Retrieved 2020-04-17.
- ^ "Properties near top Kowloon Tong schools are appealing". South China Morning Post. 2017-08-04. Retrieved 2020-05-16.
- ^ "Luxury housing to love hotels: the unusual history of Kowloon Tong". South China Morning Post. 2018-11-05. Retrieved 2020-04-17.
External links
- Kowloon Tong Garden Estate (c.1922- ) on gwulo.com
- Kowloon Tong Garden City Estate on docomomo.hk
- DeWolf, Christopher (5 November 2018). "Kowloon Tong history: Hong Kong's original garden city and its unusual path". South China Morning Post.