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 Kowloon.
Its name means “nine dragons,” which is actually representative of
china’s eight tallest peaks with the ninth “dragon” being the Emperor.
Historically leased to the British for 99 years for use as a
tiger-hunting facility and just recently returned to main land China
along with Hong Kong in 1997, this strip of land is now a favorite
shopping haunt and
 eating
trip for tourists visiting Hong Kong.
A top destination among shoppers visiting the island of Hong Kong, this
small patch of land just off the Hong Kong mainland continually attracts
people with its wide variety of shops carrying many different sundry
ranging from intricately carved jade to the newest fashions and
expensive antiques.
Many first time visitors find their initial thoughts of Kowloon as a
busy industrial city being squashed by the very friendly, and more homey
yet bustling small town everyday living charm of Kowloon.
The many restaurants in Kowloon will pleasantly shift the standards of
what people may first think to be good Chinese cooking. Kowloon cafes
offer many gustatory delights at much more affordable prices than food
served in Hong Kong. Here, not only is the tummy happy but also the
diner’s pocket.
The large-scale development of Kowloon began in the early 20th Century,
with the construction of the Kowloon-Canton Railway, the Kowloon Wharf,
and the Kai Tak Airport. Precisely because of the airport, building
height restrictions had been in place for many years.
Top Attractions of Kowloon
1. Clock Tower
Alongside the Hong Kong Cultural Center and the Star Ferry Concourse,
the Clock Tower was part of the former Kowloon-Canton Railway Terminus.
Built in 1915, it marks the start of the scenic Waterfront Promenade and
remains as a photogenic monument to Tsim Sha Tsui's rail heritage.
 2.
Kowloon British School - Antiquities & Monuments Gallery
Completed in 1902, this is the oldest surviving school building
constructed as an international school for the children of foreign
residents in Hong Kong. The architecture is typical of many English
schools of the Victorian era. The building now houses the Exhibition
Gallery of the Antiquities and Monuments Office.
 3.
Marine Police Headquarters Compound
With a commanding and very strategic vantage position overlooking the
harbor, this superb cluster of buildings is the fourth-oldest surviving
government facility in Hong Kong. The Marine Police have operated on
this site since its completion in 1884. The compound comprises a main
building, a stable block and a two-storey time-signal tower, where a
time ball was dropped at 1:00pm every day until 1907 to enable ships to
check their chronometers.
 4.
Hong Kong Observatory
Built in 1883, this rectangular two-storey, plastered brick structure
with arched windows and long verandas, stands on a small hill in Tsim
Sha Tsui. It was declared a monument in 1984 and continues to monitor
Hong Kong's weather.
 5.
Star Ferry
The Star Ferry, Hong Kong's most scenic - and cheapest - mode of travel
across Victoria Harbor, saw its 100 years of service in 1998. The
eight-minute ride between Central and Tsim Sha Tsui will offer even the
most jaded traveler a most enchanting experience.
6. The Peninsula
Affectionately known as "The Pen", this historic hotel, with its famous
gilded, and columned lobby, first received guests in 1928. It is the
ideal spot for afternoon tea with cakes and cucumber sandwiches.
7. Sung Wong Toi Park
Sung Wong Toi used to be one of the most important historic relics in
Hong Kong. It was a 45-meter tall boulder standing on the top of a hill
above Kowloon Bay.
 The
name Sung Wong Toi literally means Terrace of the Sung kings. It is
believed to be the memorial of the last two boy emperors of the Southern
Song Dynasty, Zhao Shi and Zhao Bing, who temporarily lived in Hong Kong
from 1277 to 1279. Zhao Shi died of illness in Hong Kong, while Zhao
Bing committed suicide after the naval defeat against the Mongols at the
Battle of Yamen.
During the Japanese Occupation of Hong Kong in 1942-1945, this boulder
became dislodged while the hill was being leveled for an extension of
Kai Tak Airport.
Only the part of the boulder displaying its Chinese name, about
one-third of its original size, survived the blasting operation. After
World War II it was moved to the Sung Wong Toi Park, in the present-day
Kowloon City district, a small park especially constructed for it close
to the original site.
8. Kowloon Mosque
The mosque is the most interesting to visit on Friday lunch times. Built
in 1984, the mosque has the grand white dome and minarets stands out on
the Goldern mite. It is located on bustling Nathan Road in a corner of
Kowloon Park.
 9.
Kowloon Park
Once, Kowloon Park was the site of the white field barracks-home to
joint British and Indian troops but has now since been converted to a
pleasant city park. Don’t miss the bird lake crowded with beautiful pink
lesser flamingo and ducks.
 10.
Wong Tai Sin Temple
An ornate traditional temple in the heart of Kowloon, Wong Tai Sin
Temple combines Buddhist, Confucian and Daoist traditions. Wong Tai Sin
himself was a Zhejiang shepherd/alchemist who supposedly concocted a
marvelous cure-all. His work has since gained for him a statue in the
main building, which was brought over from the mainland in 1921. The
building is spectacularly colorful with its red pillars, golden ceiling
and decorated latticework, but not particularly distinguished. Far more
fascinating are the fortune-tellers in their arcade of booths and the
throngs of worshippers.
 11.
Yuen Po Street Bird Garden
Rearing caged songbirds is a time-honored Chinese hobby, and the Yuen Po
Street Bird Garden is Hong Kong's shrine to this obsession. There are
about 70 stalls, each filled with the song of its glorious occupants,
and ornate cages and cage furniture that adds more to the shop’s
attractions. And while conditions in the average Hong Kong poultry
market would give an animal welfare activist a heart attack, the birds
here are pampered and cosseted, even fed honey nectar which is believed
to sweeten their songs. Just north of the Bird Garden there is also a
fine flower market, and a goldfish market closer to the MRT station in
Tung Choi Street.
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