Kwun Tong

From Vero - Wikipedia
Jump to navigation Jump to search

Template:Short description Template:More citations needed Template:Use Hong Kong English Template:Use dmy dates

Template:Infobox settlement Template:Chinese

Kwun Tong Industrial Area
Kwun Tong Business Area aerial view

Kwun Tong is an area in the Kwun Tong District of Hong Kong, situated at the eastern part of the Kowloon Peninsula, and its boundary stretches from Lion Rock in the north to Lei Yue Mun in the south, and from the winding paths of Kowloon Peak in the east to the north coast of the former Kai Tak Airport runway in the west.

One of the first new towns in Hong Kong, Kwun Tong was, and remains, a major industrial area. Its population has been growing rapidly, and the demand for housing, medical and educational facilities and services has been increasing. In view of this, a number of community development projects, such as the redevelopment of old housing estates and the construction of major parks, have been implemented in recent years. These projects have incorporated a wide range of supporting facilities, like primary and secondary schools, clinics, community centres and open spaces. All these facilities have brought about a new face to the Kwun Tong District, making it a more comfortable place for the people to live.

History

A minibus Stop at Yue Man Square. This handwritten bus stop sign and bus display are still written as "Template:Lang"
Kwun Tong Town Centre before redevelopment

The Chinese name of Kwun Tong ("Template:Lang") was formerly written as "Template:Lang" (transcribed as Koon Tong in Cantonese Yale). Despite the identical pronunciation of these two names in Cantonese, they have different meanings. "Template:Lang" literally means Mandarin Pond, which was allegedly named after the Koon Fu salt yards (Template:Lang) set up by the government to secure central administration of the salt trade and prevent unauthorised salt preparation and trading in the Song dynasty.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=":0">Template:Cite book</ref> In those days, there were many salt yards in and around Kwun Tong, whose long coastline stretched to as far as Kowloon Bay and To Kwa Wan in the west. Koon Fu salt yards was one of the four largest salt beds in Dongguan province, and was a site of high political significance.<ref name=":1">Template:Cite report</ref><ref name=":0" />

Since the Song Dynasty, troops were stationed there to monitor the salt yards' operation. Despite the government's close watch, illegal salt trade was still active on Lantau Island. When officials tried to tax salt production on the island, in 1197 Lantau Salt farmers instigated a riot to revolt against them.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Government authorities ordered Koon Fu administrators to take control, troops were deployed to the island for a full-scale crackdown, resulting in the massacre of many islanders.<ref name=":0" />

Antiques and coins traced back to Northern Song Dynasty and Southern Song Dynasty were discovered in neighbouring Kowloon City district and Wong Tai Sin. Similar coins were also unearthed along the coast of Kwun Tong starting from Kowloon Bay, suggesting that Kwun Tong has already been a relatively prosperous area since then.<ref name=":0" />

According to other stories, Kwun Tong was a typhoon shelter for the Kowloon Water Police, which made it an important political and defence point of south-eastern Kowloon.Template:Citation needed Black Hill (Ng Kwai Shan), which today rises up behind Lam Tin Estate, was known as Koon Fu Hill (Template:Lang) at that time.<ref name=":0" />

During the Great Clearance in the Qing Dynasty, coastal residents were forced to evacuate inland 50 li (roughly equivalent to 25 Km) to quell support for the anti-Qing loyalists in Taiwan. This caused the salt farms in Kwun Tong to be abandoned.<ref name=":1" /> When the ban was lifted in 1669, many of the original inhabitants did not return, re-settlers who came from agricultural backgrounds soon took over, leading to the vanishing of the salt industry in Kwun Tong.<ref name=":0" />

In the 1950s, when Kwun Tong was being developed as a satellite town, the local residents disliked the word Koon (Template:Lang), which literally means official or government, and they persuaded the Hong Kong government to change the place name to Kwun Tong (Template:Lang, Template:Lit). The development of Kwun Tong spearheaded the construction and planning of new towns in the New Territories, although the first project was limited in scope and did not share the features of self-contained communities like the later ones.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

Features

Yuet Wah Street apartments
Yue Man Square under redevelopment
Kwun Tong Dusk View

Town centre

Industrial area

Sculpture at Kwun Tong Promenade
Kwun Tong Swimming Pool

Kwun Tong was one of the first and major industrial areas in Hong Kong, with factories having been built there since the 1950s. The industrial area has since then expanded to Kowloon Bay and Yau Tong. Since the manufacturing sector of Hong Kong is in decline, many factories have been torn down and commercial buildings are being constructed to replace them.

In recent years, the government has started to re-develop the coastal area of Kwun Tong to correspond with the re-development of the Kai Tak district. A promenade and a park has been built along the coast near Kwun Tong Pier.

Residential area

The residential areas in Kwun Tong are mainly located in lower Kwun Tong, to the northeast of Kwun Tong Road.

Locations

Kwun Tong is situated at the eastern part of the Kowloon Peninsula, and its boundary stretches from Lion Rock in the north to Lei Yue Mun in the south, and from the winding paths of Kowloon Peak in the east to the north coast of the Airport (Kai Tak) runway in the west.

Economy

Gammon Construction has its head office in Kwun Tong.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It occupies Template:Convert of space there. It moved from Quarry Bay circa 2019.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Citibank (Hong Kong) has its head office at One Bay East.

Link REIT has its head office at Template:Ill (海濱匯) in Kwun Tong.<ref>Template:Cite web - Traditional Chinese Template:Webarchive: "香港九龍觀塘海濱道77號海濱匯1座20樓" - Simplified Chinese Template:Webarchive: "香港九龙观塘海滨道77号海滨汇1座20楼"</ref>

Education

Hong Kong Public Libraries maintains the Shui Wo Street Public Library in the Shui Wo Street Municipal Services Building.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Transport

Kwun Tong is served by the Kwun Tong station of MTR's Kwun Tong line.

Roads that are serving the area include:

Kwun Tong Pier used to be a major transport hub for cross-harbour passengers until the opening of the MTR and the Eastern Harbour Crossing. Today, ferry services to Sai Wan Ho and North Point are still available.

KMB bus terminus serving the area include:

Following some recent redevelopment plans in Kwun Tong, the Yuet Wah Street Bus Terminus is about to be demolished, and the routes originally terminating there will be moved to the New Kwun Tong Station Bus Terminus and Yue Man Square Bus Terminus.

Located near the area is the former Kai Tak Airport, which is currently the site of a large cruise terminal, opened in 2013.

See also

Template:Portal

References

Template:Reflist

Template:Commons category Template:Wiktionary

Template:Kwun Tong District Template:Authority control Template:Hong Kong Urban Areas Template:Reclaimed land in Hong Kong Template:Coord

Retrieved from "https://wiki.sarg.dev/index.php?title=Kwun_Tong&oldid=179890"