-era
Kowloon Walled City and
Lion Rock (in the background) , 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. 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 () during the
Song dynasty (9601279). "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. 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. ==Demographics==