Kwun Tong

The Chinese name of Kwun Tong ("") was formerly written as "" (transcribed as Koon Tong in Cantonese Yale). Despite the identical pronunciation of these two names in Cantonese, they have different meanings. "" literally means Mandarin Pond, which was allegedly named after the Koon Fu salt yards () set up by the government to secure central administration of the salt trade and prevent unauthorised salt preparation and trading in the Song dynasty. 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. 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. ==Features==

Town centre • Yue Man Square () is the heart of the town. Most of the banks' branches are located on this road. The Government District Office is located at the eastern end of Yue Man Square. More than 20 franchised bus and public mini-bus routes pass through or stop at this road. Yue Man Square is presently being demolished and replaced by a shopping centre by the Urban Renewal Authority. • Mut Wah Street () is also called "Golden Street" because there were nearly 10 jewelry shops. It is most famous for the armed-robbery by Yip Kai-Fuen () when he used an AK-47 assault rifle to rob 5 of the jewelry shops in 1992. • Shui Wo Street () is a market street. It is also home to the Shui Wo Street Complex, which houses an indoor market, a public library, and a sports hall. • Hip Wo Street () has the one and only hospital in Kwun Tong, namely United Christian Hospital, at 130 Hip Wo Street. • Hong Ning Road () is the "Mid-Levels" of Kwun Tong. The headquarters of Hong Kong Police Force Sau Mau Ping Division is at 200 Hong Ning Road, near Sau Mau Ping. It is also home to Hong Ning Road Park, one of the largest parks in the area. • Tsui Ping Road () is located in Kwun Tong. Tsui Ping Estate. Kwun Tong Maryknoll College is located at 100 Tsui Ping Road. • Yuet Wah Street () is located in Kwun Tong. Wo Lok Estate is situated here. • Kwun Tong Road () is the main road that leads into and out of the Kwun Tong district. Kwun Tong MTR station is directly above this road. Kwun Tong's latest shopping mall, apm, is situated on this road next to Kwun Tong MTR station. • apm Millennium City 5 is one of the largest shopping centres in East Kowloon, with its slogan "Play More Sleep Less". Industrial area 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. It occupies of space there. It moved from Quarry Bay circa 2019. Citibank (Hong Kong) has its head office at One Bay East. Link REIT has its head office at (海濱匯) in Kwun Tong. == Education ==

• Kwun Tong Government Secondary School • Ning Po College Hong Kong Public Libraries maintains the Shui Wo Street Public Library in the Shui Wo Street Municipal Services Building. ==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 Road • Tate's Cairn Tunnel • Kwun Tong Bypass • Eastern Harbour Crossing • Tseung Kwan O Tunnel 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: • Elegance Road Bus Terminus (): 13M, 95M • Yue Man Square Bus Terminus (): 3D, 16M, 17, 101, 101R, 101X, N3D • Kwun Tong Ferry Pier Bus Terminus (): 11D, 23, 40P, 55, 69C, 74B, 74C, 74D, 74E, 74F, 74P, 74X, 80, 80A, 80P, 80X, 83A, 83X, 93A, 258X, 259S, 259X, 268A, 268C, 269C, 269S, 274X, T74, X89D • Tsui Ping Road Bus Terminus (): 11B, 89C, 89X • Kwun Tong Station Bus Terminus (): 16M, 89, 234C, 234D 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==