Kwun Chung

Kwun Chung (Chinese: 官涌, Jyutping: gun1 cung1) is an area southwest of Yau Ma Tei located the Yau Tsim Mong District of western Kowloon peninsula. South of the area, across Austin Road is Tsim Sha Tsui by Victoria Harbour. The area contains one of few Nepalese communities in Hong Kong.

In 1979, the MTR station running through Kwun Chung was named Jordan since it intersected Jordan Road and nearby bus stops were also relabeled Jordan. This resulted in the area being called Jordan by residents, since most MTR stations are named after the district or area in which it serves. The issue of district and station naming confusion also occurred with Waterloo Station just to the north which was later properly renamed Yau Ma Tei Station. Officially the area is still Kwun Chung. The western half contains the Kwun Chung Municipal Services Building on Bowring Street.

History

Its Chinese name literally means government river, which was named for the pre-19th century presence of Imperial China's military in defense against pirates and foreigners. Since Hong Kong was sparsely populated during the time, this referenced name may have superseded any local name. In early British maps, Kwun Chung was a river valley with a village and cultivation. The valley extended from the shore to the middle of the Kowloon Peninsula. In the middle of the valley was a hill where two rivers ran west to the sea.

Kwun Chung Fort

The area between Austin Road and Jordan Road was originally hilly when Kwun Chung Fort was built by the Chinese (Qing) official Lin Tse-hsu to defend against the British. During the Battle of Kwun Chung in 1839, the fort, together with Tsim Sha Tsui Fort successfully kept British incursions from Kowloon. The fort with the hill was demolished for development during the early British rule of Kowloon and its rock and sand were used for reclamation for the area northwest of Jordan Road. Due to its strategic position, the British Army chose the hill south of Austin Road for the Whitfield Barracks and battery. Battery Street was probably named after it.

Demography

While the majority population is Cantonese and other ethnic Chinese, Kwun Chung also contains Nepalese, mostly from ex-Gurkhas, and other South Asian populations.

Arts and culture

Residents of Kwun Chung maintain practice of the Ghost Festival.