Kwun Tong - History

History

Kwun Tong was formerly called Koon Tong (literally Mandarin Pond). Some say it was 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 those days, there were many salt yards around Kwun Tong, whose long coastline stretches as far as Kowloon Bay and To Kwa Wan in the west. Troops were stationed here to monitor the salt yards' operation. Despite the government's close watch, an illegal salt trade was still active on Lantau Island. When the officials found out, a full-scale crackdown was initiated. The Lantau villagers instigated an all-out uprising of salt farmers, leading finally to a major civil riot.

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 northwest Kowloon. Black Hill (Ng Kwai Shan), which today rises up behind Lam Tin Estate, was known as Koon Fu Hill at that time.

In the 1950s, when Koon Tong was being developed as a New town, the local residents disliked the word Koon (官), which literally means official or government, and they persuaded the Hong Kong government to change the place name to Kwun Tong (觀塘), which literally means viewing a pond.