thumb|Military encampments on Kowloon Peninsula in 1860, looking south toward [[Hong Kong Island.]]
The Kowloon Peninsula is a peninsula that is part of the southern part of the main landmass in the territory of Hong Kong, alongside Victoria Harbour and facing toward Hong Kong Island. The Kowloon Peninsula and Ngong Shuen Chau comprises the Old Kowloon. The Old Kowloon and the area of New Kowloon are collectively known as Kowloon.
Geographically, the term "Kowloon Peninsula" may also refer to the area south of the mountain ranges of Beacon Hill, Lion Rock, Tate's Cairn, Kowloon Peak, etc. The peninsula covers five of the eighteen districts of Hong Kong. Kowloon Bay is located at the northeast of the peninsula.
Geology and reclamation
The main rock type of the peninsula consists of a medium grained monzogranite with some fine granite outcrops, part of the Kowloon Granite. Early maps and photographs show flat, low-lying land behind the beach of Tsim Sha Tsui Bay with a raised area, Kowloon Hill, in the west.
The peninsula has been significantly expanded through land reclamation from the sea, over several phases. In the south and west most of the reclamation was carried out before 1904. Reclamation in several other small areas along the main Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront was completed by 1982. Since 1994, parts of the Hung Hom Bay were reclaimed and by 2019, it had been completely extinguished. The West Kowloon Reclamation was formed as part of the Airport Core Programme and largely completed by 1995. In the 17th century, after the fall of the Ming dynasty, many of the Emperor's followers also found shelter in the Kowloon peninsula to hide from the Manchus.
In the later half of the 19th century, Kowloon Peninsula usually referred to British Kowloon, the territory ceded in 1860 as part of a lease This was set by a line east from the fort at the northernmost point of Stonecutters Island,
In 1898 a resolution was passed by the colonial Hong Kong Legislative Council to preserve the land around Sung Wong Toi.
Geographically and presently, the peninsula is reckoned as the land south of the mountain ranges of Lion Rock, Kowloon Peak, and adjacent hills.
thumb|An Air France Boeing 747 passing above Kowloon, landing at the [[Kai Tak|old airport.]]
thumb|Hong Kong's old airport, [[Kai Tak Airport|Kai Tak, was located in Kowloon.]]
City landscape
See also
- Boundary Street
- Kowloon
- List of islands and peninsulas of Hong Kong
- List of places in Hong Kong
- New Kowloon