Kowloon

American  

[kou-loon] / ˈkaʊˈlun /

(Pinyin) Kaulun;

noun

1. a peninsula in southeastern China, opposite Hong Kong Island: a part of the Hong Kong special administrative region of China. 18 sq. mi. (47 sq. km).

2. a seaport on this peninsula.

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Kowloon British  

/ ˈkaʊˈluːn /

noun

1. a peninsula of SE China, opposite Hong Kong Island: part of the former British colony of Hong Kong. Area: 10 sq km (3.75 sq miles)

2. a port in Hong Kong, on Kowloon Peninsula. Pop: 2 019 533 (2006 est)

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Etymology

Origin of Kowloon

First recorded in 1845–50; from Chinese (Guangdong dialect) Gáu Lùhng “Nine Dragons,” in allusion to the eight mountains in Hong Kong and Zhao Bing ( 1272–79 ), the last emperor of the Song dynasty

Example Sentences

The West Kowloon Cultural District is run by a statutory body whose members are appointed by the government.

From Barron's • Oct. 18, 2025

Now slightly askew, we ascend many stairs and descend many hills from The Old Man and cross the harbor toward Kowloon.

From Salon • Jul. 12, 2025

Five of these new, large-scale works were commissioned by a department of Hong Kong’s government for its outdoor art project, “Art@Harbour,” the harbor being Victoria Harbor, which separates Hong Kong Island from the Kowloon Peninsula.

From New York Times • Mar. 21, 2024

That was evident outside Jimmy Lai's trial in the West Kowloon courts.

From BBC • Dec. 18, 2023

The sampan rubbed the green timbers of the Kowloon landing stage.

From Peter the Brazen A Mystery Story of Modern China by Hoskins, Gayle Porter