MUST SEE ATTRACTIONS IN KWUN TONG

 Kwun Tong is undergoing a dynamic transformation from its industrial roots into one of the city’s most creative and fast-evolving districts. Kwun Tong was once a manufacturing powerhouse, filled with factories and warehouses. Kwun Tong sits at a fascinating crossroads — geographically, historically, and culturally — within Kowloon’s eastern corridor. Its relationships with surrounding areas like Kowloon Bay, Ngau Tau Kok, Lam Tin, and Yau Tong reflect layers of industrial legacy, transit connectivity, and evolving urban identity. The Kwun Tong Line of the MTR stitches these areas together, making the district a transit hub for eastern Kowloon. - Kwun Tong’s coastline once stretched toward Kowloon Bay and To Kwa Wan, forming part of the Song Dynasty’s salt production network. The entire corridor from Kowloon Bay through Ngau Tau Kok to Kwun Tong was a manufacturing powerhouse in the mid-20th century. Redevelopment efforts in Kwun Tong ripple outward — influencing housing upgrades, green spaces, and cultural programming in adjacent districts. Today, those same industrial blocks are being repurposed into spaces for: Designers and artists, Musicians and entrepreneurs, as well as Creative workshops and indie boutiques. The district is now a blend of old and new — where you might stumble upon an art installation next to a vintage handbag shop. 

                                 

The Kwun Tong Waterfront, now known as Kwun Tong Promenade, was once the Kwun Tong Public Cargo Working Area — a bustling zone for waste paper recycling and industrial shipping. The promenade also integrates the Hoi Bun Road Sitting-out Area, originally built in 1982 and later reconstructed to match the new waterfront style. Pre-2010, the waterfront was dominated by cargo operations and informal recycling businesses. The government began reclaiming and repurposing the area. The first 200-meter stretch of the promenade opened in January 2010, marking the start of Kwun Tong’s waterfront renewal. From 2011-2015, the cargo area was fully decommissioned, and the promenade was extended by 750 meters, reaching a total length of about 1 kilometer. Kwun Tong’s waterfront reflects broader themes of Industrial decline and creative resurgence, Public space reclamation, and Contested development. Kwun Tong is a district the blends history with modernity seamlessly, while reminding visitors and locals of its past. For this reason, I think it is worth visiting Kwun Tong just to see how much the area has changed and been revamped post 2010s.

Historical Background of Kwun Tong

Kwun Tong’s name originally meant “Government Pond” (官塘), referencing its role in the Song Dynasty salt trade. It housed one of the four largest salt pans in Dongguan County — the Kwun Fu Cheung — and was politically significant, with troops stationed to monitor production.

                               

Here is a timeline of Kwun Tong's development:

1274 AD: A salt commissioner’s visit was recorded on a rock inscription at Joss House Bay — now Hong Kong’s oldest dated monument.

Qing Dynasty: The Great Clearance forced coastal residents inland, leading to the decline of salt farming.

1950s–60s: Kwun Tong was developed as one of Hong Kong’s first satellite towns. Locals disliked the “government” connotation of 官塘, prompting a name change to 觀塘 (“Viewing Pond”).

Industrial Boom: The area became a hub for manufacturing, especially plastic flowers and textiles. Resettlement estates like Tsui Ping and Ngau Tau Kok housed factory workers.

In 1954, the government reclaimed land to create a new industrial zone. Roads like Hoi Yuen Road and Wai Yip Street were laid out.

By the 1960s, Kwun Tong was home to major factories: Camel Paint, Crocodile Garments, and Kowloon Flour Mills.

The Kwun Tong Resettlement Estate (nicknamed “Kai Liu”) was built in 1959 to house factory workers. It had shared kitchens, bathrooms, and rooftop schools.

The district produced 18% of Hong Kong’s industrial output in the 1980s.

As manufacturing moved to mainland China, Kwun Tong’s factories emptied out. The cargo area was decommissioned and replaced by the Kwun Tong Promenade

Revitalization Era (2010s–present): With industry declining, Kwun Tong embraced creative entrepreneurship, co-working spaces, and adaptive reuse of industrial buildings.

From Cargo Hub to Community Promenade

The cargo hub — officially the Kwun Tong Public Cargo Working Area — handled industrial shipments and waste paper recycling. It was gritty, utilitarian, and vital to Hong Kong’s economy.

Kwun Tong was planned as an industrial zone in 1954, with land reclamation extending westward from the old oil depot (now Laguna City). It quickly became a manufacturing powerhouse:

- By 1985: Over 7,000 factories and 200,000 workers operated in the area.

- Dominant industries included textiles, plastics, electronics, and metalware.

- The district produced 18% of Hong Kong’s industrial output in the 1980s.

- Public housing like Kwun Tong Resettlement Estate was built to accommodate factory workers.

As manufacturing moved offshore, Kwun Tong’s industrial relevance faded. The cargo area was gradually decommissioned:

- 2009–2011: The cargo zone was shut down and repurposed into the Kwun Tong Promenade, a 1-km waterfront park.

- 2012 onward: The Energizing Kowloon East Office (EKEO) launched revitalization efforts, rebranding Kwun Tong as a “CBD2” — a second central business district.

Kwun Tong’s industrial buildings found new life as creative spaces:

- Coworking hubs like The Wave and Tencent WeStart HK offer studios, green screens, and editing suites.

- Art galleries, indie cafés, and party rooms now dot the district, often hidden inside old factory blocks.

- The Zero Carbon Building and musical fountain reflect a push toward sustainability and public engagement.

Despite gentrification, Kwun Tong retains its layered identity — where old barbershops and toy stores coexist with tech startups and design studios

Kwun Tong's Relationship with neighboring Areas

Kwun Tong is flanked by several key neightboorhoods: Kowloon Bay, Ngau Tou Kok, Lam Tin, Yau Tong, and Kai Tak. The Kwun Tong (Green) Line of the MTR stitches these areas together, making the district a transit hub for eastern Kowloon.

Kowloon Bay-Once part of Kwun Tong’s industrial sprawl, now a rising business district with commercial towers and the Kai Tak redevelopment nearby.

Ngau Tou Kok- Shares Kwun Tong’s industrial roots and public housing history; now home to revitalized estates and creative spaces.

Lam Tin- A quieter residential area to the southeast, connected via MTR and bus routes; offers access to Devil’s Peak and coastal trails

Yau Tong-Historically a fishing village, now a gateway to Lei Yue Mun and seafood markets; linked to Kwun Tong via the MTR and harborfront promenade.

Kai Tak- Though technically west of Kwun Tong, the former airport site is transforming into a smart city zone, influencing Kwun Tong’s waterfront development.

Industrial Heartland Turned Creative Hub

Kwun Tong was once a manufacturing powerhouse, filled with factories and warehouses. Today, those same industrial blocks are being repurposed into spaces for:

Designers and artists

Musicians and entrepreneurs

Creative workshops and indie boutiques

Former industrial buildings were reborn as coworking spaces, art studios, and indie cafés. Think The Wave, KOHO, and Tencent WeStart HK, which offers green screens, editing suites, and music production rooms. 

Developers transformed old bus depots into Millennium City office towers and malls like apm, drawing a younger crowd and creative professionals. You’ll still find old toy stores, barbershops, and teahouses tucked between sleek towers.

The district is now a blend of old and new — where you might stumble upon an art installation next to a vintage handbag shop.

Attractions

Kwun Tong Promenade-A scenic waterfront with panoramic views of Victoria Harbour — perfect for sunset strolls.

CIC- Zero Carbon Park- A showcase of sustainable architecture and carbon-neutral design.

Lei Yue Mun Seafood Village- A historic fishing village turned weekend hotspot for fresh seafood feasts.

Devil's Peak & Gough Battery- 19th-century military ruins offering hiking trails and harbor views.

Why Visit Kwun Tong

Kwun Tong is being reborn. What was once Hong Kong’s industrial heartland is now becoming the city’s newest business district, complete with gleaming office towers and creative hotspots. Construction cranes are busy redeveloping the old Yue Man Square commercial zone into a new heart for the district. The transformation hasn’t lost sight of the past. What makes Kwun Tong so exciting is how the new is playing with the old. Inside its old industrial blocks, there are designers, musicians, entrepreneurs and artists, making this one of Hong Kong’s most creative districts. You’re as likely to discover an intriguing art installation as you are a new designer handbag when you explore Kwun Tong.

Hong Kong’s oldest and busiest MTR line channels through the district, connecting all of its neighbourhoods, from Kowloon Bay in the northwest to Yau Tong in the southeast, passing through Ngau Tau Kok, Kwun Tong and Lam Tin along the way; this makes Kwun Tong easy to get to. The revitalisation of Kwun Tong’s old industrial areas isn’t the only story. In the far eastern part of the district, the centuries-old fishing village of Lei Yue Mun  has become a popular destination for weekend seafood excursions. Just uphill, the 19th-century military ruins of Devil’s Peak are attracting a new generation of explorers. Kwun Tong is not for those who want to discover more off the grid destinations in Hong Kong, away from the hustle and bustle of places like Central or Tsim Sha Tsui.