Kowloon is a bustling center of commerce and industry in Hong Kong, with areas such as Yau Tsim Mong, Tsim Sha Tsui, and Mong Kok housing numerous large shopping malls, hotels, and a variety of small shops and restaurants. The former Hong Kong airport, Kai Tak Airport, one of the world’s busiest airports, is now transformed into a recreational park. The Victoria Harbour, one of the world’s third-largest natural deep-water ports, lies between the Kowloon Peninsula and Hong Kong Island. The eastern and western parts of Kowloon are densely populated industrial areas, the north is a residential district, and the south is a renowned commercial district. The bustling areas of Kowloon include commercial centers such as Tsim Sha Tsui Centre, Empire Centre, Good Time Centre, and Nanyang Centre. These areas are lined with shops and are a shopping paradise for tourists. Hotels in the area include The Wharney Guang Dong Hotel, Harbour View Holiday Inn, and Shangri-La Hotel, among others. Kowloon houses numerous shopping malls, including New Harbour Centre, Sun Square, Miramar Shopping Centre, and New World Centre. Among them, Harbour City is a super-sized shopping complex, located near Tsim Sha Tsui’s Star Ferry Terminal, and consists of four parts: Ocean Terminal, Harbour City, Harbour City Horizon, and Ocean Building, housing over 400 restaurants and shops, two cinemas, and a large toy store, Toys ‘R’ Us. It also features an observation deck offering panoramic views of Victoria Harbour. There are also smaller shopping malls catering to a younger demographic, including Park Lane Shopper’s Boulevard, Lee Tung Avenue, and Chungking Mansions. In September 2005, Takashimaya Department Store opened a branch in Tsim Sha Tsui’s Fashion Walk. On the western side, Ocean Terminal is the only cruise terminal in Hong Kong, capable of accommodating large cruise ships. It also houses a shopping mall that was the only large-scale shopping mall in Hong Kong in the 1960s. Kowloon is home to a variety of exotic cultures: Chungking Mansions, known for its South Asian and African communities, feels like entering India upon entering the building. The Peninsula Hotel, a luxurious five-star hotel with a British ambiance, is located opposite the Space Museum, offering rooms with panoramic views of Victoria Harbour, and its traditional English afternoon tea is well-known. The ground floor shops primarily feature high-end women’s fashion brands. On Kimberley Street, one can find numerous Korean restaurants and food supermarkets. On Nathan Road and Ashley Road, one can discover culinary delights from Turkey, Russia, Italy, and other countries. Tsim Sha Tsui, being a tourist area, is filled with foreign visitors, giving one a sense of being in a foreign land. The area is open all year round, 24 hours a day, with specific business hours subject to the day’s operations.
