Kowloon Literally Means "Nine Dragons"

Hong Kong is divided into three regions: Hong Kong Island, ceded in perpetuity to the British in 1842; Kowloon, ceded in perpetuity to the British in 1860; and the New Territories, leased to the British for 99 years in 1898.

If the New Territories were given an English name lacking any originality, Hong Kong Island and Kowloon were the phonetic translations of the areas' Cantonese names: 香港 (Hèung Góng) and 九龍 (Gau Lung), respectively. The origin of Kowloon's name is particularly interesting.

In Cantonese, 九 (gau) means nine, and 龍 (lung) means dragon. Hence, "Nine Dragons," in reference to the mountain range that separates Kowloon from the New Territories. However, the mountain range of Kowloon consists of only nine peaks: Kowloon Peak, Tung Shan, Tate’s Cairn, Temple Hill, Unicorn Ridge, Lion Rock, Beacon Hill, and Crow’s Nest (from east to west).

The "ninth dragon" refers to Emperor Zhao Bing of Song, the last emperor of the Song Dynasty. According to legend, the boy emperor, noticing the eight mountains of Kowloon, named the area 八龍 (Baat Lung), "Eight Dragons," because they resembled the back of an undulating dragon, as Asian dragons are often depicted.

But in Chinese tradition, emperors are also referred to as dragons. As such, a courtier pointed out to the emperor that he himself was a dragon, which led to the area's ultimate name: 九龍 (Gau Lung), "Nine Dragons," or Kowloon in English.