A four-kilometre strip of the mainland grabbed by the British in 1860 to add to their offshore island, Kowloon was part of the territory ceded to Britain "in perpetuity" and was accordingly developed with gusto and confidence. With the help of land reclamation and the diminishing significance of the border between Kowloon and the New Territories at Boundary Street, Kowloon has over the years just about managed to accommodate the vast numbers of people who have squeezed into it. Today, areas such as Mongkok, jammed with soaring tenements, are among the most densely populated urban areas in the world.

 

While Hong Kong Island has mountains and beaches to palliate the effects of urban claustrophobia, Kowloon has just more shops, more restaurants and more hotels. It's hard to imagine that such an unmitigatedly built-up, crowded and commercial place as this could possibly have any cachet among the travelling public - and yet it does. One of the reasons is that this is the best place for viewing Hong Kong Island. The view across the harbour to the island, wall-to-wall with skyscrapers, is one of the most unforgettable city panoramas you'll see anywhere, especially at night. This, and its ritzy neon-lit streets full of hotels and restaurants in the couple of square kilometres at the tip of the peninsula that make up Tsimshatsui are enough to keep drawing in the crowds. A further attraction of Tsimshatsui is the presence of a very visible community of immigrants from the Indian subcontinent. Their great stronghold is the Chungking Mansions , which, as well as being a budget accommodation haven, is a superbly atmospheric shopping arcade where the great cultures of Asia mingle in a haze of spices and incense.

North, into Yaumatei and Mongkok , you'll find less touristy districts teeming with local life, while farther north still, beyond Boundary Street - technically just outside Kowloon - is a scattering of sights including one of Hong Kong's busiest temples, the Wong Tai Sin .