Kowloon: Unknown Territory

by Ira Chaplain, Nicole Chabot

What do "Deep water pier", "Nine dragons city" and "Mandarin's lake" have in common with "Wong Tai Sin", the name of a Taoist deity?

They're all districts in Kowloon.

This book is an exploration of what is often seen as Hong Kong's shadow-side, from the viewpoints of community, consumerism, art, food, fashion and sex – 15 years after the handover.

Scores of colour photographs bring the peninsula to the reader in a salute to street culture and the ordinary and extraordinary people of Kowloon.

256 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2012

Reviews

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought I would love this book for the photos because Kowloon is my favorite part of Hong Kong. But I found myself drawn in by the short essays about the different areas of Kowloon. The book is arranged according to topic and within each topic, the authors present the different districts of Kowloon. There were so many things about Kowloon I didn't know about before, so I certainly learned a lot from this book. The photos are beautiful and effortlessly complement the text. I would recommend this book for anyone who is interested in Hong Kong, including those who have lived, visited, or hope to visit there.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book. I think the pictures of Kowloon tell a very interesting story; one that we often do not see about Hong Kong. Balanced with the pictures are the descriptions which add more flavour to what's going on. I think it would be interesting to have a follow up book especially with so many changes taking place in Hong Kong.