Name(English): Sung Wong Toi
Name(Chinese): 宋皇臺
Category: Culture & History
Address(English): Ma Tau Chung Road, Kowloon City, Kowloon
Address(Chinese): 九龍城馬頭圍道
Address Google Map Link： https://goo.gl/maps/w6Pzo8JNXjXPK39Q7
Address longitude and latitude： 22.324996326525497, 114.18934584664107
Nearest MTR Station：Sung Wong Toi Station Exit D
Nearest MTR Station Google Map Link：https://goo.gl/maps/9Yt9xb1BgPDn1PtY7
Nearest MTR Station longitude and latitude： 22.32596605704377, 114.19128334964932
How far from the nearest MTR Station： 5 mins from Sung Wong Toi Station Exit D
Opening Hours:
MON 07:00 – 23:00
TUE 07:00 – 23:00
WED 07:00 – 23:00
THU 07:00 – 23:00
FRI 07:00 – 23:00
SAT 07:00 – 23:00
SUN 07:00 – 23:00
Recommended Time to Visit： During daytime
Accessibility Note： Easy access
Kowloon – referring to “nine dragons” in its literal meaning, is flying up and down gracefully and embracing its territory with the eight mountain ridges in sight. Where is the ninth one though? Emperor Zhao Bing from the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279 AD) owns the title, as historically, dragon has long been used as the symbol of imperial power. When child emperor fled to Hong Kong with his younger brother to escape from the Mongol invaders, he coined the name for the area they took refuge in, and left a rock remnant inscribed with three Chinese characters “Sung Wong Toi”(宋王臺) – the Terrace of the Sung Kings. This legendary story now has some valid claims.
Situated at the Sung Wong Toi Garden in To Kwa Wan, the rectangular remnant was a memorial by the locals back in days paying tribute to the kings who died young. It was originally a huge boulder perched on the disappeared Sacred hill, but was broken up to the current form to make ways for the expansion of the old Kai Tak airport nearby. But this historical remnant is only one among the many from the Sung Dynasty, as thousands have been discovered due to the construction work of MTR that has taken place around the area in recent years.
Historical treasures of high archeological values like burial sites, ditches, ponds, and wells, ceramic shards, iron stools have been unearthed from the site. There are the proofs showing why the Sung brothers would come all the way down to Kowloon in which human settlements were mature. Though majority could be preserved after back and forth discussions, some still have to be dismantled, again, for constructions.
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