Hugh Farmer with thanks to IDJ for the report and photos. The following report from 1964 outlines the development of Kwun Tong from 1953 highlighting land reclamation which took place between 1954 and 1957. A total of 140 acres (about 60 hectares) of new land was created along the shoreline. As the map shows much of this was designated for industrial use.

By the time of the report a wide variety of  industries had been established in the area including textiles, clothing, hats, embroidery, the manufacturing of “metal goods”, plastics, electrical appliances, cutlery, paints and lacquers, rubber goods, buttons, corrugated paper and printing. The first two were of the greatest importance.

Wing Yuk Ma, The Development of Kwun Tong, Symposium on land use and mineral deposits in Hong Kong, southern China and South-East Asia, HKU Press, 1964 p40-42

These images of Kwun Tong are from about 1961.

This article was first posted on 7th April 2014.

See:

History of Kwun Tong brief, illustrated history of Kwun Tong
SCMP article 27 Jul 2012″Engine of industry sputters out” – the decline of industry in Kwun Tong

Related Indhhk articles:

1. Koon Fu salt yards – place name Kwun Tong
2. Kwun Tong 1950-2000 – Government Study about the Industrial History of Kwun Tong
3. “The Past and Future of Industries” in Kwun Tong, Kowloon Bay and Kai Tak – EKEO proposals
4. International Industrial Building (國際工業大廈) in Kwun Tong
5. On the slow boat – Sai Wan Ho, Kwun Tong, Sam Ka Tsuen ferries – part one..