Mong Kok

Mong Kok(also spelledMongkok, often abbreviated asMK) is an area inKowloon,Hong Kong. ThePrince Edwardsubarea occupies the northern part of Mong Kok.
Mong Kok is one of the major shopping areas in Hong Kong. The area is characterised by a mixture of old and new multi-story buildings, with shops and restaurants at street level, and commercial or residential units above. Major industries in Mong Kok are retail, restaurants (including fast food) and entertainment. It has been describedand portrayed in films as an area in whichtriadsrun bars, nightclubs, andmassage parlours. With its extremely high population density of 130,000/km(340,000/sq mi), Mong Kok was described as the busiest district in the world by theGuinness World Records.
Until 1930, the area was calledMong Kok Tsui(芒角嘴).The current English name is atransliterationof its older Chinese name望角(Jyutping:monggok;IPA:[mɔːŋ˨kɔːk˧]), or芒角(Jyutping:monggok;IPA:[mɔːŋ˨˩kɔːk˧]), which is named for its plentiful supply offernsin the past when it was a coastal region. Its present Chinese name, "旺角" (Jyutping:wonggok;IPA:[wɔːŋ˨kɔːk˧]), means "prosperous corner" or "crowded corner"; however, the English name did not change.
For a period, the area was also called Argyle, and this name was used forthe MTR stationwhen it opened in 1979. The office buildingMong Kok Centre[zh], which was named after the area, is known in English as Argyle Centre.
Mong Kok is part ofYau Tsim Mong District. It was part of theMong Kok Districtbefore the district was merged in 1994. The area belongs to theKowloon Westgeographical constituencyof theLegislative Council of Hong Kong.
Displays at theChinese University of Hong Konginclude antique potteries indicating that there might have been settlements in the area as early as the western Han dynasty (206 BC to AD 8 ) toJin Dynasty (266–420).
The area used to be aHakkasettlement, with about 200 villagers according toBao'anrecords in 1819.
The heart of the present-day Mong Kok is alongArgyle StreetnearSai Yeung Choi Streetwhilst the proper Mong Kok used to beto the north, near the present-dayMong Kok East station. Mong Kok was an area of cultivated lands, bounded to the south by Argyle Street, to the west by Coronation Road (a section of present-dayNathan Road), and to the east by hills. To the southeast of Mong Kok isHo Man Tinand to the westTai Kok Tsui.
On 10 August 2008, theCornwall Court firebroke out. More than 200 firefighters were involved in the rescue operation. Four people died, including two firefighters.
Mong Kok received a lot of negative media attention for manyacid attacksonSai Yeung Choi Streetfrom December 2008 through January 2010.
The area was the site of protracted demonstrations during the2014 Hong Kong protests, including thegau wucampaign, and was also the site of the2016 Mong Kok civil unrest.
Mong Kok preserves its traditional characteristics with an array ofmarkets, small shops, and food stalls that have disappeared from other areas during the past several decades of economic developments and urban transformation. As such, a few of these streets in Mong Kok have acquired nicknames reflecting their own characteristics. Some interesting sites are:
Some popular shopping plazas located in this dense area include:
Other streets in the area include:
The Mong Kok area has manyfood-boothsselling traditional snacks such asfish balls, friedbeancurd(tofu) and variousdim sum. These fingerfoods are very popular in Hong Kong, especially for people on the run. In addition, there are restaurants serving different kinds of cuisine, ranging fromJapanesetoThaiandItalian.
Built heritage in Mong Kok includes:
Educational institutions in Mong Kok include:
Mong Kok is in Primary One Admission (POA) School Net 32. Within the school net are multiple aided schools (operated independently but funded with government money) and Tong Mei Road Government Primary School (塘尾道官立小學).
The main thoroughfares are:
Three rail lines serve the area:
Mong Kok was the setting for the 2004 hit filmOne Night in Mongkokdirected byDerek Yee. The movie portrays Mong Kok, one of the most densely populated places on Earth, as a hotbed of illicit activity. Similarly, the district was also the setting of the 1996 filmMongkok Story(旺角風雲) directed byWilson Yip, which depicts a young man who becomes involved in atriadgang.The 2009 filmTo Live and Die in Mongkokand the 2013 filmYoung and Dangerous: Reloadedare also set in Mong Kok. The literal Chinese title of the 1988 filmAs Tears Go BybyWong Kar-waiis "Mong Kok Carmen". Part ofRobert Ludlum's 1986 novelThe Bourne Supremacywas set in Mong Kok.
The area is known locally for a youth subculture, theMong Kok culture.
Mong Kok was one of the main sites of the2014 Hong Kong protests. Banks, jewellery stores and clothing stores were closed as a result of the pro-democracy protests.
22°19′21″N114°10′14″E﻿ / ﻿22.32250°N 114.17056°E﻿ /22.32250; 114.17056