Sung Wong Toi offers the perfect introduction to Sung Dynasty in Hong Kong. “Sung Wong” refers to the last two young emperors during the Southern Sung Dynasty, Shi and Bing — the only emperors who had ever set foot in Hong Kong when they fled from their enemy Yuan to Kowloon.
Although they were seeking refuge, the young emperors arrived in Kowloon City with an army of over 1,000 men. Kowloon City at the time had flourished into a busy port with armed forces guarding the Guanfu Salt Field. A Sung Dynasty well found during the construction of the Sung Wong Toi MTR station also evidences the development of Kowloon City. However, about six months after their arrival, the emperors died in the hands of their enemy. To commemorate their time in Hong Kong, people carved “Sung Wong Toi” into a boulder in the hills. Later, the boulder was moved to its current location during the expansion of the Kai Tak Airport. A commemorative plague now stands in Sung Wong Toi Garden.
