Nathan Road

Lonely Planet review

Kowloon's main thoroughfare was named after Sir Matthew Nathan, governor of Hong Kong from 1904 to 1907. As Kowloon was very sparsely populated at the time and such a wide boulevard thought unnecessarily extravagant, it was dubbed 'Nathan's Folly'.

Banyans line the road at the northern end near Austin Rd, but the trees that once lined the rest of the street and can be seen in not-so-old photographs were removed in 1976 when the MTR's first line was being built. Though lacking any tourist sights as such, the lower end of this boulevard is a sight in itself. This 'Golden Mile' is an iconic Hong Kong scene, but not for the opulence suggested by the name. In fact it is a chaotic scrum of tenement blocks stacked with seedy guesthouses awkwardly rubbing shoulders with top-end hotels; touts selling 'copy' watches; tailors plying their trade on street corners; and pavements are chock-a-block with consumers scurrying from one shop to another. Anyone who chooses to stay at Chungking Mansions, Mirador Mansion or Golden Crown Guest House will have this frenetic scene at their very doorstep.