Kowloon – referring to “nine dragons (九龍)” 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? It refers to Emperor Zhao Bing of the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279 AD), as dragons have long symbolized imperial power in Chinese culture. 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”(宋皇臺) – 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 (舊啓德機場) nearby. However, this historical vestige is just one of many remnants from the Sung Dynasty. Thousands have been unearthed due to the construction of the nearby MTR station.

The site has yielded historical treasures of significant archaeological value, including burial sites, ditches, ponds, and wells, as well as ceramic shards and iron tools. These artifacts offer evidence of why the Sung brothers would have chosen to flee to Kowloon, a place with mature human settlements. While the majority of the findings could be preserved after intense discussions, some had to be dismantled to make way for further construction.