Kowloon was primed for development when the Convention of Peking was signed between China and Britain in 1860. Amidst the rapid expansion of urban area and growth of population, demand for education also surged. School sponsoring bodies originally based on Hong Kong Island became aware of the emerging education needs on the peninsula and began to broaden their education services across the harbour. While the 1911 Revolution, the establishment of the new republican government, the New Culture Movement, the War of Resistance against Japanese aggression and other major events took place, many intellectuals from mainland China arrived and taught in Hong Kong. Although some of them settled on the island, many mainlanders and schools relocated to different locations in Kowloon.

Time went by, and the world evolved. Even though the cityscape of the Kowloon peninsula has undergone numerous changes, we can still see the earliest roads and historic buildings along Nathan Road, Prince Edward Road, Shanghai Street and Tai Po Road. We can vaguely discern how the old town and new urban areas have fused and thus explore the passage of time within each district. Existing and discontinued schools from different eras are situated across Kowloon. They form part of the community's history and provide proof of the changes in the city and its education over time.

This book covers the early urban development of Kowloon, local education history, interviews of the school community, art education and literature. Readers are guided along their familiar landscape to revisit landmarks, discover the footprints of transformation and trace how art education in Kowloon schools has formed the cultural and artistic ambience of the community.