A novel by Paul Theroux, set in Hong Kong just before the 1997 handover. The novel describes a Brit and his mum who cling to colonial ideals and anti-Chinese sentiment. They find themselves in an unexpected and grim situation as a Chinese businessman who claims to have connections to the PLA attempts to force them to sell the family business on the eve of the handover.
The novel is filled with accurate descriptions of Hong Kong, even down to specific night clubs in Wan Chai and elsewhere.
Kowloon Tong refers to an area on the Kowloon Penninsula of Hong Kong. "Tong" means "pond" in Cantonese, hence Kowloon Tong is (or was) a pond in Kowloon.