For more than a century and a half, Hong Kong has been an economic and cultural gateway to China. Residents of the city are perfectly positioned to access China’s trade and capital flows, thanks to our favourable geographic location, our pool of expertise and our business-friendly policies.

And so, for many decades, Hong Kong has welcomed an influx of successful international businesses and entrepreneurs who choose this city as their home. For these expatriates, living in Hong Kong offers many advantages over China itself: our long-established “east meets west” culture, our enviable education institutions, our excellent infrastructure and system of governance and our safe living environment.

During these decades, the Hong Kong luxury residential landscape has flourished. Today, it is characterised by an abundance of choice – from the upmarket residences of the Peak and the south side of Hong Kong Island to the further-flung but quiet and serene homes found in Discovery Bay and Sai Kung. While there is something for everyone, serenity and proximity to the city are often mutually exclusive.

The rare exception is The Kadoorie Estate, an enigma in the centre of Kowloon. Much as Hong Kong is to China, the Kadoorie Estate functions as the ideal gateway to Kowloon. Poised on a hill overlooking this crowded and colourful peninsula, the estate offers the best of both worlds: peace and proximity, close contact and calmness, tumult and tranquillity.

For families seeking luxury properties for rent and who want to move between both these worlds, The Kadoorie Estate must be their first choice. A luxurious residential pocket in centre the beating heart of Kowloon, the estate provides a lifestyle like no other.

We begin outside the homes, with the tree-lined avenue and the premium properties’ lush gardens, the original building blocks of the founders’ idea that the estate would be a “green lung” for Kowloon. There are over 2,000 trees on the estate, which are kept in good health through regular inspections and – if necessary – replacement by similar mature trees. The gardens of the Kadoorie Estate houses are well-tended and lush with exotic and colourful flora – ferns, bougainvillea, and flamevine. The design of most homes here makes the natural world an integral part of the estate’s lifestyle, something the estate’s management office calls “inside-outside living”.

The homes and apartments themselves are another key component of the lifestyle – most of these heritage buildings were designed in the Bauhaus style, characterised by functional yet unique architecture with few embellishments and a lot of glass. Built between the 1930s and the 1950s, with only minimal structural and cosmetic renovations, these heritage buildings have maintained their character through the years, something almost unheard of in this fast-moving, ever-changing city.

The premium properties, the majority having high ceilings and fireplaces, and all with thick walls and spacious rooms, are designed to be lived in and lingered within; a design sentiment from another time – one which exists in stark contrast to the cramped, space-maximising boxes which typify the modern Hong Kong housing landscape.

Added to the estate’s beauty is its undeniable convenience – in purely functional terms, The Kadoorie Estate is just minutes away from Hong Kong’s key business districts in Central (less than 20 minutes away via the Western Harbour Tunnel) and Kowloon East (under 15 minutes). Elite private schools like the 150 year-old Diocesan Boys School and the renowned King George V School are mere minutes away, as are a plethora of hospitals, medical clinics, shopping malls and entertainment venues. And the estate’s high standards of property maintenance mean any problem is solved quickly and efficiently with just a single call.

When taken together, these elements all create a powerful and utterly unique luxury lifestyle opportunity that exists nowhere else in Hong Kong – or indeed the world. Residents express their affection for their homes in the most obvious way possible: by spending quality time at home – receiving visitors instead of going out, enjoying outdoor time with the family by the pool or in the garden, or by cooking in their modern, well-appointed kitchens and then relaxing by the fireplace.

Generations of residents have formed strong attachments to their homes and to the estate itself. Sometimes, these families stay for decades at a time – growing businesses, raising families and making lifelong memories.

This is the true promise of The Kadoorie Estate: providing a safe, secure, long-term home for those lucky enough to live here. This promise is best summed up by the words of one tenant: “unless they ask me to leave, I will never leave this place”.