55th Issue: The Kowloon Walled City
Perhaps you knew about it, but I did not know about the Kowloon Walled City. It was located in Hong Kong, and was formed in 1898. By 1990, over fifty thousand people lived there. From the 1950s to the 1970s, it was controlled by local gangs, but it also was a place where thousands of people lived, worked, and played. In 1987, Hong Kong began evicting the walled city and in 1993, the walled city was demolished. Now there is a Kowloon Walled City Park, which has some historical artifacts from the city, but most of it is gone.
The walled city began as a fort, and nobody really took ownership of it. After World War II, squatters began to occupy it, and seventeen thousand people lived there. It was a place that new arrivals to Hong Kong could build their homes, and make their lives. There was no government enforcement, and the walled city quickly became a place for gangs to occupy, with crime and drugs running rampant. The Walled City had brothels, gambling halls, and opium dens. Police would only go into the city if they could go in groups. In 1973, the police had over three thousand raids and arrested over two thousand people, which caused the gangs’ influence to lessen. Ten years later, the police declared the walled city’s crime rate to be under control.
During the 1960s as well there was a lot of construction in the walled city, and it was built upwards, not outwards. It became a very densely populated city as there were over 33,000 people in just 300 buildings over only seven acres of land. The buildings were no more than thirteen floors high, because they were in the flight path of a local airport. Eight pipes brought water to the entire city, and some of the lower streets were lit by fluorescent lights since sunlight didn’t travel all the way down there. There was less crime after the raids, but tons of unlicensed doctors and dentists. There were small factories, businesses, charities, religious societies, schools, and more, though they were all run by the residents themselves. Hong Kong provided water and mail delivery.
The British and Chinese governments did not like the continued existence of the city. It was out of their control, and they deemed its quality of life to be far behind the rest of Hong Kong. The equivalent of three hundred and fifty million dollars was distributed to the residents, and most left on their own, but some were forcibly evicted. The walled city is now a park with landscapes, paths, and pavilions.
The city had dozens of alleyways, staircases, and passageways – people could travel throughout the whole city without ever touching the ground. Apartments were tiny, but there were lots of balconies (though they were caged) and roofs were used to their full capacity. They could also be crossed with a network of ladders. The walled city had a population density of 1,255,000 inhabitants per square kilometer which made it, at the time, the most densely populated spot in the world. The residents formed a very tightly knit community, with neighbors taking care of each other and gathering to relax or play on the rooftops. Religious institutions included temples, there was also a senior center, and community centers that had events and calligraphy classes. Crime was an issue, because the city was isolated, but it also formed its own unique culture.
Due to the unique character of the Kowloon Walled City, it is used a lot in popular media. Many people (specifically white people) travelled or lived in the city and wrote books and memoirs about their time there. Popular media such as The Bourne Supremacy, Crying Freeman, Vital Signs, Street Fighter, SCP Foundation, Bloodsport, Crime Story, Batman Begins, Call of Duty, and many others took inspiration from the Kowloon Walled City.
I’m going to end with some cool pictures I found from the city. You can read much more about it here.
The walled city began as a fort, and nobody really took ownership of it. After World War II, squatters began to occupy it, and seventeen thousand people lived there. It was a place that new arrivals to Hong Kong could build their homes, and make their lives. There was no government enforcement, and the walled city quickly became a place for gangs to occupy, with crime and drugs running rampant. The Walled City had brothels, gambling halls, and opium dens. Police would only go into the city if they could go in groups. In 1973, the police had over three thousand raids and arrested over two thousand people, which caused the gangs’ influence to lessen. Ten years later, the police declared the walled city’s crime rate to be under control.
During the 1960s as well there was a lot of construction in the walled city, and it was built upwards, not outwards. It became a very densely populated city as there were over 33,000 people in just 300 buildings over only seven acres of land. The buildings were no more than thirteen floors high, because they were in the flight path of a local airport. Eight pipes brought water to the entire city, and some of the lower streets were lit by fluorescent lights since sunlight didn’t travel all the way down there. There was less crime after the raids, but tons of unlicensed doctors and dentists. There were small factories, businesses, charities, religious societies, schools, and more, though they were all run by the residents themselves. Hong Kong provided water and mail delivery.
The British and Chinese governments did not like the continued existence of the city. It was out of their control, and they deemed its quality of life to be far behind the rest of Hong Kong. The equivalent of three hundred and fifty million dollars was distributed to the residents, and most left on their own, but some were forcibly evicted. The walled city is now a park with landscapes, paths, and pavilions.
The city had dozens of alleyways, staircases, and passageways – people could travel throughout the whole city without ever touching the ground. Apartments were tiny, but there were lots of balconies (though they were caged) and roofs were used to their full capacity. They could also be crossed with a network of ladders. The walled city had a population density of 1,255,000 inhabitants per square kilometer which made it, at the time, the most densely populated spot in the world. The residents formed a very tightly knit community, with neighbors taking care of each other and gathering to relax or play on the rooftops. Religious institutions included temples, there was also a senior center, and community centers that had events and calligraphy classes. Crime was an issue, because the city was isolated, but it also formed its own unique culture.
Due to the unique character of the Kowloon Walled City, it is used a lot in popular media. Many people (specifically white people) travelled or lived in the city and wrote books and memoirs about their time there. Popular media such as The Bourne Supremacy, Crying Freeman, Vital Signs, Street Fighter, SCP Foundation, Bloodsport, Crime Story, Batman Begins, Call of Duty, and many others took inspiration from the Kowloon Walled City.
I’m going to end with some cool pictures I found from the city. You can read much more about it here.
Don't miss what's next. Subscribe to Nicole's Newsletter: