Kowloon Walled City

Explained

What makes it alluring is the chaotic exterior formed by cramming new buildings into the gaps between others.

Countless antennae on the rooftops

Cannons from the Qing dynasty remained in the alleyways of the walled city. They are now exhibited in the Walled City Park.

Since medical licenses from mainland China weren't recognized in Hong Kong at the time, many opened practices in the walled city, away from government eyes.

The birdcage-like balconies, a hallmark of Hong Kong, were also valued in the walled city for their efficient use of limited space.

Kowloon is pronounced "gau lung" by the locals, "cow-LOON" in English, and "kuuron" in Japanese.

Near the ceiling, water pipes and power lines ran far and wide in all directions. Although they seemed like an unordered mess, they were actually well-maintained by the service providers.

There was only one place with safe tap water in the city.
Most households relied on private wells for their water supply.

Near the southeast of the walled city was the Kai Tak airport, and the large passenger planes flying low overhead were the iconic sights of the city

Kowloon Walled City (九龍寨城) was a massive den of vice that once stood in Hong Kong. Originally built as a military base by the Qing dynasty, it transformed into a huge slum as a result of illegal immigrants and criminals flooding into the area due to the administrative vacuum (三不管) emerged from the dispute over its control during Hong Kong's cession to Britain. Although the ever-growing city once became a hotbed for criminal activities, it is said to have formed an autonomous community independent of the government, with strong sense of solidarity among residents.
Demolition was completed in 1994, and the site was redeveloped into Kowloon Walled City Park, where it remains to this day.

At its peak in the 80s, it is said to have had over 50,000 residents and housed over 900 factories.

Laundry was hung out to dry in any available spaces, with plastic bags and other items often snagged on the cables.

Because the airport is located nearby, there was a restriction limiting buildings to 14 floors, or 45 meters in height, but in reality many buildings exceeded it.

Its official name is
「九龍寨城」(*)

While "Kowloon City" is the name of a district

Alleyways where sunlight barely reaches were soaked with water leaking from pipes.

Some alleys required umbrellas to pass through because of the leaks.

As a result of repeated unplanned expansions, there were buildings where stairways didn’t connect all the way to the top floors and reaching them required passing through another building.

Waste from daily activities was either thrown out of windows, or swept downstairs. Since the ground floor is full of trash and rats, the rent there was set lower.

Yoshida Seiji

(*) Kowloon Walled City was demolished in 1994, while Kai Tak Airport closed in 1998.

Kowloon Peninsula

Kowloon Walled City

Kowloon City District

Kowloon

Kai Tak airport

Hong Kong Island