It’s been over 30 years since the world’s most densely populated city was demolished.
Kowloon Walled City was a large and lawless enclave of 35,000 residents squeezed into a territory of 26,000 square metres.
Although first properly established in 1898, it was after the end of the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong during World War II that the city’s population rapidly increased.
But with the absence of any sort of official government, chaos quickly took over the city. The anarchic nature of the area was fuelled, giving opportunity for the trade of illegal products, including narcotics and dog meat.
From the 1950s, the next 20 years would see the walled city governed by organised crime syndicates known as triads, resulting in high rates of prostitution, gambling and drug abuse.
Some of the biggest triad groups, such as 14K and Sun Yee, gained power over the many brothels, gaming parlours, and opium dens that were lodged between the Kowloon city walls.
Very little intervention from Hong Kong police would occur in the city, making it a haven for criminals to thrive.
It wasn’t until 1973 and 1974, when the police carried out over 3,500 raids, making more than 2,500 arrests and seizing over 1,800 kilograms of drugs, that the stronghold of the gangs began to weaken.
The police continued to carry out the raids, and with support from the younger residents especially, the violent crime and drug use began to die down. In 1983, the district police commander declared Kowloon Walled City’s crime rate to be under control.
Amid all the crime, the population continued to grow. So much so that developers built homes on top of older ones.
By the 1980s, a height restriction of 13 to 14 storeys was imposed.
Barely any of the city’s streets were illuminated as the sun hardly reached lower levels, and the quality of life was far behind the rest of Hong Kong.
Despite all of this, the locals managed to live peacefully within the walls, even producing small yet successful businesses.
However, in 1984, the time came for Kowloon Walled City to be demolished. The groundwork was laid for the demolition and 10 years later, the city was gone.
The 33,000 residents were offered $350 million (around £280 million) in compensation, but many were unsatisfied, resulting in forced evictions.
Today, some of the old structures can still be found. However, in 1995, a £7 million project saw the only city transformed into Kowloon Walled City Park.
The park’s design is divided into eight landscapes, with displays of artefacts from the walled city. The paths and pavillions are also named after the old streets and buildings, treasuring significant moments in Hong Kong’s history.
