Former ‘Darkest Settlement’ Kowloon Walled City Demolished, Now a Public Park
Hong kong – Once a notorious, lawless enclave, Kowloon Walled City has been transformed from the world’s most densely populated settlement into a public park, preserving remnants of its unique history. The city,which existed for over a century,was finally demolished between March 1993 and April 1994 after decades of neglect and escalating concerns over public health and safety.
Originally a Chinese military garrison, the Walled City grew into a self-governing, virtually unregulated area after the British and Chinese governments effectively ceded control.By the 1980s, approximately 35,000 people lived within its confines, packed into a labyrinthine network of interconnected buildings.
The city’s growth was organic and chaotic. In the 1950s, homes were typically semi-permanent structures of one or two floors. By the 1960s, concrete buildings of four to five stories began to appear. The 1970s saw structures exceeding ten floors, built so closely together that windows often faced directly into neighboring walls.
This unchecked progress fostered a breeding ground for criminal activity. Kowloon Walled City became infamous as a haven for drug factories and feared gangsters. Simultaneously, it supported a thriving informal economy, with numerous home-based factories producing toys, plastics, and food to sustain residents.
Growing concerns over health, fire hazards, and air pollution prompted the British government to approve demolition plans in January 1987, following an agreement to return Hong Kong to China. Despite initial resistance from residents, the demolition proceeded, with all inhabitants relocated and compensated.
Today, the site is Kowloon walled City Park. Preserved within the park are remnants of the original city, including the Yamen Building, constructed in the 1800s and now serving as a military headquarters, and restored sections of the original southern entrance gates.
