I hope this is the right place to discuss this since this section is skyscrapers, structures and architecture.

But I've been fascinated with this mysterious structures even if they are demolished.

Anyway, for those who don't know, this is the Kowloon Walled City which was one of the most depressed areas in HK at that time. The place was originally a fort and became of the largest slums in the city. Most lower income immigrants from the mainland settled in The Walled City where conditions are some of the world in the city. It also became a haven for crooks, triads, drug addicts and illegal dentists. Even if it's gone, the city itself is a taboo, an example of urban decay and architectural craziness :D

http://www.watermarkpublications.com/001/html/kow.jpg

A piece of urban lost in vaults of history.

High-rises slums, like in those cyberpunk sci-fies.

Like metropolis' zone 6, like Coruscant :) deepest level. :)

I love it!

fantastic!:eek: are there any apartments for rent still?:lol:

fantastic!:eek: are there any apartments for rent still?:lol:

Do you really want one? The rent was cheap. Only thing it doesn't exist anymore.

How many people lived there?

How can such a large illegal structure exist? :eek2:

How many people lived there?

i think there was 50-60,000 at its max.

redstone, from what i've read, it was in sort of a "no man's land" where there was a lack of police power; it was outside British control, outside of mainland China's control, and the local police turned their back on it.

i'm also interested in this oddity.

-

It was a small patch of land in HK that was still under control of the Chinese, therefore the British controlled HK police had no juristiction over it. As far as I know the Chinese were happy just to leave it alone. Therefore it was basically ruled by the triads. Absolutely fascinating place, I wish I was old enough to have been able to go and see it before they knocked it down. 15 stories of completely unplanned shanty town, I can't even imagine how it even supported it's own weight let alone the people living there!!

Uncoordinated, ad-hoc construction?
New units gradually added on top of older ones?

How did it even stand on it's on? :eek2:

It's like a miracle of sorts....

Exactly!! Amazing!

Looks fantastic. Hong Kong still does have a lot of charming slum areas. Also, Chungking Mansions is supposed to be quite unique.

Peter K

Has someboday any pics of the inside?

Please have a look of the whole story of this interesting Kowloon Walled City in this link:
www.twenty4.co.uk/on-line/issue001/project02/KWC/Main.html

As I have said in another thread. I still remember there was a documentary made by the governement channel in the late 80's teling the lives of the people there. A housewife said she sometimes just borrowed sauce from her neighbours of another building "THROUGH THE WINDOWS' when she was running out of sauce for cooking! And there were shots children playing, jumping from one building to another.

Pity that I was too young (though mid-30's now) to understand the wonder of this structure and have never pay a real visit or "expedition" to it. I just passed by several times in bus in the early 90's.

Please have a look of the whole story of this interesting Kowloon Walled City in this link:
www.twenty4.co.uk/on-line/issue001/project02/KWC/Main.html

Very interesting site!:okay:

Search by Yahoo and you will find some more websites about the Kowloon Walled City.

A team of Japanese architect students came to the Walled City in 1991, using one week to record the final portrait of it.

Search by Yahoo and you will find some more websites about the Kowloon Walled City.

A team of Japanese architect students came to the Walled City in 1991, using one week to record the final portrait of it.

Interesting. Why did the Brits not have this part of Kowloon? And since it wasn't really controlled, was there a lot of illegal immigration from China to the UK-controlled HK? What's there now?

Interesting. Why did the Brits not have this part of Kowloon? And since it wasn't really controlled, was there a lot of illegal immigration from China to the UK-controlled HK? What's there now?

I have no idea why British didn't claim this small land when they got Kowloon. Actually, there were always immigrants(not illegal mostly) from the mainland throughout the history of HK. The immigration peaked after communist sweeping China, from 50's to 70's. The population of HK rapidly grew from 2M in early 50's to 4M in 70's. Living in the KWC cost a lot less so many of the residents there were from the mainland working class. The KWC was turned into a park in the late 90's.

Interesting. Why did the Brits not have this part of Kowloon? And since it wasn't really controlled, was there a lot of illegal immigration from China to the UK-controlled HK? What's there now?

The mass immigration of mainland Chinese to HK was early 1950s during the communist takeover.

Anyway, here's a history of The Kowloon Walled City

The Walled City (known as Kowloon then) was originally a single fort built in the mid-1800s on the site of an earlier 17th century watchpost on the Kowloon Peninsula of Hong Kong. After the ceding of Hong Kong Island to Britain in 1842 (Treaty of Nanjing), Qing (Chinese) authorities felt it necessary for them to establish a military-cum-administrative post to rule the area and to check further British influence in the area.

The 1898 Convention which handed additional parts of Hong Kong (the New Territories) to Britain for 99 years excluded the Walled City, with a population of roughly 700, and stated that China could continue to keep troops there, so long as they did not interfere with Britain's temporary rule. Britain quickly went back on this unofficial part of the agreement, attacking Kowloon Walled City in 1899, only to find it deserted. They did nothing with it nor to the outpost, and thus sent the question of Kowloon Walled City's ownership squarely into the air. The outpost consisted of a yamen, as well as other buildings (which eventually grew into a low-lying, densely packed neighborhood within the walls), in the era between the 1890s and the 1940s. The enclave remained part of Chinese territory despite the tubulent events of the early 20th century that saw the fall of the Qing government, establishment of a Chinese republic and later, the People's Republic of China.

The Walled City remained a curiosity - and a tourist attraction where British colonials and tourists could have a "taste of the old China" - until 1940, when during its WWII occupation of Hong Kong, Japan evicted people from the city, and then demolished much of the city - including the wall - to provide building materials for the nearby Kai Tak Aerodrome.

After Japan's surrender, squatters (whether former residents or - more likely - newcomers) began to occupy the Walled City, resisting several attempts by Britain in 1948 to drive them out. With no wall to protect it (initially), the Walled City became a haven for crooks and drug addicts, as the Hong Kong Police had no right to enter the City (and mainland China - whether warlord, Communist, or Kuomintang - refused to take care of it). The 1949 foundation of the People's Republic of China added thousands of refugees to the population, many from Guangdong, and by this time, Britain had had enough, and simply adopted a 'hands-off' policy. A murder that occurred in Kowloon Walled City in 1959 set off a small diplomatic crisis, as the two nations each tried to get the other to claim responsibility for a vast tract of land now virtually ruled by anti-Manchurian Triads (the Hong Kong organized crime syndicate).

The Triads' rule lasted up until the mid-1970s, when a 1973-1974 series of over 3,000 police raids occurred in Kowloon Walled City. With the Triads' power diminished, a strange sort of synergy blossomed, and the Walled City began to grow almost organically. Square buildings folded up into one another as thousands of modifications were made, virtually none by architects or engineers, until hundreds of square metres were simply a kind of patchwork monolith. Labyrinthine corridors ran through the monolith, some of those being former streets (at the ground level, and often clogged up with trash), and some of those running through upper floors, practically between buildings. The only rules of construction were twofold: electricity had to be provided to avoid fire, and the buildings could be no more than about fourteen storeys high (because of the nearby airport). A mere eight municipal pipes somehow provided water to the entire structure (although more could have come from wells). By the early 1980s, Kowloon Walled City had an estimated population of 35,000 - with a crime rate far below the Hong Kong average, despite the notable lack of any real law enforcement. The Kowloon Walled City was also infamous for its ridiculously high number of unsanitary dentist clinics, since this was where unlicensed dentists could operate without persecution.

Over time, both the British and the Chinese governments found this massive, anarchic city to be a bit too much - despite the low crime. If the 'Black Market' ever had a physical location, this would have been it. Needless to say, the sanitary conditions were a bit wanting.

After the Joint Declaration in 1984, the PRC agreed British authorities to demolish the City and resettle its inhabitants. The mutual decision to tear down the walled city was made in 1987.

At that time, it had 50,000 inhabitants on 0.026 km©˜, and therefore a very high population density of 1,900,000 / km©˜. It was allegedly the most densely populated spot on Earth.

The evolution of the Kowloon Walled City

http://www.twenty4.co.uk/on-line/issue001/project02/KWC/history1.jpg
1847-The KWC as a fort

http://www.twenty4.co.uk/on-line/issue001/project02/KWC/history2.jpg
1865-Looking south

http://www.twenty4.co.uk/on-line/issue001/project02/KWC/history3.jpg
1924-The old Yamen

http://www.twenty4.co.uk/on-line/issue001/project02/KWC/history4.jpg
1973-The Walled City surrounded by slums

intresting how it developed through time

The real mystery to me are the architects and planners. Who planned these structures and who designed them!

wait if the city was under no juresdiction who built those buldings. which company would build in an area thats in legal limbo?

and how did they cramp 35,000 people in that small ass area?

the more i read about the Kowloon Walled City the more im saddend by the fact that i cant invastigate it.

are the buildings part of the wall of the old fort or what?

http://static.flickr.com/9/13163195_5857150510_o.jpg

are the buildings part of the wall of the old fort or what?

http://static.flickr.com/9/13163195_5857150510_o.jpg

The buildings that are there right now are where the walls used to be. They are inter connected forming a wall.

cool.

so the other question is how was it built?

did they contract the local construction firm to do it or how?

cool.

so the other question is how was it built?

did they contract the local construction firm to do it or how?

See that's the mystery there!

By the way, to answer Samsonyuen's question. Here is what I found

Briefly mentioned in the history portion of this web page, the existence and evolution of KWC are intertwined with the political struggles between China and Great Britain, occupying Hong Kong since 1841. Basically the indecision and ignorance between the two countries over the occupation of KWC lead to the city's lack of government, and its inevitable self-organization and problems with crime and drugs.

In the Peking Convention of 1898, which leased Hong Kong to Britain for 99 years, the Walled City was excluded, the Chinese governing the area on condition they would not interfere with troops stationed to defend Hong Kong. Britain quickly rescinded the unofficial agreement, announcing in December 1899 that KWC would become "part and parcel of Her Majesty's Colony of Hong Kong". After Britain attacked the Walled City the same year, only to find it deserted, they failed to demonstrate control over the city, leaving it pretty much alone, their inaction adding to confusion over the city's rule.

China, likewise, never recognized Britain's claim to the Walled City, though for the years between the turn of the century and World War II the city was more of a tourist attraction than a residential settlement. Two events led to a resurgence of people back into KWC: Japan surrendering in WWII (previously having demolished most of the city to lay airport runways during their brief occupation), and the formation of the Republic of China in 1949. The refugee influx, due mostly to the latter, was steady, reaching about 10,000 residents in 1970. In this time the British government attempted to evacuate the squatters after an unsuccessful proposal to turn the jurisdiction of KWC into a "Garden of Remembrance of Anglo-Chinese trusteeship" (which the Chinese flatly rejected). The evacuations lead to riots as the expelled tried to return to the city, causing the British to drop the evictions to prevent further deterioration of Anglo-Chinese relations. From this moment on (ca. 1949) the British Government adopted a "hands-off" policy towards the Walled City.

What happened in the following years gave KWC its reputation as "a cesspool of iniquity, with heroin divans, brothels and everything unsavory." The blossoming of the city under no apparent rule continued with occasional, unsuccessful raids and evacuations over the years. A murder trial in 1959 illustrates the confusion over governing the city: a British court ruled that since the murder had been committed within the Walled City it was out of their jurisdiction, but looking at the Peking Convention they realized the city under Chinese jurisdiction was temporary. Fifty years later and still nobody is certain who's rule KWC falls under!

In the "bad" years of the 1950s and '60s much of the power lay in the hands of the Triads: a republican secret society against Imperial Manchu rule, when formed in the late 19th century, turning to more "dubious activities as a way of raising funds" (drugs, prostitution and gambling). Much of their control dissipated when police made over 3,000 raids and 2,500 arrests in the 1973 and '74, another turning point.

The 1970s saw improved Anglo-Chinese relations and a continuation of the "high-rise" boom of the previous decade. This decade, and the following, also saw KWC at its peak: the population increasing up to 350,000 in 1983, with less crime than the rest of Hong Kong. With the improved relations between Britain and China the announcement, in 1987, of the Walled City's demise is not surprising. Neither government saw it as an asset or as something they wanted to take responsibility for, but both agreed that it had to comedown. The city existed outside the realm of the understandable or the comprehendible; a grotesque, dense mass that exhibited a certain beauty at the same time. It depended on the political tension of two countries to exist, yet, ironically, was an un-political entity. By cleaning the slate both governments wanted to start afresh, but hopefully material, like this web page and the resources mentioned in the bibliography, will keep the city alive.

This be a better picture for people to understand how AMAZING this thing is, no street planning, all the building is interconnected:
http://www.tofu-magazine.net/newVersion/images/KWC1.jpg

Wanch, how on earth did a fort, a real historic walled city transform into this surrealistic hulking mass? :runaway:

Wanch, how on earth did a fort, a real historic walled city transform into this surrealistic hulking mass? :runaway:

Several factors

1) The uncertainty of which country will take control over the Walled City whether it's Great Britain or China. To say, the area within the Kowloon Walled City was not considered part of Great Britain.

2) The rise of heroin and opium addicts in the area

3) Triads gained control of the area

4) The rise of immigration from the mainland during the formation of PRC.

more images of the KWC

http://www.twenty4.co.uk/on-line/issue001/project02/KWC/ext1.jpg

http://www.twenty4.co.uk/on-line/issue001/project02/KWC/ext2.jpg

http://www.twenty4.co.uk/on-line/issue001/project02/KWC/alley1.jpg

http://www.twenty4.co.uk/on-line/issue001/project02/KWC/alley2.jpg

http://www.twenty4.co.uk/on-line/issue001/project02/KWC/roof1.jpg

http://www.twenty4.co.uk/on-line/issue001/project02/KWC/roof2.jpg

I think the biggest mystery would be how can layers of slums stay up and not cave in on itself?

I think the biggest mystery would be how can layers of slums stay up and not cave in on itself?

That's one of the mysteries :D

BTW, The KWC got introduced in the world through the movie Bloodsport where you see Jean Claude Van Damme and his partners walk through the city's dark alleyways. The KWC was the site of the kumite fights in the movie!

So it was once a real city, and then slums started to rise over the original buildings?

So it was once a real city, and then slums started to rise over the original buildings?

It was a fort. But tenements rose over the orignal structures.

originally it was a fort, and it become neutral, slums moving in start building house. It is so many mysteriesssss around KWC, here are few:
Who build them and how?
Without architects and engineers why didn't cave in?
Why the crime so low when there has no police inside?

originally it was a fort, and it become neutral, slums moving in start building house. It is so many mysteriesssss around KWC, here are few:
Who build them and how?
Without architects and engineers why didn't cave in?
Why the crime so low when there has no police inside?

I can partly answer the crime issue.

Crime in the KWC dropped when it's residents formed a patrol unit. And the Royal HK Police (at that time) did patrol inside mostly doing some investigations.

The RHKP conducted over 3,000 raids during 1973-74 and mde 2,500 arrests.

I was inside once...buying opium and discarding a dead body :jk:

I was inside once...buying opium and discarding a dead body :jk:

I was too :D

By the way, besides the crime and drug addiction, alot of missionaries went inside the Walled City and have converted many drug addicts to devoted Christians :)

That's one of the mysteries :D

BTW, The KWC got introduced in the world through the movie Bloodsport where you see Jean Claude Van Damme and his partners walk through the city's dark alleyways. The KWC was the site of the kumite fights in the movie!

Really? I don't know about this film. I know a film was made with scenes in the KWC but I don't know it was acted by Jean Claude Van Damme. Then, I must have. Is it still easy to find the DVD for this film in HK?

Really? I don't know about this film. I know a film was made with scenes in the KWC but I don't know it was acted by Jean Claude Van Damme. Then, I must have. Is it still easy to find the DVD for this film in HK?

Bloodsport was actually the movie that introduced Van Damme as a martial arts superstar! I don't know if there's a DVD version of the film but it's very easy to find a VCD version of it :)

Bloodsport was actually the movie that introduced Van Damme as a martial arts superstar! I don't know if there's a DVD version of the film but it's very easy to find a VCD version of it :)

But do you have the Chinese Name ah! I think it's easier to find it with Chinese Name.

woww thanx

But do you have the Chinese Name ah! I think it's easier to find it with Chinese Name.

Unfortunately, I don't know the Chinese name! It's actually a Hollywood production!

This is what KWC looks like today.

http://lambcutlet.org/albums/Day_7/Kowloon_Walled_City_Parks_East_Gate.sized.jpg

http://img1.travelblog.org/Photos/2900/13772/f/58821-Kowloon-Walled-City-Park-0.jpg

http://lambcutlet.org/albums/Day_7/Kowloon_Walled_City_Park_site_map.sized.jpg

http://img1.travelblog.org/Photos/2900/13772/f/58820-Kowloon-Walled-City-Park-0.jpg

http://img1.travelblog.org/Photos/2900/13772/f/58823-Kowloon-Walled-City-Park-0.jpg

All the old buildings were inside and under the slums? :eek2:

All the old buildings were inside and under the slums? :eek2:

These are newly built buildings for the park. The yamen was one of the few structures from the original KWC that was preserved :)

http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/Museum/Monument/graphics/en/monuments/63.jpg

not bad a little bit of green adds to charms of cities :)

not bad a little bit of green adds to charms of cities :)

The only thing I can say is, KWC is alot different compared to what it had been back in the days. It used to be hell but it's paradise :D

Are the 'units' built by different owners?

Or were there real buildings inside?

Are the 'units' built by different owners?

Or were there real buildings inside?

I think the units are not built by different owners
But I guess the different blocks of buildings are built by different contractors at different times.

I think the units are not built by different owners
But I guess the different blocks of buildings are built by different contractors at different times.

Oh, most of them are single illegal towers? Then illegal modifications were done to them?

Btw anyone has inside pics or maps/floor plans?

http://www.electricedge.com/greymatter/images/kowloon.jpg

Single towers? :runaway:

Oh, most of them are single illegal towers? Then illegal modifications were done to them?

Btw anyone has inside pics or maps/floor plans?

Em.... They were not that illegal since both the British & Chinese government didn't take control of it. And then modifications should be a natural development.

Please go to the website of KWC I quoted earlier and search there. There are a few shots of the inside alleys and roof of buildings. I don't think there are pic showing the home of residents there. I suggest you search by Yahoo. There are more websites.

as to the question of low crime.

wouldnt the fact the the area was under Triad control also add to its safety. the triads would keep their near area safe while criminilize other parts of the city. here the KWC would be safe because the triads wouls see to its low crime rate, while sending members to criminilize HK.

http://parole.aporee.org/files/ga12/kowloon_walled_city_6.gif

Life inside

as to the question of low crime.

wouldnt the fact the the area was under Triad control also add to its safety. the triads would keep their near area safe while criminilize other parts of the city. here the KWC would be safe because the triads wouls see to its low crime rate, while sending members to criminilize HK.

Low crime rate was only the case after thousands of raids conducted by the police in the mid-70's. I think the 20 self-formed patrol units also helped some.

It's a fact that the Triads have to maintain some order or control to run their "business". Nowadays, many "business" of the Triads are the entertaining business like karaoke, sauna, night club which seems to be very legal. Of course, they still involves in a lot of illegal "business" like drugs, prostitute, receiving money which we called "protection fee" in Cantonese from shops etc. And there are fights and struggles between different Triad Societies due to conflict of interests sometimes.

But the problems with the triads are not as serious compared to the 20th century.

In HK, just being a triad member or involved with the society is already a serious criminal offense!

http://images.villagevoice.com/issues/0034/kwong.jpg

so the good old days are gone :D

Wow this is such a treat. A not so lost bit of HK history. In a sense like Kai Tak, something that was kind of insane but in a sense truly remarkable. I read somewhere that in the development of HK. This played an important part where many an enterprising entrepreneur who was just starting (LKS?) used to have factories there where they could produce at truly low cost , since there were no labor standards and the like. So the costs were really low. So things like plastic flowers etc which were a manufacturing backbone of HK before was done here.

What street is this thing in anyway, I don't recall it anymore, what district?

so the good old days are gone :D

They are but there are still triads in HK! Last night I was playing at a game centre in Mong Kok and the cops raided the place. They arrested like 4 guys who I think are triad members!

But you won't see any triads chopping off limbs on todays HK street :)

Bustero, The KWC is in Kowloon City, the same district as Kai Tak. It's actually a few blocks from Kai Tak! I forgot the street name though.

Yes! Many of their capital have been changed to "legal" business, mostly in the entertainment

Yes! Many of their capital have been changed to "legal" business, mostly in the entertainment

True, in fact the entertainment business is the most interesting. It's kinda like what the Mafia did with Hollywood and the music industry.

so the gangs went corporate.

better then killing each other on the streets. whats the crime rate in HK? has anything changed since PRC government took over concerning crime?

so the gangs went corporate.

better then killing each other on the streets. whats the crime rate in HK? has anything changed since PRC government took over concerning crime?

The crime rate in HK is one of the lowest in the world :)

They are but there are still triads in HK! Last night I was playing at a game centre in Mong Kok and the cops raided the place. They arrested like 4 guys who I think are triad members!

But you won't see any triads chopping off limbs on todays HK street :)

Bustero, The KWC is in Kowloon City, the same district as Kai Tak. It's actually a few blocks from Kai Tak! I forgot the street name though.

The former KWC was at the junction of Tung Tau Tsuen Road & Tung Tsing Road at the outskirt of Kowloon City District.

The former KWC was at the junction of Tung Tau Tsuen Road & Tung Tsing Road at the outskirt of Kowloon City District.

Ok :)

Crime statistics in HK

http://info.gov.hk/police

http://www.info.gov.hk/police/hkp-home/english/statistics/images/overall.gif

cool its good to know that a large city can function without being swamped by criminality. :)

Most HKers aren't crinimal minded just like most Asian cities. Also, HK has tough laws especially against crime. One of them is the use of firearms. An ordinary HK resident are NOT allowed to own or carry firearms or any sort.

thats a great thing citizens dont need guns, thats why we have the police. sounds like a city i could enjoy living in.

thats a great thing citizens dont need guns, thats why we have the police. sounds like a city i could enjoy living in.

HK is one of the few world cities where you feel safe :)

thats a great thing citizens dont need guns, thats why we have the police. sounds like a city i could enjoy living in.

Seems you keep a gun at home.

^^ well living here you need one. :D

;)

Another view of KWC and surrounding areas

http://www.orientalarchitecture.com/hongkong/hkg04.jpg

rooftop

http://www.simtropolis.com/idealbb/files/above.jpg

I watched Bloodsport just now. Has a few nice shots of the KWC, very eeire and interesting.

Can someone post screen shots from the movie from the inside of the City?

From the Wikipedia Article I read

"Also, as the Walled City was beginning to be torn down, a group of Japanese explorers took about a week to tour the empty walled city, making a sort of map and a cross section of the city."

I can't finda any information on the net about this ! If anyone knows anything about these Japanese explorers, the pictures they took, and the map they created, please reply !

One more question about KWC: Was it surrounded by British jurisdiction? If not, wouldn't it have been easy for Guangzhou people to sneak into the democratic world? And did the residents of KWC have services like transportation and schools outside of its boundaries like the rest of Kowloon?

One more question about KWC: Was it surrounded by British jurisdiction? If not, wouldn't it have been easy for Guangzhou people to sneak into the democratic world? And did the residents of KWC have services like transportation and schools outside of its boundaries like the rest of Kowloon?

I think most of the residents of the KWC were also the residents of HK who should have a HK Identity Card. If my memory is not wrong, there are some bus routes passing the KWC and have stops outside it's boundaries. And all the children there should go outside the KWC for school. I think I should know somebody from the KWC during my university studies in the early 90's.

From the Wikipedia Article I read

"Also, as the Walled City was beginning to be torn down, a group of Japanese explorers took about a week to tour the empty walled city, making a sort of map and a cross section of the city."

I can't finda any information on the net about this ! If anyone knows anything about these Japanese explorers, the pictures they took, and the map they created, please reply !

I actually visited the site years back when it was still running. It's wack that the site was down but it was actually a very informative webstie despite being in Japanese. They did took alot of photos and to tell you, the conditions inside the KWC was hell!

Marathoner, I think that most of it's residents in the KWC have a HK id. Cause it's hard to be in HK if you don't have one and the residents of course have to go out. You got cops stopping you and checking your id. Happened to me many times even when I was in a game centre. Anyway, those without HK IDs most likely go around in Kowloon city and not go anywhere further from the KWC.

There were buses that run outside the KWC but I don't know the no.s.

Wow... This is one of the strangest things I have ever seen. How did it not collapse under its own weight from lack of structural planning?

I've strolled through the park that replaced it. Very beautiful, perfect location inside Kowloon! :cheers:

Wow... This is one of the strangest things I have ever seen. How did it not collapse under its own weight from lack of structural planning?

I've strolled through the park that replaced it. Very beautiful, perfect location inside Kowloon! :cheers:

Again, the park itself is a great contrast from the former strucutures :)

Wow... This is one of the strangest things I have ever seen. How did it not collapse under its own weight from lack of structural planning?

I've strolled through the park that replaced it. Very beautiful, perfect location inside Kowloon! :cheers:

Very good question.... Wish someone could answer it... :)

Anyone knows if the place has lifts (elevators)?

Very good question.... Wish someone could answer it... :)

Anyone knows if the place has lifts (elevators)?

Hard to say but when it comes to engineering, HK is an expert to that. I have never heard of any building collapsing in HK even illegal structures.

From what I know, there are no lifts in the KWC but staircases.

Woah, climb 14 storeys on foot every day? :eek2:

Woah, climb 14 storeys on foot every day? :eek2:

It's good for the heart though :D

What I had heard about the KWC was the illegal dentists. They served in a very low price for the residents nearby and other HK people. Many of the dentists were University Graduates from China but the HK Gov’t didn’t accept their qualifications. They had no choice but to open the streetside shops in the KWC. :|

What I had heard about the KWC was the illegal dentists. They served in a very low price for the residents nearby and other HK people. Many of the dentists were University Graduates from China but the HK Gov’t didn’t accept their qualifications. They had no choice but to open the streetside shops in the KWC. :|

The one with the illegal dentists are interesting. There are some who go to these dentists and the licensed ones.

I actually visited the site years back when it was still running. It's wack that the site was down but it was actually a very informative webstie despite being in Japanese. They did took alot of photos and to tell you, the conditions inside the KWC was hell!


Hey, so they had a site with photos before? Do you remember what the name of the site was? It might be possible that is has been archived by the Internet Archive.

By the way, thanks for posting this thread, I've been looking for information on the KWC since December when I just heard about it.

I don't like it. It looks like a poor highrise ghetto.

MVRDV did an article on it in their book FARMAX with sections plans pictures etc. very good for those of you seeking info on KWC and how it maximized FAR = Floor Area Ratio.

so what did they do about plumming. I can see them building this but the plumming in that structure must be killer.

Hey, so they had a site with photos before? Do you remember what the name of the site was? It might be possible that is has been archived by the Internet Archive.

By the way, thanks for posting this thread, I've been looking for information on the KWC since December when I just heard about it.

The site's name is Internet Kowloon Walled City. They also have a subsite on Chungking Mansions. BTW, only the Japanese version is running, the English one is under construction.

http://kowloon.main.jp/

Marco, it IS a high-rise ghetto!

Found it ! After a bit of digging, the page is in the web archives ...

http://web.archive.org/web/20020208225753/www.flex.co.jp/kowloon/story/index_e.html (from the wikipidea discussion, duh !)

Found it ! After a bit of digging, the page is in the web archives ...

http://web.archive.org/web/20020208225753/www.flex.co.jp/kowloon/story/index_e.html (from the wikipidea discussion, duh !)

Yo thanks for the info :D

Found it ! After a bit of digging, the page is in the web archives ...

http://web.archive.org/web/20020208225753/www.flex.co.jp/kowloon/story/index_e.html (from the wikipidea discussion, duh !)

Oh wow!!! Great find!

But the English isn't that good... :lol:

Are there real streets inside? :eek:

Or are they just alleys?

Hooray! Thanks for posting the links!

Are there real streets inside? :eek:

Or are they just alleys?

Inside are alleys that run like labyrinths :)

"A MUST HAVE " for anyone interested in Kowloon or too just have the coolest book on the planet:

"City of Darkness: Life in Kowloon Walled City"
by Greg Girard, Ian Lambot
ISBN 1 873200 13 7
Watermark Publications LTD, UK 2001

"A MUST HAVE " for anyone interested in Kowloon or too just have the coolest book on the planet:

"City of Darkness: Life in Kowloon Walled City"
by Greg Girard, Ian Lambot
ISBN 1 873200 13 7
Watermark Publications LTD, UK 2001

It's a must have but it's not the coolest :)

It's a must have but it's not the coolest :)

What is the coolest?

HK has a walled city too??Wow, who made it? The ones in Manila are ALOT better IMO, and theyre very European.

HK has a walled city too??Wow, who made it? The ones in Manila are ALOT better IMO, and theyre very European.

Hong Kong had walled cities / fortress before the British had lease on it's terrotories.

I was going to ask the same thing about the lifts... there has to be at least a few in the middle of that place, somewhere!! maybe in the 14 story sections..

I was going to ask the same thing about the lifts... there has to be at least a few in the middle of that place, somewhere!! maybe in the 14 story sections..

From what I know, there are no lifts in the KWC, only stairs.

"A MUST HAVE " for anyone interested in Kowloon or too just have the coolest book on the planet:

"City of Darkness: Life in Kowloon Walled City"
by Greg Girard, Ian Lambot
ISBN 1 873200 13 7
Watermark Publications LTD, UK 2001

£210 on amazon.co.uk, it would have to be the greatest book ever

On a side note, KWC also appeared in the Street Fighter anime series

I've seen checking out the Street Fighter series and didn't pay attention to the KWC. Might as check it out again.

Wow amazing. what im wondering is how it survied that long, if a fire broke out, wouldnt it be uncontrollable?

Wow amazing. what im wondering is how it survied that long, if a fire broke out, wouldnt it be uncontrollable?

Definitely it would! But there haven't been any reports of a major fire in that area and if there were, I wouldn't know!

An aerial view of KWC

http://intro2arch.arch.hku.hk/dd02.jpg

Each 'stack' an individual building or just a pile of slum construction? :eek2:

Some sources say this is the densest spot to have been inhabited by men in world's history.

:OMG: It looks realy poor :( What kind of buildings are there now (pictures please ;) )

:OMG: It looks realy poor :( What kind of buildings are there now (pictures please ;) )

This is the KWC today, it's now a park. The area is also surrounding by public housing estates. Also, the yamen is one of the few preserved from the original structures.

http://lambcutlet.org/albums/Day_7/Kowloon_Walled_City_Parks_East_Gate.sized.jpg

For anyone interested, I am getting an Urban Studies major at university and was recently researching KWC in the academic journals available online and found a great study on it in the Journal of Urban History. I'll have to read the fine print to see if I can post it here in excerpt or in its entireity. For those of you enrolled in university or with subscriptions, I found it through ProQuest or Expanded Academic.

I woul love to see some pics!

HK thread: http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=190289

It looks like a scrap heap. I stole this picture from SSP, where a certain forumer seems to be obsessed with it.

I think you could have leaped from rooftop to rooftop. Dense, yes, but not very tall at all. Probably its extreme density was due to overcrowding.

http://www.klnwcity.org/intro/large/klnwcity/80/80klnwcity_figure12_large.jpg

http://www.klnwcity.org/intro/large/klnwcity/80/80klnwcity_figure2_large.jpg

Other HK buildings:
http://static.flickr.com/80/271332528_4c86f31cc4_b.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/60/196775467_16dee66dc1_o.jpg

Are there any pictures of the KWC now?

it should be ruined!!!

Are there any pictures of the KWC now?

KWC doesn't exist now, it's now a park.

Yes it's now a park but it's still called Walled City Park. The Yamen is one of the few structures from the original KWC that has been preserved.

http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/Museum/Monument/graphics/en/monuments/63.jpg

i am quite like the walled city haha !!!
although its look ugly, but its look special for me because i think HK no more building will have an overall design like walled city.

when was the kowloon walled city been demolish?

1992.

-Ataman

very interesting the way it was built. mind boggling...

OK, I started a thread about this, but it hardly got any replies so I'll ask here.

Is there anything today that even comes close to the level of KWC? What are the densest human settlements today?

^ I believe Mongkok in Kowloon (part of Hong Kong) is the most densely populated district in the world. However it's not like the Kowloon Walled City. It's not an illegal slum to start off with. The chawls of large Indian cities such as Bombay and Calcutta and the favelas of Rio de Janeiro are perhaps the closest equivalents of the Kowloon Walled City. They are extremely crowded but not multi-storied to the same extent as the Kowloon Walled City.