The History Of Kowloon Walled City In 1 Minute

It was known as a slum; a dark, dank place filled with narrow alleyways no more than three feet wide. The average apartment was 29 square meters, with 59 percent of the apartments ranging between 10 – 30 square meters. Children would play on rooftops, the rats were the size of cats and the streets were abundant with brothels, drugs, and unlicensed businesses. The entire area seemed like a vision of a dystopian future for Hong Kong, with chaotic (and often illegally constructed) buildings, which attracted fugitives, outlaws and other criminal elements throughout the 20th century.
It may have been a squalid maze and the most densely populated place on earth, but it was a place that 33,000 people called home. There were factories, a kindergarten, temples, doctors, a youth center and an old people’s home. It housed everyone from drug addicts to housewives.
1994 saw the demolition of the Kowloon Walled City, after the approval of a compensation program of $3.2 billion for the residents and business owners within. Now, in its place is the park which officially opened in 1995. Amongst the ruins, the only building left standing today is the Yamen – the official offices and residences which were located in the center of the Walled City.