Kowloon Walled City, once described by Lord Kennet as a place of "real horror," "human tragedy," and "the most squalid place on God's earth," was a stateless enclave notorious for its dire living conditions. Reports from 1973 depicted the place as a chaotic tangle of electrical circuits and junctions with ‘extremely foul and unhygienic’ air (FCO 21/1139). On its mere 2.6 hectares of land—roughly the size of 2.47 football fields—the population peaked at 50,000 in 1990, marking the highest recorded density in history, equivalent to 1,255,000 people per square kilometre. The absence of governance by the Hong Kong, Chinese, and British authorities allowed the Walled City to devolve into a lawless slum, infamous as a ‘safe haven for gambling, vice, and illicit trade amid unsanitary conditions’ (Fraser and Li, 2017).

Despite the horrible and dystopian living conditions, the walled city has inspired a unique cyberpunk-esque culture, where there is a huge pop-culture flow between Hong Kong and Japan through ACG (animation, comics and games). For example, the walled city is reconstructed in a Tokyo amusement park (Fraser and Li, 2017). Recently, the Hong Kong film Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In brought the Walled City’s stories to life, earning international recognition with a screening at the Cannes Film Festival and becoming the second Hong Kong movie to surpass $100 million in earnings. This ‘second creation’ of the Walled City highlights its enduring legacy as a symbol of Hong Kong's deep-rooted history and culture.

History of the Walled City

The Kowloon Walled City, located in northeast Kowloon Peninsula, began as a minor military fort in the 1660s. The construction of the wall was completed by 1847 (Sinn, 1987) when the Chinese government ceded Hong Kong Island to the British government through signing the Treaty of Nanking in 1842 after the First Opium War. The land was enclosed by ‘massive stone walls with six watchtowers and four gates, which measured about 6.5 acres’ (LCSD, 2014), serving as a coastal defence for China to avoid the British government’s expansion. However, after the Second Opium War in 1860, China lost most of the Kowloon Peninsula. Under the 1898 Second Convention of Peking, Britain leased the New Territories for 99 years but excluded the Walled City, allowing the Chinese government to exercise jurisdiction over the walled city. However, in 1899, the British forcibly removed the remaining Qing officials and soldiers due to conflicts between the Chinese army and the British government, effectively asserting control. This left the area with an absence of governance, which contributed to its gradual development into a lawless place.

During the Japanese occupation in World War II, the Walled City's walls were torn down to provide materials for expanding the Kai Tak Airport (located near the walled city). Following the war, an influx of refugees from mainland China turned the Walled City into a densely populated and unregulated settlement. The population inside the walled city rose to 2000 (Sinn, 1987) and soon began to grow quickly. Due to the fall of the Qing Dynasty, the Chinese government was preoccupied with internal conflicts and neglected the Walled City. At the same time, the British government in Hong Kong avoided exercising authority over the area due to its ambiguous jurisdiction. This led to development of a crime hotspot under the lack of centralised authority exercising power over the Walled City. 

Buildings were also constructed without regulations, and the area became notorious for unlicensed businesses and unsafe living conditions. By the late 20th century, the Walled City posed serious safety hazards. In 1987, British and Chinese authorities agreed to demolish the site as part of the Sino-British Joint Declaration. Clearance began in 1991, with demolition completed in 1994. The site was transformed into Kowloon Walled City Park, which preserves historic relics, including granite plaques, gate foundations, and cannons while embracing the Jiangnan garden style of the Qing Dynasty (LCSD, 2014).

Living conditions in the Kowloon Walled City

The living conditions in the Kowloon Walled City were a blend of chaos and resilience. Functioning as a lawless slum, unlicensed medical practitioners were attracted to the Walled City to start their business. Many doctors from mainland China, whose qualifications were not recognised in Hong Kong, set up practices here to offer affordable and skilled treatments, especially in dentistry and minor surgeries. Signs advertising these services hung haphazardly on building facades, creating an impression of a ‘medical street’. These clinics attracted patients from across Hong Kong. 

The population skyrocketed during the 1960s-70s due to waves of refugees from mainland China. This surge led to the unregulated construction of buildings, creating a maze-like urban environment characterised by narrow alleys, intertwining cables, poor sanitation, dim lighting, and a severe lack of ventilation. Despite these challenges, the community maintained a harmonious atmosphere, with neighbours supporting each other (Oval Partnership, 2024).

In crowded apartments, families often share tiny spaces with multiple households. Described by one of the residents of the walled city, a family of eight to nine people might live in a small unit with a bunk bed, a folding table, and a narrow path for movement. Cooking was done on kerosene stoves, which required manual pumping to ignite. Bathing involved mixing hot and cold water in a basin and scooping it over oneself. Essential utilities like water were often unreliable. Residents living on upper floors frequently had to carry heavy buckets from communal street taps, as water pressure could not reach their floors. To mitigate this, families built water tanks in their kitchens to store limited supplies during designated water distribution times (陳, 2018).

Demolition of the Walled City

The demolition of Kowloon Walled City began in 1987, when the Hong Kong government dispatched over 100 police and housing department staff, to restrict entry and exit. This move aimed to prevent new residents from moving in to claim compensation. Many residents only learnt about the demolition through the news as the planning of the demolition was confidential (Jones, 2011). The abrupt sealing of the city left them uncertain about their future. 

The government offered two resettlement and compensation options: public housing for tenants and financial compensation for property owners based on property size, with payouts equivalent to the market value of nearby Kowloon City buildings. While this arrangement improved living conditions for tenants, who often moved into better public housing, it disrupted local businesses. Unlicensed medical practitioners and shop owners struggled to reestablish themselves elsewhere due to higher rents and legal constraints (陳, 2018). 

The demolition was carried out over seven years, with an agreement between China and Britain during negotiations over Hong Kong's future (Sino-British Joint Declaration). By 1991, tensions escalated as about 80 residents staged a sit-in outside the Governor’s House to protest forced evictions. Nonetheless, the demolition was completed by 1994, marking the end of a historical era of Hong Kong. 

Cultural Identity of the Residents and Hongkongers:

In the movie Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In, a memorable line declares, ‘It’s not because of the Walled City itself, but because of the people in it.’ This sentiment vividly encapsulates the spirit of life in Kowloon Walled City, where residents, despite poverty and hardship, found ways to persevere through mutual support and shared resilience. The sudden demolition of the Walled City caused the residents to lose their chances to properly bid farewell to their home and to the tight-knit community they had built. In its place, towering skyscrapers rose, leaving behind a sense of loss.

The success of the movie and G.O.D.'s merchandise has reignited interest in the Walled City across generations, evoking a shared regret for the loss of this unique chapter in Hong Kong’s history. Its allure lies in its ability to showcase the city’s past vitality and human connections. For many, the Walled City transcends its physical form, standing as a powerful emblem of Hong Kong’s cultural identity and memory—a reflection of the collective pride and nostalgia Hongkongers feel for a place that symbolises their enduring spirit.

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