former Kowloon Walled City
E1001634
The former Kowloon Walled City was an extremely dense, largely ungoverned enclave in Hong Kong known for its labyrinthine architecture, informal housing, and reputation for crime before its demolition in the 1990s.
Observed surface forms (1)
| Surface form | Occurrences |
|---|---|
| Kowloon Walled City | 1 |
Statements (94)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
enclave
ⓘ
former urban settlement ⓘ slum ⓘ |
| area | approximately 2.6 hectares ⓘ |
| builtFor | defense of the area ⓘ |
| cameUnderBritishControl | after Convention for the Extension of Hong Kong Territory ⓘ |
| clearedFor |
public park
ⓘ
urban redevelopment ⓘ |
| country | China ⓘ |
| culturalPerception |
icon of Hong Kong’s urban history
ⓘ
reference point in discussions of urban density ⓘ symbol of unregulated urbanism ⓘ |
| demolishedBy | British Hong Kong Government NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| demolishedIn | 1990s ⓘ |
| demolishedInYear |
1993
ⓘ
1994 ⓘ |
| evictionCompensationPaidBy | British Hong Kong Government NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| hadAmbiguousSovereignty | between Britain and China ⓘ |
| hasFormerName | Kowloon Walled City (fort) NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| hasNotableFeature |
absence of formal building codes enforcement
ⓘ
absence of formal street grid ⓘ ad hoc building extensions ⓘ brothels ⓘ constant artificial lighting in interior alleys ⓘ dense network of corridors and stairways ⓘ dense vertical layering of functions ⓘ drug-related activities ⓘ example of extreme informal urbanization ⓘ example of high-rise squatter settlement ⓘ example of legal ambiguity in colonial context ⓘ example of self-organized infrastructure ⓘ example of state-led clearance and redevelopment ⓘ extreme population density ⓘ frequent depiction in popular culture ⓘ gambling dens ⓘ high crime rate ⓘ high internal humidity ⓘ illegal construction ⓘ illegal factories ⓘ illegal tapping of electricity and water ⓘ informal governance ⓘ informal housing ⓘ informal property arrangements ⓘ inspiration for cyberpunk aesthetics ⓘ interconnected rooftops ⓘ labyrinthine architecture ⓘ lack of sunlight in lower levels ⓘ legacy preserved through Kowloon Walled City Park ⓘ limited direct government control for many years ⓘ mixed residential and industrial use ⓘ multi-story buildings built without central planning ⓘ narrow alleyways ⓘ neon signs and dense wiring ⓘ notorious international reputation ⓘ overhanging buildings forming a continuous block ⓘ poor sanitation ⓘ presence of food stalls and small restaurants ⓘ presence of schools and churches ⓘ presence of triads ⓘ remaining South Gate and yamen buildings in the park ⓘ rooftop social spaces ⓘ rooftop structures ⓘ self-organized community structures ⓘ small factories and workshops ⓘ strong sense of local community ⓘ subject of academic studies in urbanism ⓘ subject of numerous documentaries and photo essays ⓘ unlicensed medical and dental clinics ⓘ unregulated utilities ⓘ very limited open space ⓘ very limited vehicular access ⓘ |
| historicalEra | Qing dynasty NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| inspiredWork |
architectural and art installations
ⓘ
films set in dense, lawless cities ⓘ manga and anime depicting megastructures ⓘ video games with cyberpunk cityscapes ⓘ |
| knownFor |
crime
ⓘ
drug trade ⓘ extreme overcrowding ⓘ illegal gambling ⓘ informal economy ⓘ prostitution ⓘ self-regulation by residents ⓘ unlicensed medical practice ⓘ |
| largelyUngoverned | for decades in the 20th century ⓘ |
| locatedIn |
Hong Kong, China
ⓘ
surface form:
Hong Kong
Kowloon NERFINISHED ⓘ Kowloon City District NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| locatedInTimeZone | Hong Kong Time ⓘ |
| locatedOn | Kowloon Peninsula NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| originatedAs | Chinese military fort ⓘ |
| populationDensity | over 1,000,000 people per square kilometer ⓘ |
| populationPeak | over 30,000 residents ⓘ |
| replacedBy | Kowloon Walled City Park NERFINISHED ⓘ |
Referenced by (2)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.
this entity surface form:
Kowloon Walled City