Kowloon Walled City is one of the most fascinating and extreme examples of human settlements I have ever read about. It is more cramped and crowded than any pre-law tenement house I know of.
Kowloon Walled City was a densely populated, ungoverned settlement in Kowloon, Hong Kong. Originally a Chinese military fort, the Walled City became an enclave after the New Territories were leased to Britian in 1898. It 1987 the Walled City contained 33,000 residents within its 6.5 acre borders. In January 1987, the Hong Kong government announced plans to demolish the Walled City. After a long and difficult eviction process, demolition began in March 1993 and was completed in April 1994. Read the the rest of the article by Pamela Owen here: A rare insight into Kowloon Walled City | Mail Online
Several drawings and maps have been made on this project. The South China Morning Post published this fascinating and detailed info-graphic “City of anarchy”, showing what life was like inside the Walled City. And before the city was demolished, a team of explorers mapped it out and drew a section cut through the city. You can see that here.
Greg Girard: Photos