The Kowloon Walled City
In the middle of Hong Kong stood a single block of hundreds of interlocking buildings, home to around 33,000 people, where daylight barely reached the alleys.
What was reported
The Kowloon Walled City began as a Chinese military fort. Because of a quirk of history, it was left outside the control of both the British colonial government and China, and after the Second World War, people built upwards and outwards until it became a single mass of over 300 buildings, up to 14 storeys high, packed into about 2.6 hectares.
Inside, narrow, dripping alleyways wound through the darkness, lit by fluorescent lights. Factories, dentists, food stalls and homes were crammed together. Planes roared just overhead on their way to the old airport.
Explanations offered
It was one of the most densely populated places ever known. The city was demolished in 1993 and 1994 and replaced by a park. Its unique, eerie atmosphere has inspired films, games and countless photographs.
- When
- Demolished in 1993–1994
- Where
- Kowloon City, Hong Kong
- Witnesses
- Former residents and photographers
- Status
- A real place
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.