The fortified city of Kowloon at the present time remains only in the memory of mankind as evidence of the tremendous changes occurring as a result of intensive socio-economic transformations in the rapidly developing countries of Southeast Asia.
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The history of Kowloon Fortress began during the reign of the Chinese Song Dynasty. For centuries from 960 to 1270, the Chinese mandarin dynasty controlled the salt mines along the coast of the South China Sea. From time to time, pirate raids were carried out on salt-working artels. To protect them, a small fort was built on the coast near the Kowloon Peninsula. Kowloon translated means “nine dragons”. This is the name of the mountains of the peninsula, consisting of nine peaks. This name migrated to the name of the fortress itself.
After the death of the emperor, the Song Dynasty ended its reign. Accordingly, it lost its significance and strength. There were still soldiers and officers on its territory, but what exactly and from whom they were guarding was apparently not entirely clear to them. This continued until the 17th-18th centuries. At this time, English merchants began to actively import opium from neighboring India into China. Influential Chinese officials tried to resist the opium traders, and Kowloon Fort was reborn, resuming its control and security functions. A war broke out between Britain and China over control of the import of opium into the Middle Kingdom, which was later called the First Opium War. At the end of the war in 1842, the British Empire received ownership of the island of Hong Kong, and in 1898, the Kowloon Peninsula came under the jurisdiction of the British Empire, with the exception of the territory of the fortress.
Kowloon Fort remained part of the Qing Empire, forming a kind of enclave within the British colony. In 1899, the British decided to take possession of the fortress, but once there, they found nothing worthwhile and began to develop a more progressive Hong Kong. It must be said that in 1940, the English colonists nevertheless replaced all the buildings inside the fortress that had fallen into disrepair and provided five hundred settlers with new apartments. During World War II, the Japanese ruled the peninsula. They dismantled the walls of the fort to use the stones to build an airfield for military aircraft. This airfield was later converted into Hong Kong's main airport, Kai Tai, which became one of the most dangerous airports in the world.
Although Kowloon Fortress formally came under the jurisdiction of Hong Kong, the Chinese continued to consider this territory theirs. In fact, no one sought to finance and develop this small space 210 meters long and 120 meters wide - neither the Chinese nor the British.
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Territory with uncertain status
A territory with an uncertain status, in which laws did not apply, began to attract primarily those who were at odds with the law and those who did not want to pay taxes when engaging in entrepreneurial activity. Thieves, dealers, drug dealers, prostitutes and other criminal elements poured into Kowloon in a huge stream. In addition, the population of Kowloon began to grow exponentially after the events in China in 1947 due to the flow of refugees from the communist regime of that country. Formally, these people lived in China, enjoying the benefits of Hong Kong, but in fact they did not follow the laws of either country, and most importantly, they did not pay taxes.
Any attempts by the British administration to somehow influence the current situation and restore order were met with discontent among the residents of Kowloon, followed by threats from the Chinese government regarding the interference of the Hong Kong authorities in the internal affairs of their country. The Hong Kong authorities withdrew from Kowloon, preferring not to pay attention to it, and began developing new areas on their territory. Sensing freedom, in the 50s gangs of Chinese triads flourished and controlled life in Kowloon. Casinos and brothels began to open here quite legally, and laboratories operated openly in which drugs were developed and manufactured.
Some of the settlers were engaged in quite ordinary activities: some sewed clothes, others produced food. The number of ordinary workers significantly exceeded the number of those who controlled Kowloon and unsuccessfully tried to “crush” everyone who produced various types of consumer goods. Therefore, the mafia was gradually dealt with. This did not mean that hot spots disappeared in Kowloon, but there were significantly fewer of them, and Hong Kong residents were drawn here, attracted by the absence of taxes and the opportunity to freely engage in any business. As a result, already in 1993, more than fifty thousand people lived on an area of 6.5 acres. Kowloon has become the most densely populated area on the planet.
Giant fortress
Naturally, the question arose of how to accommodate a huge population in a limited area. In Kowloon, this problem was solved by constructing the upper floors of existing houses, and their facades were also completed. As a result, the previously existing 350 separate buildings turned into a continuous giant fortress, in which all the houses were connected by passages. Thanks to this “architectural complex”, numerous Chinese families were able to huddle in tiny apartments with a total area of no more than 23 sq.m. Only the central part of the quarter was untouched, since here was the residence of the mandarin in former times. The construction boom was limited by the strict decision of the Hong Kong authorities - not to build buildings above the 14th floor. Despite the lawlessness that reigned in Kowloon, this requirement was fulfilled, since there was an airfield nearby.
Huge planes right above the rooftops made dangerous turns as they came in to land, flying over Kowloon at such a height that it seemed you could touch them with your hand while standing on the roof. This dangerous and stunning spectacle was perhaps the only entertainment for the local children, who spent most of their time on the roofs of houses. This is where picnics were held, lovers met, and older residents of Kowloon rested in sun loungers after their righteous labors.
Left to their own devices by the authorities, these people managed to provide themselves with the benefits of civilization: they dug 70 wells, from which water was supplied using electric pumps. Electricity was simply stolen from Hong Kong's power grids.
Sunlight did not reach the lower floors. It was always dark here, and only here and there neon lamps were burning above the signs of dentists, of which there were a countless number, hairdressers and shops.
The basements were littered with garbage that no one had cleaned up. All the collected sewage was compressed and lying in the basements constantly. There was a terrible smell everywhere, and streams of slop flowed underfoot. Strange, but in these unsanitary conditions, not only local residents treated their teeth, ate in cafes and bought food, but also residents of prosperous Hong Kong, who were attracted to Kowloon by low prices.
The Chinese writer Leung Ping Kwan in his book “City of Darkness” wrote the following about Kowloon: “Here on one side of the street there are prostitutes, and on the other - a priest is distributing powdered milk to the poor, while social workers are giving instructions, drug addicts are sitting with a dose under the stairs in the entrances, and children’s playgrounds turn into dance floors for strippers at night.” Kowloon- an autonomous region in Hong Kong, where 33 thousand residents lived on an area of 210 m by 120 m. The main feature of the settlement is that all 350 houses were interconnected and formed a kind of giant wall.
Today Kowloon is already among the dead cities; in the 1990s, it was decided to evacuate all residents. Its history is extraordinary and tragic: a military fort on this territory was founded during the reign of the Song Dynasty (960-1279), in 1898 the city was transferred to the possession of Great Britain, and during the Second World War it was occupied by Japanese troops. The fortified city was demolished in 1993-1994; at that time it was the most densely populated place on the planet.
The buildings were ordinary slums, where there were no public amenities or even normal lighting. On the lower floors, neon lamps were burning around the clock, since sunlight simply could not get through there. There was little space, so the high-rise buildings “grew” upward. Additional floors were constantly being built, and the houses were overgrown with lattice balconies. The rooftops were also bustling with life: in addition to television antennas, there were washing lines, water tanks and garbage containers. Adults often rested here and children played. It seemed as if the city was about to collapse under its own weight.
The population of Kowloon has always been diverse: after the surrender of the Japanese troops, many illegal immigrants came here, the city became a haven for criminals and drug dealers. In the 1980s in Kowloon there were a huge number of brothels, casinos, and dens where opium and cocaine were sold. Neither Britain nor China wanted to take responsibility for what happened inside this walled city.
Despite the highest crime rate, ordinary law-abiding residents remained in the city. As a rule, they had to huddle on the upper floors in order to somehow protect themselves from criminals. Violation of all possible sanitary and hygienic standards has led to the fact that the quality of life in Kowloon has become worse than in any other area. The government, realizing that the situation needed to be addressed fundamentally, allocated $2.7 billion Hong Kong dollars to develop a plan to evacuate people and demolish buildings. Absolutely all residents were forcibly evicted from Kowloon and received monetary compensation.
Nowadays, on the site of the fortified city, the Kowloon Walled City Park is laid out, with gardens in the style of the early Qing Dynasty blooming. The territory of the park is 31 thousand square meters. The alleys are named after the streets located in the historical center of the city. Five named stones and three old wells remain to commemorate Kowloon, as well as a bronze medal received by the townspeople before it was destroyed.
Among the huge number of unusual cities in the world, Kowloon deserves special attention. Currently, it remains in human memory as evidence of large-scale changes that were the result of social and economic transformations taking place in Southeast Asia.
A little history...
Kowloon Fortified City has a long history. It all started during the Song Dynasty. During its reign from 960 to 1270, the dynasty controlled the salt pans along the South China Sea coast. From time to time, these places were raided by pirates. To protect the coast, they decided to build a small fort near the Kowloon Peninsula. The name Kowloon itself translates as “nine dragons”. In honor of which the fortress itself was named.
After the emperor died, the Song Dynasty ended its reign. Naturally, the fortress itself lost its significance. But there were still officers and soldiers on its territory, but from whom and what they were protecting was unclear. This continued almost until the eighteenth century. The revival of the fortress occurred due to the active import of opium into Chinese territory. Influential officials, with the help of Kowloon Fort, tried to counter this. A real war broke out between China and Britain over control of the import of opium. After its completion, in 1842 the island of Hong Kong came into the possession of the British Empire, and in 1898 the Kowloon Peninsula also ceded, with the exception of the territory of the fortress.
The fort still remained the possession of the Qing Empire. In 1899, the British nevertheless decided to take the fortress for themselves, but since they did not find anything worthwhile, they began to develop more promising areas of Hong Kong. In 1940, the English colonists nevertheless replaced the destroyed buildings inside the fortress and decided to provide more than five hundred settlers with new apartments. During World War II, the Japanese were the “overlords” of the peninsula. They decided to dismantle the walls of the fortress so that the stones would serve as building material for the airfield. This airport was later improved, and it became the main airport in Hong Kong Kai Tai and one of the most dangerous. Despite the fact that according to documents, the Kowloon fortress was transferred to Hong Kong, the Chinese still consider this territory theirs.
Over time, this territory began to exist without a specific status. Laws did not apply here; it began to attract, first of all, those who were at odds with the authorities, did not want to obey it, or pay taxes. As a result, Kowloon Hong Kong has become a dangerous place, as prostitutes, drug addicts, dealers, thieves and many others have flocked here. And after the events in China in 1947, a stream of refugees poured here, and the population of Kowloon grew significantly in size. Formally, all these people lived in China, while they enjoyed the benefits of Hong Kong, but by and large, they did not follow the laws of either the first or the second country, they never paid taxes.
In the fifties, casinos and brothels began to operate here quite legally, and laboratories in which drugs were produced openly operated. But there was also a part of the population that preferred to do ordinary things: they sewed clothes and produced food. In 1993, Kowloon City was inhabited by approximately fifty thousand people on an area of 6.5 acres. As a result, this place became the most densely populated.
Naturally, since the population gradually increased, the question arose of how to accommodate a huge number of people in a small area. This problem was solved by building upper floors on existing houses. As a result, the previously existing buildings turned into one continuous fortress, where all the houses were connected by passages. That is why this area began to be called Kowloon Fortress.
The demolition of the city began in 1993, in March, and ended in 1994, in April. And in December 1995, Kowloon Park was opened here. Some historical artifacts of the area were left in it, including the remains of the South Gate and the Yamen building.
Photo of the city - Kowloon fortress
Kowloon Walled City is known as the most densely populated place on our planet throughout the 20th century. In fact, being part of Hong Kong, this territory, whose area was 2.6 hectares, was not subject to the laws of any country. The streets of this fortress city, which consisted of hundreds of high-rise buildings, were so narrow that even sunlight did not penetrate into them. The children who lived there had no other opportunity to play except on the roofs of the houses. This city was a kingdom of secret triads, opium dens and brothels. In 1987, 33 thousand people lived in its small territory.
Fortunately, two decades ago this site, which had become a disgraceful stain on the reputation of a British colony and a negative example of the situation when compaction reaches a monstrous degree, was finally liberated. And today we can only learn its history. It is very interesting and introduces us to many amazing facts.
The beginning of the story
Kowloon Fortress originated approximately a thousand years ago. Its history began with the construction of a small fortified village intended to manage salt sales. However, by the middle of the 19th century. conflict broke out in this area. Britain went to war against the Qing Empire. The reason was the desire of the British to sell more and more opium to the local people, which was boldly opposed by Chinese officials who banned the import of the Bengali drug into the Middle Kingdom.
Conquest of territory
As a result of the Opium War carried out by Britain, Hong Kong Island became considered a colony in 1842. In 1898, a new convection was concluded, which made it possible to expand the jurisdiction of China. Under the terms of this treaty, Kowloon and Hong Kong were leased by Britain for the next 99 years. However, this document contained one condition that had great consequences for the history of the Kowloon Walled City. The fortified fort, in which officials of the Celestial Empire lived, was excluded from the lease agreement. Thus, it continued to be considered a territory belonging to the Qing Empire, and a kind of enclave was formed in the English colony. In those distant times, no one could even imagine that the fortified city of Kowloon, just a few decades later, would become a quarter in Hong Kong whose population density would exceed all imaginable and unimaginable indicators.
Destruction of the fort
For a long time, despite the signed treaty, the fortified city of Kowloon was actually controlled by the British. During World War II, the territory of the peninsula was occupied by the Japanese. They dismantled the thick walls of the fort and used their stones to expand the nearby military airfield.
Post-war events
And after the end of hostilities, the fortified city of Kowloon continued to be considered Chinese territory, surrounded by a British colony. There were no laws in force on this small piece of land. The population of the Kowloon Walled City, as well as its administration, did not pay taxes to anyone. It is not surprising that this former fort became a real paradise for refugees fleeing the outbreak of civil war in China.
Streams of hundreds, then thousands, and even tens of thousands of squatters began to flock to Kowloon. They took advantage of the status of the former fort and began their new life, seemingly still in China, but at the same time enjoying the benefits of Hong Kong, while being in absolute independence.
The fortified city of Kowloon (Hong Kong), located on a small area 210 m long and 120 m wide, began to be actively upset. The British administration made every effort to prevent the spontaneous construction of buildings. However, they were all in vain. It is interesting that not only the local inhabitants resisted the establishment of order in this territory, but also the government of the People's Republic of China, which began to threaten the British with a diplomatic conflict if they took any actions on foreign soil.
Living conditions
At the end of the 60s of the 20th century, the fortified city of Kowloon had, according to some estimates, up to 20 thousand inhabitants. Of course, no one could give an exact figure for the number of people who managed to fit into the 2.6-hectare area. After all, no one kept records of residents, and it was simply impossible to do so.
At the same time, tens of thousands of people demonstrated miracles of adaptation and survival in these terrifying conditions. First of all, there was no central water supply here. The residents of the fortified city resolved the issue of water supply by digging 70 wells. From them, water was supplied by electric pumps to the roofs of houses, and then down through a labyrinth of pipes installed in the buildings into the apartments. We couldn’t sit here without light either. Despite the fact that the Hong Kong authorities did not supply electricity to this area, this issue did not pose a particular obstacle to the existence of people. The houses were illegally connected to Hong Kong power grids by Hong Kong Electric employees who lived in the fort's high-rise buildings.
Construction of houses
How was the Kowloon fortress city built? Interesting facts about the history of this settlement also concern the structures erected on its territory. The residents of Kowloon built the houses themselves. Initially, small houses of one, two and three floors appeared on its territory, which was completely cleared of the remains of buildings after Allied bombing. However, the population of the fort began to grow at such a pace that there was a catastrophic lack of housing for everyone. That is why the number of floors of buildings increased at an accelerated pace. At the same time, the buildings became denser and denser. This is how the neighborhood changed over the course of several decades.
What was the former fort like?
If we describe the fortified city of Kowloon, then we can say that everyone, even the smallest plot, that was free in this territory had its own high-rise building. Only a small spot located in the center of the quarter, where the residence of the mandarin (yamen) was preserved, was more or less spacious. This is one of the rarest relics, which is included in the list of attractions in Hong Kong and still reminds of the history of Kowloon Fort.
Already by the 80s of the last century, 350 multi-storey buildings were built around this unusual quarter. They surrounded the territory of the fortified city so tightly that, looking at panoramic photographs, one could compare Kowloon with one huge and monstrous building. There were no streets as such inside the block. The houses were separated by narrow passages, forming such an intricate network that an uninitiated person could not normally navigate this space. Very dense buildings confirmed the enormous value of every centimeter of space. In addition, high-rise buildings often literally hung over the existing passages, preventing sunlight from penetrating into the block. And of course, there was not a single car in the fortified city. Only kilometers of narrow lanes, folding into a confusing labyrinth.
Infrastructure
The passages were illuminated with rare lanterns and neon signs of numerous shops, shops, doctors' offices and hairdressers, which were located on the ground floors of all buildings. Interestingly, there were almost a hundred dentists working in the fortified city, and they had no interruptions in clients. Such services were attractive due to their low prices, which resulted from the absence of the need to obtain a medical license and pay taxes.
In addition, many small handicraft industries were opened in the fortified city. It had its own light, food and haberdashery industries. The former fort could be called a kind of city within a city, capable of largely existing independently.
There were even several schools and kindergartens in the quarter. Although in most families, grandparents looked after the children, and older children were somehow accepted into Hong Kong educational institutions.
It is worth noting that the list of infrastructure of the quarter did not include cinemas, clubs and sports grounds. The roofs became the real space serving for recreation and socialization of the population of the former fort. Only here could anyone find at least some free space. Children played on the roofs, their parents communicated and met, and representatives of the older generation sat at a game of manjong.
Number of storeys limitation
Huge planes flew over the houses of the Kowloon Walled City. They were so close to those who were on the roofs of the building that it seemed they could be reached with your hand. All this was explained by the specifics of the landing approach, which the airliners made at the very airport where the Japanese once took all the stone from the fort’s fortress walls.
The pilots were forced to make a dangerous maneuver that began at an altitude of 200 m and ended at 40 m. In the middle of this turn were the high-rise buildings of Kowloon. It was precisely because of the proximity to the airfield that buildings in the block were not built higher than 14 floors. This was practically the only requirement of the Hong Kong administration, which the residents of the fortified city fulfilled unquestioningly.
Rise of crime
Already at the very beginning of its transformation, when the old Chinese fortress was turning into a residential area, the triads became the only and real force on its territory. These are criminal secret organizations that were widespread in pre-war China.
The triads, taking advantage of the fact that neither the Hong Kong administration nor law enforcement agencies showed any interest in the quarter, immediately turned it into a nest of all kinds of vices. Brothels, gambling establishments and opium dens flourished in Kowloon.
Changes for the better
In the mid-70s of the last century, the Hong Kong authorities decided to establish legal order in the quarter. They gained the approval of the Chinese government and began carrying out huge police raids. The result of this work was the complete expulsion of all organized crime groups that existed in Kowloon.
Improving living conditions
At the same time, not only centralized electricity and water supply, but also sewerage finally appeared in the fortified city. They even started delivering mail in Kowloon. All these changes led to the fact that the former fort became a place more convenient for life. However, the appearance of the buildings remained the same as before. In addition, the construction of unauthorized buildings continued here, and there was no talk of major or cosmetic repairs of housing. This is how the quarter went down in history.
Most people lived in small apartments, the average area of which was 23 square meters. To expand their space, they built various extensions to the internal and external sides of the facade. At the same time, the buildings finally grew together, and a second system of passages arose in the area, located at a certain height from the ground. Kowloon gradually turned into one huge communal apartment, into a building-city, and even into a kind of single organism.
Demolition
In 1987, an agreement was concluded between the governments of the PRC and Great Britain that regulated the status of Kowloon in connection with the upcoming return of Hong Kong to Chinese jurisdiction after 10 years. This document gave the British administration the right to demolish the fortified city of Kowloon.
Work began in 1992-1993. All residents of the block were given either monetary compensation or apartments in modern new buildings in Hong Kong that were growing by leaps and bounds. However, despite these attractive conditions, the population of the anarchic relic that arose almost a century ago expressed violent protests. People did not want to change their usual, free-living life. But Kowloon was still demolished.
Today there is a park on this site. It replicates the Kowloon Walled City with its outlines. Locals love to stroll in this picturesque place. In addition, the list of Hong Kong attractions also includes a memorial, which is a model of this fantastic quarter.
But not only those who come to Hong Kong can take a closer look at this amazing settlement. The fortified city of Kowloon appears in computer games. In some it serves as a plot location, while in others the main events unfold in its alleys and high-rise buildings.
From the 1950s until the mid-1990s, tens of thousands of immigrants lived in the self-built city inside what is now Hong Kong. The Kowloon Walled City was separate from the main city, and its total population was approximately 33 thousand people. Given the small size of the territory (2.6 hectares), the population density here was higher than in present-day New York. Crime, prostitution, alcoholism, etc. were widespread in the city, but Kowloon continued to function until its demolition in 1993.
In 1986, Canadian photographer Greg Girard arrived in the city and over the next four years photographed the lives of ordinary people within the walls of Kowloon. The man lived either in the city itself or outside it, but the photographer had a genuine interest in this kind of phenomenon.
The houses in the city were more like Lego structures because people actually built rooms on top of each other. “In the end it all looked great,” says Girard.
At the time Girard was here, the city was almost safe, but despite this, local residents forbade their children to walk near Kowloon.
Kowloon residents made money as best they could. Thus, schools at night turned into strip bars or gambling clubs, and meeting a person in a state of drug intoxication, usually on opium, on the street was not so uncommon.
A dentist named Vaughn in his office. Like other doctors in the walled city, the woman had no opportunity to work outside of Kowloon, so swarms of Hong Kong workers flocked here for affordable medical care.
The houses were built in such a way that even during the day sunlight did not penetrate between the streets. Girard says that “it was always night in the city.”
The only place where one could escape from dirt and dampness was the roofs of houses, although this was far from safe. There was a lot of debris on the roofs, and due to improper construction there were many cracks into which one could fall.
Home production was a large part of the city's infrastructure. Local noodle makers and dog meat traders took advantage of the lack of business controls.
One of the most popular home-made products was fish balls, which were subsequently supplied to local restaurants.
Sanitary standards at such enterprises were given almost the last place.
The lack of legislation has caused the spread of crime. According to Girard, law enforcement agencies tended to intervene only in cases of serious crimes. Although there are rumors that the Hong Kong police preferred to “turn a blind eye” to many offenses.
One law could not be violated under any circumstances - all houses in the city had to be no higher than 13-14 floors. Otherwise, the planes would have hit them when descending to land at the then-operating Kai Tak airport.
Despite not having the best reputation, the city was able to unite thousands of people who previously had almost nothing.
Every year the life of people in Kowloon became more measured and civilized. Girard says local attitudes changed dramatically in 1990, when it became known that the city would soon be demolished.
After the demolition of Kowloon in 1994, a park was built in its place, which today is very popular among tourists and Hong Kong residents. Kowloon Park attracts photographers, ornithologists and simple connoisseurs of nature, of which there is so little in the modern metropolis.
