City of Darkness

The Walled City Park - a beautiful oasis in Kowloon

On an overcast Sunday morning during Khamma's last visit to Hong Kong we were wondering how to make the most of a dull day. In the Lonely Planet guide to Hong Kong there is short unassuming reference to a place called 'Kowloon Walled City Park'. It describes a park on the former site of a piece of land that during British rule of Hong Kong fell between the cracks in the diplomatic corridors of power. This land was not included in the 1898 lease agreement between Britain and China and therefore technically was not subject to British law and governance. Equally it was a bit of a thorn in the side of China who had more important priorities to manage. Consequently it became 'no man's land'.

The area of land covers 6 1/2 acres which is roughly 100 metres by 200 metres. It is located almost next to the old airport at Kai Tak. I never had the chance to use this airport but several friends tell me how amazing it was to land there. The runway was in the middle of the Kowloon residential area and on landing you could see inside the rooms of houses lining the airport perimter and see what people were doing, it was that close.

Historically the land was strategic in the defense of Hong Kong because of its proximity to the sea and adjacent to Hong Kong harbour. After the British occupied Hong Kong in 1841, the Chinese realised the importance of maintaining a garrison there and transferred the local administration to the fort and buildings occupying the surrounding rea. By 1847 an impressive wall surrounded the fort and government buildings and a 'visible and psychological symbol of Imperial control' was established.

Before long the area immediately outside the walls degenerated into a squatter's slums. It was described in the Hongkong Telegraph of the day as a 'wretched agglomeration of Chinese hovels'. It was a breeding ground in the pursuit of iniquity and opium dens, brothels and gambling houses all prospered, much to the outrage of the local authorities. It was about this time the British negotiated the lease to govern Hong Kong and the Chinese saw this as a convenient 'get out' in their efforts to establish law and order in this 'festering sore' of Kowloon City. However the Chinese did not want to lose face by deserting the city, their belief being that the Emperor would not be able to enter the royal temple and face his ancestors' spirits.

Therefore the Chinese, whilst wanting to relinquish control over this small area, found they were unable to. The British, in their Colonial wisdom, thought that there would be little consequence if the Chinese remained in the city, at least for a few years. The diplomats tussled with the wording about what to do with the city and eventually reached an agreement, but reality was that both sides were happy to leave the place alone, and as time moved on the city became desolate and administratively isolated. Forgotten by the authorities, but an increasing problem to the Hong Kong authorities and population.

The walled city became a curiosity for local Hong Kong people as more squatters started to set up homes in an unorganised, unplanned haphazard free for all. Eventually the Hong Kong authority decided to resolve the issue by developing the land in an attempt to wrest control and bring it line with the more strategic commercial developments arising in the adjacent area. By 1940 progress was being made and the area was on the point of being totally cleared, but World War II brought an abrupt end to their ambitions.

The Japanese arrived and promptly demolished the impressive wall, the last remaining relic of the city. Today it can be found underneath the runway of the old airport!

Today the old airport is in ruin

After the war the Chinese authorities announced their intention to reclaim jurisdiction. But post war Chinese refugees started to arrive and occupied the grounds deserted through the warfare. Confusion returned about who controlled what. The squatters were escaping the harsh conditions of China's agricultural conditions and saw Hong Kong as a chance to improve their lives.

In early 1950's the situation was spiraling totally out of control, but still the Chinese and British governments could not reach agreement. The Hong Kong government meanwhile decide to evict the refugees, but this ended in a bloody riot with the diplomatic and political effects being felt as far away as Shanghai.

The city grows out of control

Inevitably the problem was put to one side and the politicians tried to forget it existed, once again. The Hong Kong authority was powerless and decided their only course of action was to see what would happen by leaving the area to its own volition. The result was predictable and the city rapidly became a 'cesspool of iniquity, with heroin divans, brothels and everything unsavoury'.

By the 1960's the city was a firm stronghold for criminals and illegal drug dealing, particularly opium and heroin was controlled by the ruthless triad gangs, notably 14K. Through several land mark court cases, where attempts were made to exert justice under British law, it was established that there was no legal jurisdiction over the area. Many of the inhabitants enjoyed total freedom and no fear of arrest for whatever crime they committed, whether it was murder or protection rackets.


Drug use was rife and there are many reports of the bodies of addicts being tossed onto the Hong Kong streets for the authorities to dispose. Gang disputes over drugs led to brutal fights and death resulted in a perpetual of cycle of violence. Inside the city, plagues of rats prospered in the untreated rubbish of the squats, and the sewage disposal can only be imagined. Water was difficult to find and polluted once located, and electricity was non existent.

By 1971 there were 10,000 occupants in 2,185 dwellings, but the numbers continued to grow and by 1980 35,000 inhabitants were estimated to living in the confines of Kowloon's notorious estate. However, not all the residents were criminals and gradually a sense of order, through self regulation, started to prosper. With the authorities powerless to do anything other than offer advice they turned a blind eye to the regulations the rest of Hong Kong had to follow, and family businesses evolved and began to prosper. Doctors and dentists, who could not afford the license fees in Hong Kong, set up surgeries and consulting rooms. Shops and factories from engineering to watch strap manufacturers became established despite the absence of basic facilities like electricity. The resourcefulness of the residents knew no boundaries with their backgrounds from the villages and harsh conditions they had left in China, and the family commitment to work hard and make money.

Public health was an issue but the Hong Kong authorities dealt with collecting rubbish if it was thrown on the street, they treated the water pumped up from the wells with chlorine and they collected the sewage which was left on the streets each morning. Everyone was anxious that serious diseases should be contained, and if the Hong Kong authority were powerless to enforce they at least adapted to notification and education. The heavy hand of the health regulations was felt elsewhere, which did lead to some resentment from the majority of law abiding residents in the rest of the island.

During the 1970's the second and third generation of residents began to react and a concern for improved conditions was evident. Although crime within the city was high enough it was, generally, directed at people outside the city walls. The triads had taken control of water supply and they introduced electricity by tapping into the general supply outside the city. But the younger generation were determined to make a change and ever so slowly the associations of residents became recognised and politically they made a difference.


By the 1980's the triads no longer had the same control, crime was manageable and for the first time street lights were installed. Light in the City of Darkness. High profile politicians made visits to the city and there was a sense that change was about to take place. The Chinese declared that economic development had to take precedent over defending the territory with military might. Then suddenly on 14 January 1987 it was announced the city was to be demolished, compensate eligible residents and a park would be built.

A solution to problem of Kowloon City had been found.

I became fascinated with the history of city. When we arrived at the park we found very little reference to the conditions in the city until we arrived at the old Yamen which used to be an old people's home. A small, understated exhibition of conditions in the city is displayed, but there was such a powerful effect on me I instantly became enthralled and eager to know more.

A search on the Internet reveals several references to the Walled City and most of them come across as a no go area, where foreigners would not be welcomed, where life was cheap and law and order non existent.

However there is a gem amongst all the references on Google. It is Ian Lambot and Greg Girard's magnificent book called the 'City of Darkness' - Life in Kowloon Walled City. This book has excellent photographs and commentary from residents of the city in the three or four years before the city was demolished. The quality is excellent and it is now in my library of prized books.

Through the pictures and commentary I have started to learn about this unique place where the residents could live in a 'harmonious state of anarchy'. From the early 1950's the city developed without plans, without regulations, without central or local government. A unique urban society with a population reaching 35,000 at its peak, although official records were never kept. It was, at this time, the most densely populated place on earth, with almost one person occupying one square yard!

I hope over the next few weeks to bring out some of atmosphere I found on that dull day in Kowloon City. The life in the past, the park today and some areas still remaining in Hong Kong that have retained the magnificence that was once the Walled City.

I have been in contact with Iam Lambot, one of the authors of the City of Darkness, and he has very kindly given me permission to reproduce some of his photographs. I cannot do justice to the art work he created during his labour of love, but I have selected some photographs that depict this fascinating place. I thoroughly recommend this book which is available from Watermark Publications and is in its seventh reprint. Thanks Ian for your permission and for having the foresight to make this remarkable record of life in the city.

In contrast to Ian's book is an account written by Jackie Pullinger who was a British missionary in the City during the height of the opium era. Her personal story describes a terrible scene of triad gangs and violence amongst addicts where death seemed to be the easiest way out. She treated many of hardest addicts through Christianity and a Baptism to the Holy Spirit, using her faith in God, and God's faith in her, as her only defense between her and some of the most brutal people on earth.

Yesterday, as I sat in the gardens of the of the City of Darkness, I was watching birds catching flies over the lily pond. A more tranquil scene could not be found in Hong Kong, but my imagination was trying to think just how harsh life could have been for some, but how so many more were reluctant to leave.