The Kowloon Walled City of decades past, full of dark alleyways and congested habitation, is no more. In its place remains Kowloon Walled City Park, a tribute to the days of old lived out here, which was constructed in the years following the demolition of the walled city in 1993. Kowloon Walled City, due to its strategic coastal location was once a military fort for the Chinese. After the Japanese occupied Hong Kong during the events of WWII, the walled city’s population expanded rapidly, and the locale became densely populated. Combined with the lack of any form of effective governance, the city degenerated quickly into an unruly hub of vice and violence where the law of the land was set by local crime groups for over two decades between 1950 and 1970. A real turning point for the situation in the area only came about after the government announced its plan to demolish the city in 1987. The arduous eviction process that ensued stretched out until 1993 when Kowloon Walled City was able to be fully demolished.
Kowloon Walled City Park covers a portion of the total area that Kowloon Walled City previously occupied, and houses some mementos of it such as parts of the South Gate and the ‘yamen’ structure (a compound which was built to house officials from the Chinese mainland’s Qing dynasty, and which was later used for social welfare purposes such as providing a roof over the head for the elderly). If you are interested in witnessing first-hand the remnants of the Walled City, head to Kowloon Walled City Park. In addition to the structures mentioned above, the park also contains several other sites of interest, as well as multiple gardens; namely, the Garden of Chinese Zodiac, the Chess Garden and the Garden of Four Seasons. From Kowloon hotel apartments that are situated closer to the popular harbour area such as Citadines Ashley Hong Kong, Kowloon Walled City is about a twenty-minute drive away. For those of you who would prefer to take a bus rather than hail a taxi or rent a car, the journey should take you around forty minutes.
Fritzjames Stephen is a travel writer, who writes content based on the myriad of experiences and indulgences that the world has to offer travellers across all walks of life.
