Kowloon Walled City, an overcrowded slum in Hong Kong, was home to more than 30,000 residents, including families, gang members and drug addicts, before it was finally demolished in 1994.
A unique quirk of history created one of the strangest and most fascinating urban settlements the world has ever seen.
The Kowloon Walled City in Hong Kong was built gradually—building on top of building—over time. Without a single architect, the ungoverned and most densely populated district became a haven for drugs, crime and prostitution until it was demolished in 1993. Photo documentation of the site exists but for the most part much of the inner-workings of the city remained a mystery. Perhaps due to its proximity, Japan, in particular, developed a keen interest towards Kowloon. Its demolition in 1993 was broadcast on national television. More
Image 5 of 10 from gallery of The Architecture of Kowloon Walled City: An Excerpt from 'City of Darkness Revisited'. Photograph by 'City of Darkness Revisited'
The City's dozens of alleyways were often only 1–2 m (3.3–6.6 ft) wide, and had poor lighting and drainage.[18] An informal network of staircases and passageways also formed on upper levels, which was so extensive that one could travel north to south through the entire City without ever touching solid ground.[4] cyborganthropology.com/Kowloon_Walled_City
This amazing illustration of Kowloon Walled City outside Hong Kong has been remastered and translated from the original Japanese text. It is truly a work of art and a version of it sits in the garden where the walled city once existed. This East-West cross section depicts life at the "height" of Kowloon City, as meticulously documented by a Japanese exploration mission prior to the razing in 1994. The image contains dozens of incredible little scenes to discover, from residents jackhammering through to their neighbor's flats, to playing hide and seek and exercising. There are hundreds of little figures to find, depicted just going about their lives in the most densely populated city on earth. "Over 350 buildings with 33,000 inhabitants on 6.5 acres of land (.01 square miles). A labyrinth of unregulated structures allowed to exist outside of the law. Life inside its walls was hardly utopian, often dangerous and almost never comfortable. Nonetheless, those who lived there look back with a degree of sentiment for the adventure of living in such conditions. Separated from the grim realities of the environment, the legend of Kowloon has only grown in the decades since its demolition." A great gift for an architect or city planner, or anyone who appreciates highly detailed works! Be sure to also consider the alternate color schemes available to fit your decor: ARCADE: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1121280883/kowloon-panorama-walled-city-cross CLASSIC: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1109476934/kowloon-panorama-walled-city-cross VINTAGE: https://www.etsy.com/listing/955036062/kowloon-panorama-walled-city-cross 65"wide x 13.5"high, printed on heavy, 12 mil archival paper with a matte finish. Ships rolled.
Our passion for photography is only matched by our love of history and everything that’s vintage. We firmly believe that only a solid grasp of history can help us avoid repeating the mistakes of the past and lead to a better future for everyone. And there’s nothing like a direct comparison to really show us how much time and life have changed things.
Image 2 of 10 from gallery of The Architecture of Kowloon Walled City: An Excerpt from 'City of Darkness Revisited'. Photograph by 'City of Darkness Revisited'
Anarchic, organic, surreal, this enclave was once among the most densely populated places on Earth.
A unique quirk of history created one of the strangest and most fascinating urban settlements the world has ever seen.
We can't wrap our heads around how crowded Kowloon Walled City was.
When the photographer Greg Girard first ventured into Kowloon Walled City in Hong Kong in 1986, he didn’t take any pictures. Instead, he simply absorbed the sights, sounds, and smells…
A unique quirk of history created one of the strangest and most fascinating urban settlements the world has ever seen.
Explore Japan's giant gaming warehouse arcade in Kawasaki, Anata no Warehouse, the cyberpunk dystopia themeed arcade designed after Kowloon City.
We can't wrap our heads around how crowded Kowloon Walled City was.
Image 3 of 9 from gallery of Here's What Western Accounts of the Kowloon Walled City Don't Tell You. Photograph by City of Darkness Revisited
Learn all about what was once the most densely populated place on Earth from City of Darkness: Life in Kowloon Walled City co-author and architect Ian Lambot.
Facts and myths of taking pictures of Kowloon Walled City's. The photography showcases dark, romantic and fascinating images of the history.
I’ve long been fascinated by the density of housing which can be found in many parts of Asia, and in particular Hong Kong where high-rise living has been taken to the extremes of both human a…
Check out the classy side of eBaum's World.
33,000 people lived and worked in Kowloon Walled City in Hong Kong. It was the area of an average city block, making it 119 times as dense as New York.
Please Expand and Review: This listing is for a large, clear print of Kowloon Walled City in Hong Kong. Before its demolition, this was the most densely populated point on Earth. The item is available in two sizes, 18 x 24 in and 24 x 36 in. It is very high quality, professionally printed on premium, satin photo paper. It will ship securely in a sturdy mailing tube. Please handle your print with care, including while unpacking it. If you are looking for a custom size or other alterations, please send a message as I will likely be able to accommodate for a reasonable cost. Please also see my shop for similar items. Please be aware I can only ship to the address on your order. If you need to change the address, and your order hasn't shipped yet, please put in a cancellation request and reorder under the correct address. Image credit: This image by Ian Lambot is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. You can view the full license at creativecommons.org/about/cclicenses. Other things to keep in mind: In the listing photos, I aim to give an accurate depiction of the final print. However, an image will often look slightly different printed than on a screen, depending on your video hardware. Also, certain aspects of how an image looks, like vividness or brightness, are at least partly subjective. When a print is offered in a variety of shapes and sizes, the image may have to be cropped a bit or otherwise altered to fit those dimensions. I try to give a good approximation of this in the listing photos, offer sizes that line up with the proportions of the original image, or else minimize and logically apply any alterations needed when printing your order.
A unique quirk of history created one of the strangest and most fascinating urban settlements the world has ever seen.
Image 1 of 6 from gallery of Infographic: Life Inside The Kowloon Walled City. Courtesy of South China Morning Post
