In Cantonese, it was known as the “City of Darkness.” The Kowloon Walled City was a densely populated and ungoverned urban settlement which was roughly under three hectares, dating back to the Song Dynasty (ca. 960 to 1297) where it was used as a fort to control salt trade.
Towards the late 1800s, the Chinese were being threatened with the invitation and eventual colonisation by the British, who first controlled Hong Kong Island. Thus, the Chinese turned the Walled City into a fort with soldiers, officials, and their families living in it. In 1898, it was the only part of Hong Kong that China was unwilling to surrender to Britain under the 99-year lease of Kowloon and the New Territories. Although the Walled City remained Chinese territory by treaty, Chinese troops and officials were forced to vacate.
By the end of World War II, there was an influx of Chinese refugees squatting within the Walled City—with no concerns about taxes, licences, or visas, and the added benefit of low rent, it drew a huge amount of squatters, with almost 2,000 squatter camps recorded on the site by 1947. Permanent buildings followed, and by 1971, about 10,000 people occupied just 2,185 dwellings.
The Walled City was infamously known for its criminal activity; throughout the twentieth century, fugitives and other criminal elements flocked to the lawless enclave. Beyond the reach of the law, the area flourished into a perplexing maze of illegally constructed buildings, where everything from drug trafficking and prostitution to unlicensed dentistry prospered in a network of dank, dark alleyways. Despite the unlawful activities that were ongoing, the Walled City was also a beacon for hope and opportunity. Many immigrants and refugees established factories, businesses, and shops to support their families and enjoy a better life.
However, such lawlessness came to an end in 1987 when the colonial Hong Kong government announced plans for the demolition of the Walled City. The land was then turned into the Kowloon Walled City Park, which opened in 1995. The park mainly preserves traces of the early days of the Walled City, most notably the restored Yamen Building which served as a military headquarters. Little courtyards and Chinese-style gardens roam the area, turning a dark past to a scenic and blissful present.