Why was kowloon destroyed

It brought down the final curtain on a bizarre chapter of Hong Kong's colonial past. Ask former residents what they miss most about the Walled City and most say the friendship. At first they lived in a 70 sq ft room in a two-storey house near Tung Tau Chuen Road, which they shared with seven other families.

Several years later they moved to a two-bedroom flat on the fourth floor of a high-rise on Tai Cheng Street. Everyone got along, and it was great to have so many kids to play with. That's why I'm so short! The history of the Kowloon Walled City dates from the Sung Dynasty of , when it began as a small fort to house the imperial soldiers who controlled the salt trade. In the second half of the 19th century, the Chinese were facing invasion by the British, who held Hong Kong Island.

So they expanded it into a proper garrison town containing soldiers, officials and their families. In , it became the only part of Hong Kong that China was unwilling to cede to Britain under the year lease of Kowloon and the New Territories.

The British agreed that China could keep the Walled City until the colonial administration for the area was established. But China never dropped its claim of jurisdiction and the sovereignty fight remained unresolved. The result was that it became a lawless enclave and a hotbed of criminal activity. In December , after several unsuccessful attempts to clear the city, the British announced their jurisdiction was to be extended to include it and the Chinese officials left.

The city became isolated. While parts were leased to church-run, charitable institutions, much was left to fall into disrepair. By only the Lung Chun School, its gateway and one private home remained. When the Japanese invaded in the second world war, they demolished the oldest standing part of the Walled City - its wall, used in work on Kai Tak airport. But the destruction didn't prevent Chinese refugees flocking to the site after the war. Rents were low, and there were no concerns about taxes, visas or licences.

By there were 2, squatter camps on the site. Permanent buildings followed, and by , 10, people occupied 2, dwellings. By the late s, it was home to 35, people. The government tried to clear the city several times, but on each occasion the residents threatened to create a diplomatic incident.

Their attitude - handy when it came to keeping the noses of the authorities out of their business - was that the city was part of China and would never belong to Hong Kong. And to avoid damaging Sino-British relations, the government adopted a largely hands-off policy towards it. The city again became a hotbed of criminal activity. Opium dens, heroin stands, brothels and dog restaurants all multiplied in the '50s and '60s, with police usually turning a blind eye.

There were three reasons for that - the police were politically hamstrung, some were bribed and it was too dangerous. Real power lay with the triads. But the position changed in the '70s, when a wave of anti-corruption campaigns removed most criminal elements in the authorities.

After evicting the 33, residents over the next five years, demolition began in Residents were given monetary compensation, but many protested that it was not enough. For you. World globe An icon of the world globe, indicating different international options. Get the Insider App. Click here to learn more.

A leading-edge research firm focused on digital transformation. Good Subscriber Account active since Shortcuts. Account icon An icon in the shape of a person's head and shoulders. It often indicates a user profile. Log out. US Markets Loading H M S In the news. Harrison Jacobs. What began as a Chinese military fort evolved into a squatters' village comprising a mass of interconnected high-rise buildings.

The city began as a low-rise squatter village during the early 20th century. This led to a lack of housing in the city. In response, entrepreneurs and those with "squatter's rights" in Kowloon built high rise buildings on the space to capitalize on the housing demand.

At its peak, more than 33, people lived in the 6. It was considered by many to be the most densely populated place on earth. This put the settlement in legal purgatory as both China and the British-run Hong Kong government ignored it. The only regulation enforced at Kowloon was the height of the building. Because the airport was so close, the building was not allowed to be taller than 13 or 14 stories.

The Walled City was controlled by the Chinese mafia, called the Triads, from the s through the s. It gained a reputation as a haven for prostitution, gambling, and drugs. More from News. At COP26, nations strike climate deal that falls short. What has the COP26 climate summit achieved? Dozens of Maoist rebels killed in India gun battle. Most Read. India: Border state ambush kills five soldiers, two civilians.

Poland-Belarus border: What you need to know about the crisis.