The Densest City on Earth

Summary

This video explores Kowloon Walled City, once the most densely populated area in history. Spanning just 6.5 acres, it housed thousands in a maze of interconnected buildings. Originally a Chinese military outpost, it became a refuge for people fleeing war and poverty, operating outside Hong Kong’s legal framework. Despite its chaotic, unhealthy conditions, it developed a unique community, with businesses flourishing in the absence of regulations. The city was eventually demolished in 1993, leaving behind a complex legacy of both dystopian imagery and resilient urban life.

Takeaways

• 🏢 Kowloon Walled City was once the most densely populated place on Earth, covering just 6.5 acres with an estimated 33,000-50,000 residents.
• 🌆 The city was a complex network of interconnected buildings, functioning as a self-contained urban organism with homes, shops, restaurants, and more.
• 🌞 While apartments on the outer edges received sunlight, most units inside were deprived of natural light, making living conditions extremely harsh.
• 🇨🇳 The city had a unique legal status as a Chinese enclave within British Hong Kong, which contributed to its unregulated growth and lawlessness.
• 🛠️ Construction within the city was chaotic, ignoring building codes and creating a maze of dark, narrow passages due to its proximity to Kai Tak Airport's height restrictions.
• 💉 Despite its conditions, Kowloon Walled City attracted various residents and businesses, including unlicensed dentists and unsanitary food production, due to its lack of legal oversight.
• 🚓 The city was also a hub for illegal activities controlled by triads, including drug trafficking and prostitution, while police raids were infrequent and temporary.
• 🏠 Despite its reputation, the city was a tightly-knit community where people established lives, businesses, and social structures independent of formal governance.
• 🗺️ The city was demolished in 1993 after both the British and Chinese governments agreed on its removal, citing safety and social concerns.
• 🌳 Today, the site of Kowloon Walled City is a public park, with some historic structures preserved to remember the unique urban settlement that once stood there.

Q & A

What is Kowloon Walled City known for?

Kowloon Walled City is known for being the most densely populated place that ever existed, with over 33,000 to 50,000 people crammed into an area of just 6.5 acres. It was a chaotic, self-organized urban maze with buildings that merged into a solid block.

Why did Kowloon Walled City become so densely populated?

The unique legal status of Kowloon Walled City, being a Chinese enclave within British-controlled Hong Kong, led to a lack of governance. This allowed people seeking refuge or cheap housing to settle there, leading to rapid, unregulated construction and overpopulation.

How did Kowloon Walled City’s legal status contribute to its development?

Kowloon Walled City was not under British or Chinese governance, allowing it to operate without laws or regulations. This led to unregulated construction, as well as the attraction of both legitimate and illegal businesses that thrived in its ambiguous legal environment.

What was life like for residents inside Kowloon Walled City?

Living conditions were harsh. Most apartments lacked sunlight, air quality was poor, waste management was nonexistent, and people often relied on illegally tapped electricity. Water had to be collected from one of only six official water stations.

What types of businesses operated within Kowloon Walled City?

Businesses ranged from unsanitary food production and unlicensed dental practices to metal workshops and factories. Some also engaged in illegal activities such as drug trafficking, prostitution, and gambling, with many businesses paying protection money to triad gangs.

Why was Kowloon Walled City eventually demolished?

Kowloon Walled City was demolished due to its deteriorating living conditions, including the risk of fire and building collapse. Additionally, with the impending handover of Hong Kong back to China in 1997, both governments agreed it was time to clear the area.

What was the role of the triads in Kowloon Walled City?

The triads controlled much of the criminal activity in Kowloon Walled City. They ran illegal operations, including drug trafficking, prostitution, and gambling, and extorted protection money from local businesses.

How did the construction of Kowloon Walled City evolve over time?

Originally a Chinese military outpost, it expanded with buildings growing denser and taller over time. Individual houses became multi-story buildings, eventually forming a 14-story-high block of merged structures due to unregulated construction.

What were some of the health and safety concerns within Kowloon Walled City?

The city had no building codes, no proper waste management, and no legal oversight, resulting in overcrowded, unsanitary living conditions. The air quality was poor due to factories, and the risk of fires and building collapses was high.

How is Kowloon Walled City remembered today?

Kowloon Walled City is remembered both as a dystopian symbol of chaos and crime, and as a vibrant, self-sustained community where people built businesses and families despite harsh conditions. Today, a park and a small model of the city stand where it once was.

Outlines

00:00

🏙️ The Densely Packed Kowloon Walled City

Kowloon Walled City, once the most densely populated place on earth, was a maze of interconnected buildings, occupying just 6.5 acres. While outer apartments enjoyed sunlight, most residents lived in dark pathways inside. This urban jungle attracted people with reasons to hide. A survey in 1987 estimated 33,000 residents, though some say it reached 50,000. Despite being an impenetrable block, the city's edge revealed open spaces and a park, marking a stark contrast. Its unique legal status as a Chinese enclave in Hong Kong contributed to its extraordinary development.

05:00

🏰 Origins of Kowloon Walled City: From Military Outpost to Enclave

Kowloon Walled City originated as a small Chinese military outpost, later expanded with a fort during the rise of the Canton harbor and British tea trade. The British illicitly imported opium to balance trade, leading to addiction across China. The Chinese government responded, triggering the First Opium War, resulting in Britain's control over Hong Kong in 1841. Although Kowloon was unaffected initially, China fortified it with walls. Following further conflicts, Hong Kong's Kowloon Peninsula fell into British hands by 1860, but the Walled City remained a Chinese enclave after a 99-year lease agreement in 1898.

10:03

⚔️ Kowloon Walled City Under Siege: From Squatters to Japanese Invasion

After years of neglect from both Chinese and British authorities, Kowloon Walled City became home to squatters, with churches stepping in to help. However, the Japanese invasion of 1937 led to the destruction of the city walls to expand a nearby airport. When World War II ended, Hong Kong reverted to British control, while Kowloon Walled City became a haven for refugees fleeing the Chinese Civil War. Without law enforcement, buildings rose taller, forming a dense city of skyscrapers with no sunlight. Harsh living conditions prevailed, worsened by the lack of building codes and basic services.

15:03

💡 Life in the Shadows: Surviving in the Walled City

Inside Kowloon Walled City, residents endured squalid conditions. Many units lacked sunlight, fresh air, and waste management, with rubbish often thrown between buildings or onto rooftops. Only six water stations served the entire city, and illegal electricity connections were rampant. Despite these difficulties, the Walled City became a hub for businesses, many of them operating outside of Hong Kong's laws. From unlicensed dentists to factories producing food, including dog meat, many businesses operated under unsanitary conditions. Triads exerted control, extracting protection money and running illicit operations such as drug trafficking.

🦷 Unlicensed Dentists and Triad Control: The City's Economy

Many unlicensed dentists and workshops flourished in the Walled City, benefiting from the lack of regulations. Triads, notorious criminal gangs, controlled much of the city's economy, from protection rackets to drug trafficking. Raids by Hong Kong police were rare and brief, as a continuous presence would have infringed upon China's claims. Charitable organizations like Christian missions also helped by establishing social services, such as kindergartens and youth centers. Despite some improvements, the Walled City remained a hub of organized crime and poverty, with residents living in a maze of unchecked construction and economic exploitation.

🏚️ The End of Kowloon Walled City: Legal and Social Pressure

Kowloon Walled City's fate was sealed as the 99-year lease on Hong Kong's New Territories came to an end in 1997. After negotiations between Britain and China in 1984, both governments agreed to demolish the city due to safety concerns, overcrowding, and the risk of fire. Residents resisted, but the joint decision marked the end of the enclave. The demolition began in 1993, and while the city is often portrayed as a dystopian hub of crime, it also housed a close-knit community of hardworking people who thrived in challenging conditions. Kowloon Walled City remains a powerful symbol of resilience.

🌳 Kowloon Walled City's Legacy: From Chaos to Community

Today, Kowloon Walled City is commemorated with a park, where remnants of its history remain, including the old yamen building. While the city often inspires dystopian depictions in media, it was also a community where people self-organized and raised families in harsh conditions. Its chaotic appearance masked the underlying order that allowed people to function within its confines. Kowloon Walled City symbolizes the ability of ordinary people to adapt, survive, and create a community despite a lack of government intervention. Its story continues to inspire curiosity about the intersections of architecture, history, and culture.

🎥 Final Thoughts and an Invitation to Explore More on Nebula

The story of Kowloon Walled City is a fascinating exploration of how architecture, history, and culture intersect. The narrator highlights how places evolve, offering insights into our world. To dive deeper into such stories, the video series 'Under Exposure' explores other pivotal moments in history, such as the construction of the Twin Towers and the 2011 raid on Bin Laden's compound. These in-depth stories are available on the streaming site Nebula, offering creators a platform for high-budget, ad-free productions. Viewers are invited to join Nebula to access exclusive content and continue exploring these stories.

Keywords

💡Kowloon Walled City

The Kowloon Walled City was an extremely densely populated, unregulated urban settlement in Hong Kong. It grew into a chaotic maze of interconnected buildings where tens of thousands of people lived in unsanitary and overcrowded conditions. The video describes it as a unique place that, while associated with crime and poor living conditions, also represented a vibrant, self-organized community.

💡Density

Density refers to the concentration of people within a specific area. In the video, Kowloon Walled City is highlighted as the most densely populated place in the world, with over 33,000 people living in an area of just 6.5 acres. The video contrasts this density with places like New York City to show how extreme the conditions were in Kowloon.

💡Triads

Triads are organized crime syndicates that operated within the Kowloon Walled City. These groups controlled illegal activities such as drug trafficking and prostitution, and many businesses had to pay them protection money. The triads' presence contributed to the city's reputation for lawlessness and criminal activity.

💡Opium Wars

The Opium Wars were conflicts between China and Britain over the illegal British trade of opium in China. These wars are mentioned in the video as a significant factor in the historical development of Kowloon Walled City. After the British victory, Hong Kong became a British colony, but Kowloon Walled City remained a Chinese enclave.

💡Kai Tak Airport

Kai Tak Airport was located near the Kowloon Walled City, and its proximity imposed a strict height limit on the city’s buildings (14 stories). The video notes that the city was directly in the flight path of planes landing at Kai Tak, adding to the unique urban landscape of the area.

💡Refugees

The influx of refugees, particularly after the Chinese Civil War, played a crucial role in the growth of Kowloon Walled City. The city became a haven for those seeking shelter and cheap housing, leading to its extreme population density and rapid, unregulated construction. Refugees contributed to both the city's problems and its self-organized community.

💡Urban Maze

The term 'urban maze' refers to the complex, labyrinth-like structure of Kowloon Walled City. The video describes how the city’s interconnected buildings created a network of dark, narrow passageways, making it difficult to navigate. This structure contributed to the sense of disorder and chaos within the city.

💡Legal status

Kowloon Walled City had a unique legal status, as it was technically part of China but surrounded by British-controlled Hong Kong. This ambiguity led to a lack of oversight from both governments, allowing the city to operate outside of conventional law. This legal vacuum enabled the city to grow unchecked and attract both legitimate businesses and illegal activities.

💡Squatters

Squatters are people who occupy buildings or land without legal permission. In the case of Kowloon Walled City, squatters initially moved into the desolate military barracks after the Chinese and British governments abandoned the area. The squatters' presence marked the beginning of the city’s transformation into a densely populated urban settlement.

💡Demolition

The demolition of Kowloon Walled City in the 1990s marked the end of its existence. Despite resistance from the community, the governments of China and Britain decided that the city's poor living conditions, risk of fire, and structural instability justified its destruction. Today, a park and a few remnants of the city remain as a tribute to its complex history.

Highlights

Kowloon Walled City was the most densely populated place ever, covering just 6.5 acres and containing a maze of buildings.

The city had merged into a singular structure housing shops, restaurants, churches, homes, and everything found in a typical urban area.

Only a small number of apartments received sunlight, while the majority were located in dark, cramped pathways.

In 1987, a survey estimated 33,000 people lived in Kowloon Walled City, though other estimates suggest up to 50,000 inhabitants.

Kowloon Walled City had its own legal status, separate from the rest of Hong Kong, which allowed it to grow without regulation.

The city began as a small Chinese military outpost, but over time, it became a crowded, self-organized community.

Due to its ambiguous legal status, the city attracted people looking to hide and operate businesses, both legal and illegal.

Many businesses, including unlicensed dentists, metal workshops, and even food production, operated in unsanitary conditions.

Criminal activity, including the influence of triads, was rampant in Kowloon Walled City, with gangs controlling protection money and drug trafficking.

Despite its chaos, the city was a closely-knit community where people self-organized services and businesses.

By the 1980s, the city's demolition was planned due to the risk of fire, structural collapse, and its deteriorating living conditions.

Kowloon Walled City was demolished in 1993, but a park now stands on the site, with some remnants of the historic fortress still preserved.

The city inspired various dystopian depictions in films and media, highlighting its chaotic and criminal reputation.

However, many also view Kowloon Walled City as a symbol of resilience and community, despite its extreme conditions.

The story of Kowloon Walled City explores the intersection of architecture, history, and culture, serving as a unique example of urban self-organization.

Transcripts

- [Narrator] What you are looking at

is considered the most densely populated place

that ever existed.

On an area of just 6.5 acres, or four football fields,

dozens of individual buildings

have merged into one solid organism

that houses, shops, restaurants,

churches, private homes,

and virtually everything that makes a city.

While the outside facing apartments get to enjoy sunlight,

a vast majority

are located within this block,

full of dark pathways.

It is a giant, urban maze

that attracted all kinds of people

with reasons to hide.

(slow heavy music)

This is Kowloon Walled City.

To understand just how incredibly closely packed

people lived here,

let's compare this city with other places.

Take the East Village in New York City,

located in Lower Manhattan.

There is a small park in the center,

but other than that,

it is a pretty dense neighborhood

with historic row houses,

and more recent large apartment buildings.

Based on the 2010 US census,

just over 44,000 people live here.

That results in a population density significantly higher

than for all of New York City,

and New York is the most densely populated city

in the United States.

By all means, this is a dense place,

but let's compare it to Kowloon Walled City.

In 1987, a survey estimated that 33,000 people live here.

The density is simply astounding,

and in reality,

the number might have been even bigger,

with some estimates going up to 50,000 people.

Perhaps the strangest thing about Kowloon Walled City,

however, is just how abruptly it ends.

While everything is crammed

into this tight block of buildings,

behind the sharp walls of the city

there are relatively spaced out buildings,

and even a park with sports fields.

So why was everything crammed into this small block?

The answer is that Kowloon Walled City

wasn't part of the rest of Hong Kong,

but had its own legal status.

The Walled City began as nothing more than

a small Chinese military outpost,

stationing about 10 guards.

It really started to take shape more than a century later

when the outpost was expanded

by the construction of a larger fort.

At the same time,

the nearby harbor of Canton began to gain importance.

Chinese tea was a hot commodity for British traders,

who purchased it in staggering volumes,

allowing this region to prosper.

However, the trade relationship was notably unbalanced.

While the British bought large quantities of tea,

the Chinese had little need for goods from Europe.

To improve this trade balance,

the British began to illegally import opium

from India to China.

This scheme proved effective,

with the widespread consumption of the drug

escalating rapidly.

This led to an addiction epidemic

which wreaked havoc on the Chinese economy.

Recognizing this crisis,

the Imperial government

took decisive action to halt the opium trade,

but this move led to a heated conflict,

which would later be known as the First Opium War

between Great Britain and the Chinese Empire.

Britain won the war,

and subsequently occupied Hong Kong in 1841.

The Walled City was not affected,

as it was located on the island nearby,

and as a result of this loss,

the Chinese Empire

decided to reinforce the fort in Kowloon

by building large walls around it,

giving the area its lasting name, Kowloon Walled City.

At the heart of this fortress,

they built a yamen,

which is the main office

from which this outpost is administered.

The tensions between China and Britain continued on,

ultimately leading to the Second Opium War in 1860.

As a result,

the Kowloon peninsula, too,

fell into British hands,

and the final boundary negotiation took place in 1898,

resulting in a 1990 year lease

of the new territories to Britain.

This is, in short,

the story of how Hong Kong became a British colony,

as it is commonly known.

But what is often overlooked,

is that the convention included one specific exception,

the Kowloon Walled City,

which is located inside the new territories,

a Chinese enclave in the middle of British Hong Kong.

As time moved on,

both the Chinese and the British administrations

showed a lack of interest in the Walled City,

leaving it to its own fate.

The desolate barracks

soon became makeshift homes for squatters seeking refuge.

And recognizing the need for community structures,

a Protestant church seized the opportunity

to establish a senior home within the historic yamen.

But the peaceful existence of this enclave

was shattered in 1937

when war erupted between Japan and China.

The full scale invasion, initiated by Japan,

emerged as the central conflict in the Pacific

throughout World War II,

and by 1942,

Japan had taken control of vast swaths of Northern China,

as well as holding various coastal exclaves,

one of them being Hong Kong,

which they utilized as a strategic military base.

The Japanese expanded the local Kai Tak airport,

and to do so, they needed building materials.

Therefore, they tore down the walls of Kowloon Walled City,

which was located right near the airport.

The end of the Second World War

saw Hong Kong revert to British control.

Simultaneously, the newly founded

People's Republic of China, in 1949,

reasserted it's right over the Kowloon Walled City.

Practically, however,

neither the Chinese, nor the British,

took control of this area.

And with a massive wave of refugees

in the wake of the Chinese Civil War,

the need for cheap living space in Hong Kong was immense.

And so, in the decades that followed,

a maze of buildings grew ever higher and denser.

Single houses became multi-story buildings,

became 14 story skyscrapers.

(upbeat oriental music)

The sunlit streets turned into shaded paths,

until they were, eventually,

completely blocked from sunlight.

Within the confines of the Walled City,

the laws of Hong Kong were not enforced.

Any construction within the city

proceeded without adhering to any building codes,

with one singular exception.

Due to the city's close proximity to Kai Tak Airport,

a strict height limit of 14 stories was enforced.

Kowloon Walled City

was located right along the path into the airport.

Landings at Kai Tak were one of a kind,

with pilots navigating through

Hong Kong's mountainous terrain,

flying remarkably close to the Walled City

on final approach.

The highest priced apartments

were those facing the outside,

followed by those near the internal courtyard.

These units offered the precious commodity

of sunlight and fresh air.

You could add a caged balcony to your apartment,

cleverly expanding your living space,

but most of the units were located inside

in extremely unhealthy conditions.

This is a plan for a typical building inside the city.

With no windows,

people here were completely dependent on electric light.

There also was no waste management in place,

which led to catastrophic air quality.

Frequently, rubbish was simply disposed

on one of the city's rooftops,

or thrown into one of the shafts between buildings.

The air is said to have been constantly stuffy,

and polluted by the many factories

that operated inside the city.

As for clean water,

a mere six official water stations served the entire city,

which means residents

often had to carry the water over long distances.

In terms of electricity,

few actually paid for the service.

Instead, most residents opted

to illegally tap into external cables,

routing them through the city's intricate maze

of narrow passageways.

These harsh living conditions attracted,

not just those looking for a cheap place to live,

the city's ambiguous legal status

also attracted those

who saw potential for unique business opportunities

within its shattery confines.

The Walled City became a popular hub for dentists.

Many of those

had obtained their qualifications in mainland China,

but found their licenses unrecognized

in British governed Hong Kong.

This rendered them unable to legally practice

elsewhere in the city.

The absence of regulatory oversight

also allowed various workshops,

such as those specialing in metal fabrication,

to flourish within the city.

And kitchens were selling popular food items

that were outlawed in the rest of Hong Kong,

such as dog meat.

Generally, food production was a common business

inside the city,

despite the completely unsanitary conditions.

It is even said

that many of the delicacies processed here over the day,

ended up on the plates of expensive restaurants

across Hong Kong later in the night.

While these kinds of businesses

within the Walled City

skirted the edge of legality,

others plunged straight into the realms

of serious criminal activity.

Just because this city is free from the laws of Hong Kong,

did not mean it was a space without order.

Power structures still exist

with the triads notorious criminal gangs

controlling the city.

While businesses did not pay taxes,

many of them were forced to pay protection money

to these groups.

And the triads themselves

engaged in illegal businesses

such as soliciting prostitution, opium dens,

and in the later years, venturing into heroin trafficking.

The Hong Kong authorities

found themselves in a difficult position,

not wanting to let the growing addiction problem

get out of hand.

A permanent police presence inside the city

would be an affront to China,

which still claims the territory as its own.

Therefore, in the mid 1970s,

the authorities decided to carry out many isolated raids

with police officers storming the city

for short periods of time,

arresting criminals,

confiscating drugs,

and then, leaving again.

In addition,

various private aid organizations established themselves

operating a kindergarten,

as well as a Christian missionary youth center

that offers help with addiction.

The historic yamen, in the middle of the city,

became a popular social spot,

hosting public events for the city's residents.

Even though the situation in the city improved in parts,

it was, again, geopolitical reasons

that ultimately ushered in the final chapter of the city.

Its legal status was a result of the 99-year lease

of the surrounding new territories,

and it is precisely that countdown

that was coming to an end.

In 1984, after years of negotiations,

Great Britain and China

agreed on a handover of all of Hong Kong back to China.

This handover was scheduled to take place in 1997,

but the breakthrough in negotiations

also cleared up the dispute regarding Kowloon Walled City.

Despite massive resistance from the city's residents,

the two governments jointly decided

that the social situation,

the risk of fire breaking out,

as well as the fear of any of the buildings collapsing,

would justify the complete evacuation and demolition

of the city.

With the start of the demolition in 1993,

Kowloon Walled City came to an end.

But as the city fades into memory,

two diametrically opposed ideas of its existence emerge.

The dystopian image of the city

inspired a large number of fictional depictions

in film and art,

often showcasing Kowloon Walled City

as a futuristic hotbed of crime and corruption.

As such, the city inspired tons of dystopian fantasies.

However, what gets lost here

is that this city

was also a vibrant, tightly knit community.

As chaotic as the city may appear from the outside,

there was actually a lot of order.

And the notion of complete chaos is simply wrong.

You could send a letter to someone living inside the city,

and despite the apparent chaos,

it would get delivered just fine.

People came here with nothing.

They then raised children,

established businesses,

and then had to self-organize those aspects of city life

that the lack of of government had left out.

To many, Kowloon Walled City

is a symbol of Hong Kong,

showing that hardworking people

were able to create community

even despite harsh conditions.

Today, on the side of the Walled City

there is a park

where remains of the historical city

can be found in several places,

such as the historic yamen building still standing,

as well as a small model

remembering the urban monolith that once stood here.

It's easy to vilify,

and it's just as easy to romanticize a place like this.

Ultimately, the answer might lie somewhere in the middle.

The story of Kowloon Walled City

is one I've been meaning to tell for a long time,

because it's a story that explores

the intersections of architecture, history, and culture.

Looking at changes of urban places throughout the decades,

I think, can be incredibly insightful

to understand the world we live in.

One of my favorite videos I did

that explores exactly these intersections,

is my video about the construction

of the original Twin Towers,

in which I explain how these buildings

completely changed how skyscrapers are built.

This video is part of my ongoing video series,

Under Exposure,

which also features videos

about the raid on Bin Laden's compound in 2011,

as well as a video about the Tenerife disaster,

which was the worst aviation accident that ever occurred.

These are videos

that are not made for the YouTube algorithm,

instead, this series is made for the big screen,

a series where I fully, creatively tell stories

just how I want to.

And the reason all this is possible

is because me, and a bunch of creators,

have gotten together

to build our very own streaming site,

and it's called Nebula.

The idea is simple.

Since Nebula is not an ad driven platform like YouTube,

but a subscription model,

we get to create higher budget productions.

Some of my favorite shows across the board are on Nebula.

They're entertaining,

but since we mostly are educational creators,

there's also just so much to learn at the same time.

And I am immensely proud

of what my original series has become.

So go to nebula.tv/neo,

and make sure you use that link

so that you get 40% off on an annual plan.

All my exclusive videos are up there,

so thanks for the support,

and thanks so much for watching this video.

(upbeat stringed music)