Walled city

Anarchic, organic, surreal, this enclave was once among the most densely populated places on Earth.

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'

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

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…

Kowloon Walled City was known as an enclave for criminals, but that only tells one side of the story. The informal settlement also had a thriving economy.

Kowloon Walled City, a densely packed and lawless warren of 300 interconnected buildings in Hong Kong’s Kowloon City district, was demolished in 1994. Plenty of photographers had documented life inside the China-controlled enclave by the time the…

In light of the release of a second, revised edition of City of Darkness -- the authoritative text on Kowloon Walled ...

4800x2500 Walled city and castle by 荒坂 向度 Wallpaper Background Image. View, download, comment, and rate - Wallpaper Abyss

A makeshift open concept shop inside Kowloon Walled City (Hong Kong). This AI shop artwork is created using Midjourney.

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.