A park now stands where perhaps the world’s most densely populated city once existed. Kowloon walled city consisted of 350 buildings housing more than 33,000 residents in a small, 6.7 acre plot of land. The territory was not regulated by any government, and soon became ruled by street gangs.
Residents described the cramped quarters as having no natural light throughout the entire structure of connected buildings. One could scale the stairways and thin hallways around the whole city without having to touch ground. Unlicensed businesses ran rampant, including restaurants and self-taught doctors. Water was pumped in by Hong Kong, but crime gangs took control of it as soon as it arrived and used the water supply to increase their power.
In 1987, Kowloon was condemned by the state. Citizens were evacuated and demolition work began. By 1994, the city no longer existed, replaced instead by a park with 8 sectors, each boasting its own natural beauty, such as gardens, mountain views, life-sized chess boards, and a Chinese Zodiac garden. The park even showcases a small model of the old Walled City.