Dystopian urbanism
Introduction
Kowloon Walled City (traditional Chinese: 九龍城寨; simplified Chinese: 九龙城寨; originally known as 九龍寨城), nicknamed the City of Darkness or the Anthill/Beehive City,[1] was a densely populated, ungoverned settlement in Kowloon City, Hong Kong. Originally a Chinese military fort, the walled city became an enclave after the New Territories were leased to the United Kingdom by China in 1898. Its population increased dramatically following the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong during World War II, making it a political anomaly in Hong Kong's colonial history. In 1990, the walled city contained 50,000 residents within its 2.6 hectare borders.[2] From the 1950s to the 1970s, it was controlled by local triads and had high rates of prostitution, gambling and drug abuse.
In January 1987, the Hong Kong government announced plans to demolish the walled city. After an arduous evacuation process, demolition began in March 1993 and was completed in April 1994. Kowloon Walled City Park opened in December 1995 and occupies the area of the former walled city. Some historical artifacts of the walled city, including its yamen building and remains of its south gate, have been preserved there.
History
Foundation as a military post
The history of the walled city dates back to the Song Dynasty (960-1279), when an outpost was established to manage the salt trade. Little happened for hundreds of years afterwards, although 30 guards were stationed there in 1668. A small coastal fort was established around 1810. In 1842, during the reign of Emperor Daoguang of the Qing dynasty, Hong Kong Island was ceded to the United Kingdom by the Treaty of Nanjing. As a result, Qing authorities felt it was necessary to upgrade the fort to control the area and British influence. Improvements, including the formidable defensive wall, were completed in 1847. The walled city was captured by rebels during the Taiping Rebellion in 1854 before being retaken a few weeks later.
The Convention for the Extension of the Territory of Hong Kong of 1898 gave additional parts of Hong Kong (the New Territories) to Britain for 99 years, but excluded the walled city, which at the time had a population of approximately 700. China was allowed to continue keeping the officers there as long as they did not interfere with the defense of British Hong Kong. The following year, the governor, Sir Henry Blake, suspected that the viceroy of Canton was using troops to aid resistance to the new arrangements. On May 16, 1899, British forces attacked the walled city, only to discover that the viceroy's soldiers had disappeared, leaving only the mandarins "Mandarin (bureaucrat)") and 150 residents. The Qing dynasty ended its rule in 1912, leaving the walled city to the British.