May 12, 2023 ▸ History, Places

Episode 717: Walled City of Kowloon

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On this episode of the Sofa King Podcast, we talk about The Walled City of Kowloon. Also known as the City of Darkness, Kowloon was part of Hong Kong, but it went unregulated by either the British or the Chinese. With no laws or regulations, the Triad gangs took over in short order, and everything from construction to factories were done for maximum efficiency, not government guidelines. It had the densest population on Earth, 30 times more dense than the city right now! So, how did the Triads take over in the 1950s? Why didn’t the Brits or the Chinese claim it? What finally brought this crazy city’s demolition? How does this connect to Dave’s favorite sci-fi author? Listen, laugh, learn.

Visit Our Sources:

Walled City Map

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kowloon_Walled_City

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/kowloon-walled-city

https://www.thecollector.com/kowloon-walled-city-lawlessness-and-claustrophobia/

https://www.businessinsider.com/kowloon-walled-city-photos-2015-2#despite-a-reduced-crime-rate-neither-the-british-nor-the-chinese-found-the-city-tolerable-in-1987-the-two-governments-agreed-to-tear-down-the-city-26

https://www.archdaily.com/800698/heres-what-western-accounts-of-the-kowloon-walled-city-dont-tell-you

https://unbelievable-facts.com/2018/02/facts-about-kowloon-walled-city.html