National Geographic
Prior to its demolition in 1994, Kowloon Walled City was home to an estimated 60,000 people living in stacked, self-built structures within a 6.4-acre area of Hong Kong that was lawless and largely forgotten by officials. What began as a Chinese military outpost became a shield against British influence in the region. Over the years, it evolved into a densely populated, ungoverned enclave known as the "city of darkness." Widely considered a hotspot for gambling, criminal activity, and poverty, it was also home to many, with a strong sense of community developing among the residents. Take a look inside Kowloon Walled City and learn more about its history at the link in bio. Photographs by Greg Girard (@gregforaday)
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17 hours ago
Comments
257
16 hours ago
Without government, the residents inside then took care of themselves, they had their own security team and also a committee to decide the affairs inside the Walled City…
88
13 hours ago
What happened to the 60,000 residents when it was demolished?
66
16 hours ago
@gregforaday Congratulations. This is the first set of actually good photos NatGeo has posted in a long time.
52
16 hours ago
Was a film made about this? I vaguely remember one
51
16 hours ago
Brilliant showcase of human resilience and ingenuity! 🙌🙌🙌
42
13 hours ago
That was literally a dystopian story in real life
35
16 hours ago
Soo soo wild! Feeling very fortunate right now not to have been born within that zone
28
10 hours ago
I remember walking through there with my uncle (he lived in HKG for years and felt confident enough to take me through there). What a surreal experience. We saw them make noodle for fancy restaurants, we saw them make copies of top brand tennis shoes, there were dentures on display in a greasy window of an eerie indoor dentistry, dripping pipes and big (unsafe) electrical wires, big spiders and people staring at us. But I wouldn’t have wanted to to miss this opportunity.
14
16 hours ago
Absolutely worldclass 😮😍😍
13
14 hours ago
There’s an anime bout this!!!!
5
15 hours ago
What became of it?
3
15 hours ago
Think I seen it in blood sport
3
16 hours ago
❤️❤️🔥
2
16 hours ago
😮😍
0
10 hours ago
@cinestill1999
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