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This aerial view of Kowloon Walled City was taken by Ian Lambot in the 1980s.

Kowloon Walled City was originally a Qing Dynasty military outpost. When the Kowloon Peninsula was ceded to Britain in 1860, disputes over the site’s sovereignty raged, and the area ultimately went ungoverned by any power for decades. Due to this lack of management, Kowloon Walled City organically evolved into a unique and dense urban structure.

Chan Cheung Chuen lived in the walled city, and for him, it’s full of childhood memories.

CHAN CHEUNG CHUEN:

When I was little I lived in Tung Tau Estate, which isn’t part of the walled city. I first went there with classmates to visit another friend who lived within the walled city, and we’d play Hide and Seek. I later moved to the walled city myself after getting married to start my family. The walled city was like this perplexing maze; I loved the exploration and adventure. The dark corners and the intertwined streets were perfect for hide and seek.

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From the outside, the walled city seems dense, impenetrable. As Chan tells it though, it was a place of incredible spatial complexity. Chan’s own work relates to mechanical drawing, so when the walled city was about to be demolished, he drew his own map of the walled city.

CHAN CHEUNG CHUEN:

The main things to map were the intertwined streets, and the upper-level walkways connecting different buildings. They meant you could move easily from the inside of one building to another. This, to me, is the uniqueness of this map.

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This density and close physical proximity meant that unique connections built up among the walled city’s residents.

CHAN CHEUNG CHUEN:

For instance, in the case of a fire, people could alert each other; they could keep watch and help each other thanks to our sheer physical proximity. There were many couples in the Kaifong—or Neighbourhood Welfare Association—who met in the walled city. And when you were cooking dinner, you could just open the window and ask your neighbour, ‘Hey do you have some soy sauce?’ Swapping ingredients through windows like this happened regularly.

When it came to crime, it was hard to for anyone to burgle anyone in the walled city, as a single shout for help would alert everyone nearby immediately. Plus, the thief would have to be as familiar with the walled city as me, able to draw a map of all the roads, otherwise they’d end up stuck in a cul-de-sac! I sometimes thought it was safer in the walled city than outside.

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We hope these stories, and Ian Lambot’s aerial photograph, have made you reflect on how our living spaces impact on our daily interactions and connections with those around us.

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