Demolition of Kowloon Walled City

Date: March 23, 1993 • Location: Wong Tai Sin, Hong Kong

The demolition of Kowloon Walled City, a densely crowded slum in Hong Kong, began.

Kowloon Walled City was an ungoverned and densely populated de jure Chinese enclave within the boundaries of British Hong Kong. Originally the site of a military fort, it became an enclave after the New Territories were leased to Britain in 1898. The Walled City's population increased dramatically following World War II, and by 1987 it had an estimated 33,000 residents within its 2.6-hectare borders, making it one of the most densely populated places on Earth at approximately 1.2 million inhabitants per square kilometre. The city was demolished between 1993 and 1994; the Kowloon Walled City Park was built in its place and opened in December 1995.