The newly released movie Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In has put back the spotlight on Hong Kong’s ill-famed Kowloon Walled City. Directed by Soi Cheang and starring Louis Koo, Sammo Hung, Richie Jen and Raymond Lam, the Hong Kong neo-noir action crime film was selected for the Official Selection of the Cannes Film Festival 2024.

Louis Koo in “Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In”

There was nothing like Kowloon Walled City, an improbable and anarchic settlement that stood as one of the most densely populated places on earth, caught between China and the British-run Hong Kong government.

From a quiet outpost for the salt trade during the Song dynasty (960–1279) to a military fort during the later years of the Qing Dynasty (1636-1912), the Walled City became a de jure enclave after the New Territories were leased to the United Kingdom in 1898, following the first Opium War.

Kowloon Walled City, 1980s

After the end of the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong during World War II, the population in the Walled City dramatically increased, attracting mostly Chinese refugees who contributed to the existing 2,000 inhabitants by 1947. At this time, China was still claiming ownership of the site, but the separation from the mainland meant there was little law enforcement. After unsuccessful attempts at driving out the increasing population, the British adopted a “hands-off” policy.

In the 1950s, the population had grown to 17,000 residents. With no government enforcement from the Chinese or the British, the Walled City became over the years a place for unregulated businesses like brothels and opium dens, a haven for crime, gambling and drug abuse, ruled by the triads until the police conducted several raids in the late 1970s.

Kowloon Walled City by Greg Girard

By the end of the 1980s, the Walled City was home to about 35,000 residents, disseminated within 2.6 hectares and 350 buildings, occupied by 8,500 premises and 10,700 households, as well as shops and factories.

Small property developers were constantly expanding the buildings to accommodate thousands of new migrants, without following any architecture guidelines or safety regulations. They would have certainly built higher, if there was not a height limit set by the proximity of Kai Tak airport. This was the one and only building code that the Building Ordinance Office actually imposed!

The Walled City was the cheapest entry point in Hong Kong. It was self-built, self-regulating, organic and anarchic.

Dental assistant by Greg Girard, 1990

The city became known for its cheap doctors and dentists who emigrated from China with no valid license in Hong Kong. Dentists would even advertise outside of the buildings, attracting working-class patients. Hundreds of factories produced everything from fish balls, candies to golf balls. There was a cotton mill and garment factories, and plenty of small workshops. Mr Lui, the only postman, worked in the city for over 15 years and was certainly the only person who knew his way around.

Mr Lui, postman at Kowloon Walled City, by Greg Girard

The lack of governance, the separation from Hong Kong and the difficult living conditions created a distinct culture within the city, with residents forming a tightly knit community. The rooftops were like a sanctuary, the main gathering place to escape claustrophobia and perpetual darkness. Parents would come to relax, and children to play or do their homework, supervised by the grandmothers. The yamen courtyard was also a major social centre, a place for residents to talk, have tea, watch television or even take calligraphy classes.

When discussions started to demolish the city at the end of the 1980s, the public took a new and proud interest for the Walled City, which began to be portrayed with a romantic dystopian identity. Authors, filmmakers, game designers and visual artists started to use the Walled City as settings for their creations. Robert Ludlum’s novel The Bourne Supremacy featured the Walled City in 1987. Jean-Claude Van Damme filmed a fight scene in Bloodsport in 1988.

Kowloon Walled City by Greg Girard

Photographers Ian Lambot and Greg Girard didn’t wait for the Walled City to become more popular to stroll around the alleys and take photos. Their book City of Darkness: Life in Kowloon Walled City, published in 1993, is certainly the most detailed recount documenting the life of the residents.

Finally, after a difficult eviction process, the demolition began in 1993 and was completed in 1994. While it was deserted, the empty city was used to film a scene of the movie Crime Story in 1993, directed by Kirk Wong, and starring Jackie Chan, Kent Cheng, Law Kar-ying and Puishan Au-yeung. The movie even includes real scenes of building explosions.

The Kowloon Walled City Park opened in 1995, occupying the former Walled City’s area. A rewarding number of relics was unearthed, nearly all of which were incorporated in the design or preserved as exhibits. The yamen was classified as a declared monument, as well as  the original site of the South Gate.

Kowloon Walled City Park