Remembering Hong Kong’s ‘City of Darkness’

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  • Опубліковано 20 вер 2024
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    The Kowloon Walled City in Hong Kong was once considered the densest settlement in the world. The sprawling neighbourhood was often characterised as a lawless enclave with poor living conditions, criminal activity and a thriving black market, trading anything from pirated goods to drugs and sex. It was demolished in 1994, but its legacy lives on through the memories of its former residents. Thirty years after it was torn down, former residents and others who worked there shared some of their most vivid recollections of what was known as the “City of Darkness”.
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КОМЕНТАРІ • 145

  • @areasevenpro
    @areasevenpro 4 місяці тому +197

    You can clearly see the influence of Kowloon Walled City in the films Blade Runner (1982) and Batman Begins (2005), as well as the video game Stray (2022).

    • @Hkchinese888
      @Hkchinese888 4 місяці тому +5

      The gun battle in the hk movie ‘‘The Long Arm of the Law’ 省港旗兵at the end took place inside Wall City is a classic scene.

    • @windmacher
      @windmacher 4 місяці тому +10

      And Ghost in a Shell.

    • @decentraIize
      @decentraIize 4 місяці тому

      ​@@Hkchinese888 I love these types of movie

    • @Bash-245
      @Bash-245 4 місяці тому +2

      Cyberpunk had its large mega-apartments.

    • @arshiftikhar4500
      @arshiftikhar4500 3 місяці тому

      Judge dredd film is based on this city,

  • @szelongchang
    @szelongchang 3 місяці тому +117

    My grandad was once the largest portfolio landlord in Kowloon Walled City up until its demolition. He built nearly 1000 flats and sold them. He kept 99 of them up until demolition. The city's water supplied was also connected by him and he was once the "water department" of the city, user paid $20 per month and had 1000 user (persumably the flat built by him was connected with waterpipe). South China Morning post did an article was him regarding his air-con shop in the early 90's!

    • @barbram8001
      @barbram8001 3 місяці тому +20

      Slum lord?

    • @cholst1
      @cholst1 2 місяці тому +17

      @@barbram8001 yeah he literally just described a slum lord

    • @mattropolis99
      @mattropolis99 2 місяці тому +9

      Of course it was a slum - that’s what Kowloon was. People romanticize Kowloon yet ignore the realities of what made it in the same breath. It wasn’t built by city cousels or planning committees. There was a lot of human suffering in there - as this video clearly showed.

    • @DoublePlus-Ungood
      @DoublePlus-Ungood Місяць тому +1

      I'd love to read his memoirs in book form. If he is still with us you are sitting on an amazing piece of history.

    • @ihatenfts501
      @ihatenfts501 Місяць тому +2

      Inhumane landlord final boss (no offense

  • @knightforlorn6731
    @knightforlorn6731 4 місяці тому +106

    I will never stop being fascinated by this place. I wish someone would discover a treasure trove of new video footage, my imagination runs wild through these labyrinthine walls.

    • @roym.dossantos
      @roym.dossantos 4 місяці тому +15

      I feel the same. I know that people had it very tough in that place, but at the same time I feel there is something fascinating about both the dense organic architecture as well as the self governed nature of that place.

  • @cheeru6457
    @cheeru6457 4 місяці тому +21

    Thank you so much for making this short documentary because I never knew such a place ever existed in HK.

    • @XDF745
      @XDF745 11 днів тому

      If you search there are better documentaries on UA-cam with far more footage inside the city.

    • @cheeru6457
      @cheeru6457 11 днів тому

      @@XDF745 You mean there are more documentaries about this place?

  • @envitech02
    @envitech02 4 місяці тому +92

    5:35 I like it when Jackie speaks super fluent Cantonese.

    • @quyenluong3705
      @quyenluong3705 3 місяці тому +2

      Still had an accent

    • @lungchan1729
      @lungchan1729 3 місяці тому +4

      she is full of love. I admire that. even though she kinda of agenda converting people to Christianity but she is full of love.

    • @strawberriecarrots9350
      @strawberriecarrots9350 2 місяці тому +2

      @@quyenluong3705everyone who isn’t a native speaker will have an accent

    • @SWEETH0NEYDEW
      @SWEETH0NEYDEW 2 місяці тому +1

      @@strawberriecarrots9350 And even native speakers can still have an accent and not pronounce words right

    • @ProjectWolve
      @ProjectWolve 24 дні тому

      reminds me of my late grandma. We're chinese but she grew up in the era of colonial Britain here in Singapore. Whenever we spoke canton there was always the accent. My mom would joke about it. Gosh I miss grandma...

  • @allyip5777
    @allyip5777 2 місяці тому +8

    Albert Ng is our pastor in Island ECC today. A man I greatly respect. I also highly recommend everyone to read Jackie Pullinger's "Chasing the Dragon", a book that details her mission.

  • @orphes4989
    @orphes4989 4 місяці тому +21

    Thanks for making this. It's a very interesting topic and quite unlike any city I've looked into.

  • @kcalb3180
    @kcalb3180 3 місяці тому +5

    I was 10 when we moved out, and I still missed all the friendly people there.

  • @Tommy-xy1eh
    @Tommy-xy1eh 4 місяці тому +6

    Thank you Mr. Albert Ng 🙏🏻
    I understood what you meant , felt for you but ,
    also happy what you have turned out.
    ❤ 🇭🇰

  • @dustingriffith7399
    @dustingriffith7399 2 місяці тому +6

    There is a Japanese anime video series called CRYING FREEMAN (1988-94) and only one episode of that series shows KOWLOON WALLED CITY! We seriously need more movies, tv shows and videos of the big KOWLOON WALLED CITY as it was all filmed there before the 1994 demolition! Let’s see more of KOWLOON WALLED CITY in the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and the early 1990s!!!

  • @kl9518
    @kl9518 3 місяці тому +11

    True story.
    Jacky Pullinger was invited by the Queen of England. She took Chan Hok Yin to see the Queen.
    When Yin came through immigration in UK, the officer asked him the purpose of his visit. Can you imagine an ex Triad with criminal records saying that he was invited by the Queen?😂
    He had to show the officer his invitation. 😂

  • @cheche1301
    @cheche1301 4 місяці тому +7

    Thank you for this report. Glad i saw it

  • @johnj.kalachuchi6495
    @johnj.kalachuchi6495 2 місяці тому +2

    Thank you for this documentary. Probably if the place existed still today, it is gonna be one of the tourist spots foreigners would be visiting curiously.

  • @ThuyTran-ci2et
    @ThuyTran-ci2et 2 місяці тому +2

    Great documentary! I was in HK 1987 and wished I had known about this place simply to look from the outside. Incredibly interesting.

  • @leocyh123
    @leocyh123 3 місяці тому +3

    I was there and met Cyclone. His Cyclone Punch is awesome.

  • @stevensims3342
    @stevensims3342 3 місяці тому +2

    I really wish there was more HD footage of this place.

  • @issiewizzie
    @issiewizzie 3 місяці тому +2

    goodness this would make an interesting filming location

  • @Conceptualcreatures
    @Conceptualcreatures 3 місяці тому +1

    Love it. So beautifully told ❤

  • @RealestateHTR
    @RealestateHTR 2 місяці тому +2

    Thank you for letting me feel the real situation. If Hong Kong had the policy of affordable housing at that time, I believe these people would have a better living environment..... As for housing, local policies are still very important.... Hopefully these problems can now be solved with affordable housing.....

    • @LeoDragon34
      @LeoDragon34 Місяць тому +3

      Hong Kong’s public housing programme started in 1954, 40 years before the Walled City was demolished. It has always been oversubscribed, however. And don’t underestimate the determination of the people operating illegally inside the walled city to keep operating illegally.
      In addition, it’s status with China made a resolution difficult. It was only with 1997 looming that China finally agreed to allow the HK government, controlled then by the British, to do something about it. They didn’t want it still there by the handover because it was seen as embarrassing for the Chinese Government. Without the handover, I believe it would still be there to this day.

  • @ronalddavidasagra9237
    @ronalddavidasagra9237 2 місяці тому

    finally new kowloon walled city documentary just dropped 🔥🔥🔥

  • @jawadkhelil5742
    @jawadkhelil5742 12 днів тому

    "City of Stars are You Shinning just for Me" a song by Ryan Gosling who played in 2011's movie "Drive" and is supposed (according to the rumors) to play the character of Ghost Rider for Marvel (a man who sells his soul to the devil...again) and Emma Stone who played in "Kinds of Kindness" "The Amazing Spiderman 2" with Jamie Foxx from "Ray" (2005) and "Django Unchained" (2013) Puzzle Solved and I could go on and on and on and on and on but it will be too long. Peace Next

  • @patrickkaiserliew3691
    @patrickkaiserliew3691 4 місяці тому +2

    Very informative.

  • @Elduderino9097
    @Elduderino9097 3 місяці тому +2

    Someone needs to make a game of sorts where you get to freely walk around an interpretation of the city in first person.

  • @CastleLager-lf5eu
    @CastleLager-lf5eu 4 місяці тому +24

    Looks better than any Indian city for sure 👍🏻

    • @franktoh3041
      @franktoh3041 4 місяці тому +11

      The Kowloon walled city is a luxurious slum compared to India's.

    • @devilwithangelicheart7133
      @devilwithangelicheart7133 3 місяці тому

      Have you been to India?? Or any normal Indian town??

    • @oxy2986
      @oxy2986 3 місяці тому +5

      Nah , I myself amazed as indian , you never seen our cities then if you think this is better then any indian city . And is dense . Even dharavi largest slum in india only isn't this crowded its mostly grounded and in better condition then Knollwood.

  • @Bobsk3
    @Bobsk3 2 місяці тому +2

    So where are all these people housed? It was not mentioned in your piece.

    • @djarin-ares
      @djarin-ares Місяць тому

      Most were chased away and lived on the streets

  • @iPadPipi
    @iPadPipi 3 місяці тому +1

    thank you 🤗

  • @MrJasonghost
    @MrJasonghost 4 місяці тому +3

    Will visit 1 day

  • @JamesJiansen
    @JamesJiansen 4 місяці тому +1

    why they keep reuploading this

  • @KNful
    @KNful 4 місяці тому +2

    this reminds me of Mugenjou from Getbackers 😬

  • @notnice9873
    @notnice9873 4 місяці тому +1

    now, there will be a Movie about this place .. very soon.

    • @lollydolly6004
      @lollydolly6004 3 місяці тому

      they already do, its called Twilight of the Warriors

  • @genchwanlim2970
    @genchwanlim2970 4 місяці тому +12

    why the reupload?

    • @fhs7838
      @fhs7838 3 місяці тому

      I think when I saw it first time, it was >12min...

  • @Nelson__Mandela
    @Nelson__Mandela 3 місяці тому +1

    Once again, humanity won over lawlessness and negligence

  • @nazhif1
    @nazhif1 4 місяці тому +2

    reupload?

  • @goodo5691
    @goodo5691 3 місяці тому +1

    there are smells in hong kong i have never smelt before, and never want to again

  • @noramorales4678
    @noramorales4678 26 днів тому

    May be if HK was not reign by the royals during the British era, it might not that improve, the time I was there was 1989 and twas a very peaceful country.

  • @equilibrum999
    @equilibrum999 2 місяці тому

    Remembrance of City of Nine Dragons musnt be forgotten, everyone needs to see that it is a society of perfect ideal Anarchy.

  • @jalepezo
    @jalepezo Місяць тому

    I am peruvian and we have many organic and walled cities with local kingpings and no rule of the state. I can identify with such misery

  • @SubwayStreetvendorblocki-hn1wy
    @SubwayStreetvendorblocki-hn1wy 3 місяці тому +1

    That's what happens when you don't invade, you become secluded. Duh Australia was right in your backyard but your superstition told you " no open backdoor". But fing shoe is wong because the Irish prisoners are having the time of their lives right now. Australia is a comfortable place to live and Chinese people have to be crammed into smaller and smaller spaces.

  • @arshiftikhar4500
    @arshiftikhar4500 3 місяці тому

    Judge dredd film is based on this city,

  • @blueberrysponge42
    @blueberrysponge42 2 місяці тому

    Great interviews. Only I would love to hear from more women who lived in that place. Were there fewer women because it was dangerous?

  • @barbram8001
    @barbram8001 3 місяці тому

    What happened to Hong Kong?

  • @putiputain1230
    @putiputain1230 4 місяці тому +3

    Last time i went to HK was in 2019 before covid and it was impressive seeing the walled city. Going back next week to Kowloon and it wont be the same.

    • @waisinglee1509
      @waisinglee1509 4 місяці тому +14

      It was pulled down 30 years ago...

  • @RutherfordKenneth-h9r
    @RutherfordKenneth-h9r 14 днів тому

    Perez Robert Jackson Michelle Lee Donna

  • @MarioSchlemmer-s5k
    @MarioSchlemmer-s5k 24 дні тому

    The population of Honkong suffered alot under the foreign rule of the British. These conditions were dehumanizing.

    • @marcstein2510
      @marcstein2510 14 днів тому

      Yes but by far not as much as the people in mainland china where millions died of famine and repression during mao zedongs cultural revolution and the great leap forward. Millions of mainlanders actually fled to hongkong to be safe during the 1950s to 1980s.

    • @XDF745
      @XDF745 11 днів тому

      Kowloon walled city wasn't under British control.

    • @isuckatguitar6252
      @isuckatguitar6252 4 дні тому

      Kowloon Walled City was not under British rule like the rest of the city, this was strictly Chinese no-mans land. The rest of HK had much stricter laws on building structures. The HK police weren't even allowed to enforce the law there.

  • @jimmydean4152
    @jimmydean4152 4 місяці тому

    repost?

  • @goodciro
    @goodciro 3 місяці тому +1

    Bloodsport vibes

  • @SamFergusonud
    @SamFergusonud 16 днів тому

    Harris Ruth Brown Ronald Wilson Melissa

  • @MrYoyochu
    @MrYoyochu Місяць тому

    This was during British rule.

  • @axjagfilms
    @axjagfilms 4 місяці тому

    the box

  • @JamesShrader-k9h
    @JamesShrader-k9h 10 днів тому

    Johnson Maria Moore Kimberly Martin Kimberly

  • @kveeesh
    @kveeesh 3 місяці тому

    9:32

  • @alisterbedindang407
    @alisterbedindang407 4 місяці тому +1

    Meteor city

  • @ColeridgeGlenn
    @ColeridgeGlenn 6 днів тому

    Taylor Jason Lee Jennifer Martinez Karen

  • @francispua3210
    @francispua3210 4 місяці тому

    COD Black Ops: Hong Kong mission

  • @BenDykhouse-d5k
    @BenDykhouse-d5k 2 дні тому

    Martin Dorothy Lee Gary Young Margaret

  • @Hkchinese888
    @Hkchinese888 4 місяці тому +6

    I live in a 2mx2m cubicle room in Sham Shui Po. 😂😂😂

    • @RSCB
      @RSCB 4 місяці тому

      2mmx2mm

    • @DDDrumpf
      @DDDrumpf 4 місяці тому

      You sound so proud, old kidd!! So you live in a 2mx2m cubicle room and you are proud of it?? Too bad, no, old kidd?? Why don't you go back to India and live with the cows ???

    • @isleephungry
      @isleephungry 4 місяці тому +1

      You are already very lucky in Dharavi, where entire families live in a similar space.😂

    • @wynn3077
      @wynn3077 4 місяці тому +1

      😂 Attack of the Chinese bots .

    • @wynn3077
      @wynn3077 4 місяці тому +2

      @@ToiChutGongWu😂 Got you again 3-0

  • @jonbootclifford1949
    @jonbootclifford1949 21 годину тому

    Johnson James Rodriguez Karen Taylor Anna

  • @not_creative6969
    @not_creative6969 Місяць тому

    The a kung fu movie about this

  • @locadeva
    @locadeva 3 місяці тому +1

    it would have been great if female interviewees were presented too.

    • @mattropolis99
      @mattropolis99 2 місяці тому

      there was - were you not watching?

  • @jackreacher8858
    @jackreacher8858 Місяць тому

    China ghost cities is heaven send in comparing to this huh !

  • @PatriciaOverton-w7b
    @PatriciaOverton-w7b 9 днів тому

    White Jennifer Hall Susan Lewis Susan

  • @celiafeconors216
    @celiafeconors216 5 днів тому

    White Kimberly Anderson Angela Moore Deborah

  • @eileenkung5839
    @eileenkung5839 5 днів тому

    👍

  • @getshorty7549
    @getshorty7549 3 дні тому

    birth control birth control birth control - a little louder for the Asians in the back of the room, BIRTH CONTROL!!!!!!

  • @fendisugiri1247
    @fendisugiri1247 4 місяці тому

    Hive Cities of the future.

  • @HasrinHarith
    @HasrinHarith Місяць тому

    Anarchism for real!

  • @williamchen1997
    @williamchen1997 3 місяці тому +1

    Thanks to China who has turned Hong Kong into a liveable city after 1997 with better urban planning.
    🇨🇳🇭🇰

    • @kl9518
      @kl9518 3 місяці тому +3

      Yes, Hong Kong became a free part of China. Citizens elections for our own chief executive rather than the British sending a governor without choice.
      Free trade rather than just the British.
      There is no need to pay tax to the British.

    • @sheepcs4952
      @sheepcs4952 3 місяці тому

      😅😅😅

  • @benderbendingrofriguez3300
    @benderbendingrofriguez3300 4 місяці тому +2

    somebody show this video to all these pro democracy guys

    • @misterbig9025.
      @misterbig9025. 4 місяці тому

      Hong kong is going to become worse than Kowloon walled city

  • @Anti-CornLawLeague
    @Anti-CornLawLeague 4 місяці тому

    Anything for cheap rents.

  • @patg2235
    @patg2235 Місяць тому

    -

  • @taiwanstillisntacountry
    @taiwanstillisntacountry 4 місяці тому

    Kowloon Walled City, last slum of British HK.
    Compare to places like Dahravi please.
    Oh wait, Kowloon City doesn't excist anymore.

    • @misterbig9025.
      @misterbig9025. 4 місяці тому +4

      your english skill is also non existent

    • @oxy2986
      @oxy2986 3 місяці тому

      Dharavi is also slum set up by British but also "dharavi" will not exist after some years .

  • @AleDuke-fd5qz
    @AleDuke-fd5qz 4 місяці тому

    American blogger reveals the suffering across america
    ' What happened to this Neighborhood? '
    ' I've never seen anything like it': Inside the center of the tranq drug crisis '
    ' Streets of Philadelphia, Kensington Ave Documentary, October 25-26 2023 ' - youtube