kowloon walled city

maybe most of you already know about this place, but keltois atelier olschinsky thread reminded me of it.

  Quote

Located just outside of Hong Kong, Kowloon Walled City is where Chinese laws went to die. It all started toward the tail end of WWII, when China retook Kowloon from the Japanese. Thousands of squatters took advantage of the newfound Chinese protectorate and moved in with complete governmental protection.

 

Then, in 1948, the British went to clear the area, but failed so spectacularly that everybody, both English and Chinese alike, issued an official decree of "Screw that place." They agreed to let Kowloon be, but cut it off from all government services, which in communist China was pretty much everything: police, water, electricity, road maintenance, postal services and so on.

 

They basically Thunderdomed a whole city, and then just walked away.

 

And to everybody's mutual surprise, Kowloon absolutely thrived on the anarchy.

 

For 30 years, the city experienced explosive growth in terms of population and square footage: The city was only .01 square miles, yet housed roughly 33,000 people, making it the most densely populated area in world history. Unlicensed 12-story buildings shot up with no planning, untaxed businesses cropped up everywhere and a private legion of often unaccredited doctors tended to the populace. Kowloon citizens even jury-rigged up their own water and electric grids, and though it looked like Tim Burton was their city planner it mostly worked. Since there was no law to speak of in Kowloon Walled City, opium bars could be found everywhere, prostitution rings operated openly, gambling dens were commonplace and anybody wanting to avoid the cops had a landlocked Tortuga to retreat to whenever they felt like it.

 

In Kowloon Walled City, everything was handled by the individual, not the government, and astoundingly, the whole thing didn't implode on itself. But after 30 years, the Chinese finally got it in their heads that Crime Fortress might not be a good thing to have right next to Hong Kong, so they tore it down and built a park.

 

http://en.wikipedia....oon_Walled_City

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lby9P3ms11w

looked cool as fuck but i wouldnt say it thrived. The living conditions were pretty fucked up, most who lived there were criminals, unemployable or otherwise "casteless" with not much of a choice.

Wow, that's astounding.

50.000 people in that thing.

Kowloon holds the amazing accomplishment of somehow being more crowded than the rest of Hong Kong.

I remember reading about it in an old (I say old, it was a 80s issue) National Geographic as a kid. The industry/economy out of chaos is fascinating: I mentioned this in another thread, but the same has occurred in Somalia, where a central government has been nonexistent since civil war broke out, and yet dozens of factories work and export within and around Mogidishu, telecommunication netoworks are among the cheapest and most reliable on that continent, and most transactions and civil disputes are handled via traditional customs. That said Islamic militants run rampant in the South and the place is still, well, in a state of war and quasi-anarchy. Likewise illegal slums with DIY electricity and even plumbing are common worldwide, a good example being the favelas in Rio De Janerio.

Kowloon definately remains influencial, kind stereotypically, in film and media from the 80s to the present day. It's become quite strongly associated not just with Hong Kong but "urban" Asia in general.

  On 1/10/2012 at 7:44 AM, joshuatxuk said:

Kowloon holds the amazing accomplishment of somehow being more crowded than the rest of Hong Kong.

 

I remember reading about it in an old (I say old, it was a 80s issue) National Geographic as a kid. The industry/economy out of chaos is fascinating: I mentioned this in another thread, but the same has occurred in Somalia, where a central government has been nonexistent since civil war broke out, and yet dozens of factories work and export within and around Mogidishu, telecommunication netoworks are among the cheapest and most reliable on that continent, and most transactions and civil disputes are handled via traditional customs. That said Islamic militants run rampant in the South and the place is still, well, in a state of war and quasi-anarchy. Likewise illegal slums with DIY electricity and even plumbing are common worldwide, a good example being the favelas in Rio De Janerio.

 

Kowloon definately remains influencial, kind stereotypically, in film and media from the 80s to the present day. It's become quite strongly associated not just with Hong Kong but "urban" Asia in general.

Somalia in the south at least has plenty of shadow governance. In Somaliland and Puntland the tribal/clan connections create some form of government.

To quote Menkhaus (pretty much the authority on Somalia)

"Even so, it is a mistake to romanticise local governance systems. Most apply customary or religious laws that are illiberal and extra-constitutional, treat different social groups (especially women) unequally before the law, and are weak on due process. Some fall under the control of venal or predatory local elites and constitute little more than warlord fiefdoms."

Somalia is an utterly failed state.

I don't see Kowloon as being that influential really in media. Tokyo and HK much more so. Kowloon of course featured heavily in earlier Gibson works but in film?

On a similar tip, but reversed, is Ordos:

Even the name makes it sound like a mythical city.

The Walled City was inspiration for the Narrows scene (when Batman gets dosed with fear gas and set on fire) in Batman Begins.

From that description it sounds a lot like the way the new film is going.

libertarian paradise!!!

Cool, this looks mad. Shame it's gone.

madmental!

yeah total jazz. lots of triad films take place in a fictional kauloon. part idm, part cyberpunk, part pitiful squalor.

I would have loved to have seen this in person.

join a crew of scaffolders in a big project

most IDM

I need to start keeping track of all the cool stuff like this. we should make a list.

awesome. nice doc too

Kowloon Walled City most IDM 2012 nomination! (lots of interesting sorts of music could be derived ;) )

Yeah, always makes me think of William Gibson. I remember reading an interview where he said the bridge in his 'Bridge Trilogy ' novels was loosely based on what he'd read about Kowloon Walled City.

skip to 02:45

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLKZba2YFrI&hd=1

funny how i had no idea this took place in kowloon while actually playing the game (i rarely pay any attention to the story at all in these sort of games).

Ghost in the Shell was heavily inspired by that city, you know, that awesome bit where they are chasing this guy with the invisibility suit. Blade Runner too I think.

I wonder how they finally went about tearing the place down.

  On 1/10/2012 at 10:02 AM, chenGOD said:

  On 1/10/2012 at 7:44 AM, joshuatxuk said:

Kowloon holds the amazing accomplishment of somehow being more crowded than the rest of Hong Kong.

 

I remember reading about it in an old (I say old, it was a 80s issue) National Geographic as a kid. The industry/economy out of chaos is fascinating: I mentioned this in another thread, but the same has occurred in Somalia, where a central government has been nonexistent since civil war broke out, and yet dozens of factories work and export within and around Mogidishu, telecommunication netoworks are among the cheapest and most reliable on that continent, and most transactions and civil disputes are handled via traditional customs. That said Islamic militants run rampant in the South and the place is still, well, in a state of war and quasi-anarchy. Likewise illegal slums with DIY electricity and even plumbing are common worldwide, a good example being the favelas in Rio De Janerio.

 

Kowloon definately remains influencial, kind stereotypically, in film and media from the 80s to the present day. It's become quite strongly associated not just with Hong Kong but "urban" Asia in general.

 

Somalia in the south at least has plenty of shadow governance. In Somaliland and Puntland the tribal/clan connections create some form of government.

 

Somalia is an utterly failed state.

 

I don't see Kowloon as being that influential really in media. Tokyo and HK much more so. Kowloon of course featured heavily in earlier Gibson works but in film?

Agreed. Yeah, saying a lot was influenced by Kowloon is a stretch, parts of Gotham in Batman Begins referenced it. I'm confusing the more chaotic and crowded parts of Tokyo and HK with Kowloon specifically.

More like Kowloon Wail City, am i rite?

  On 1/11/2012 at 4:33 PM, joshuatxuk said:

  On 1/10/2012 at 10:02 AM, chenGOD said:

  On 1/10/2012 at 7:44 AM, joshuatxuk said:

Kowloon holds the amazing accomplishment of somehow being more crowded than the rest of Hong Kong.

 

I remember reading about it in an old (I say old, it was a 80s issue) National Geographic as a kid. The industry/economy out of chaos is fascinating: I mentioned this in another thread, but the same has occurred in Somalia, where a central government has been nonexistent since civil war broke out, and yet dozens of factories work and export within and around Mogidishu, telecommunication netoworks are among the cheapest and most reliable on that continent, and most transactions and civil disputes are handled via traditional customs. That said Islamic militants run rampant in the South and the place is still, well, in a state of war and quasi-anarchy. Likewise illegal slums with DIY electricity and even plumbing are common worldwide, a good example being the favelas in Rio De Janerio.

 

Kowloon definately remains influencial, kind stereotypically, in film and media from the 80s to the present day. It's become quite strongly associated not just with Hong Kong but "urban" Asia in general.

 

Somalia in the south at least has plenty of shadow governance. In Somaliland and Puntland the tribal/clan connections create some form of government.

 

Somalia is an utterly failed state.

 

I don't see Kowloon as being that influential really in media. Tokyo and HK much more so. Kowloon of course featured heavily in earlier Gibson works but in film?

 

Agreed. Yeah, saying a lot was influenced by Kowloon is a stretch, parts of Gotham in Batman Begins referenced it. I'm confusing the more chaotic and crowded parts of Tokyo and HK with Kowloon specifically.

I mean I don't think Blade Runner was really referencing Kowloon more Tokyo. I always pictured Coruscant as being something like Kowloon though.

So I guess i would refine my statement to say that Kowloon has an influence in certain genres, as its imagery has been referenced in a few classics of SF/Fantasy.

  On 1/11/2012 at 1:57 AM, data said:

skip to 02:45

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLKZba2YFrI&hd=1

 

funny how i had no idea this took place in kowloon while actually playing the game (i rarely pay any attention to the story at all in these sort of games).

I like how someone even scripted an Aeroplane to go by as they went up on the rooftops since the walled city was close to the airport!

Someone who grew up in KWC did an AMA