The Walled City of Kowloon
The Walled City area had its beginning more than eight hundred years ago in the Song Dynasty. The Kowloon City and the neighboring Kwun Tong area of Kowloon used to be salt fields. With a decline in salt production, the salt industry eventually fell into disuse during the Yuan Dynasty. The former salt office became a public security arm and a magistracy.
Till the Qing Dynasty, the officials installed the Kowloon Beacon Tower as a defense mechanism against the pirates in the area. It turned out to serve a military purpose in guarding the Kowloon territory during the First Opium War. The Qing Government established the Kowloon Battery in 1810. It would continue to defend the Kowloon Territory against the British forces in then-ceded Hong Kong Island. In 1847, construction for the Walled City completed, intended originally to serve as a military stalwart in the wars to come.
In 1898, China had to lease the New Territories to Great Britain for 99 years. According to the Second Convention of Peking, Chinese officials would retain jurisdiction of the Walled City. However, after taking over the New Territories， Great Britain requested all Chinese officials to withdraw from the Walled City. Despite protests by the Qing Government, the British declared the Order in Council, with view to exercise full governance of the Walled City. Eventually, however, the British gave up control, and the Walled City entered into an un-governed state.
In 1948, British forces attempted to regain control of the Walled City. Widespread protests in Canton followed. Then the Kowloon Walled City incident became a turning point. Due to widespread protests that resulted in the burning of the British embassy in Canton, the British Government no longer attempted to reoccupy the Kowloon Walled City from then on.
In the first half of the 20th century, the Kowloon Walled City acquired the seedy reputation of a dark city. Its walls were tight-proofed against the stellar economic and rule of law advances made in the rest of Hong Kong. Prostitution, gambling and drugs were the known vices of humanity there. Yet the cheap rent has also enabled a silver lining. All kinds of industries, from flour mill to unlicensed dentists, found their survival within the Walled City. In the 1970s, the Hong Kong government dedicated resources to fight crimes in the Kowloon Walled City, with significant results. By the time of demolition in 1994, the Walled City was home to some 40,000 residents.
Eventually, the Walled City met, perhaps inevitably, the unhappy fate of being demolished. Now a park commemorating this history of Hong Kong stands at the original site. The yamen (the courthouse) is preserved for tourist visits. Visitors will see a concise exhibition of the history of the Walled City. Finally, the exhibition rooms are interactive, with fun display and videos showing the lives of the then residents within.
Sources:
Most of the historical descriptions in this entry were taken from the exhibition at the Kowloon Walled City Park.
As always, the Wikipedia has a wonderful and detailed historical account of the Kowloon Walled City and the Park.
