April 2014 marks the 20th anniversary of the demolition of the Kowloon Walled City, a largely ungoverned slum that was once considered the densest settlement on Earth.
The city, a unique urban experiment, had about 50,000 inhabitants occupying only 300 buildings, which were crammed together into a living space that followed its own set of laws.
Governed by the Chinese mafia known as 'the Triads', the city became famous in the 1980s for its brothels, casinos and opium dens.
Living conditions were squalid, with cramped and dirty spaces, no direct sunlight, patchy or non-existent electricity, and no garbage collection.
Nevertheless, the city's population grew fivefold in just 40 years, from 10,000 to 50,000 people in 1990.
Rent was on average only HKD35 a month (about US$4 today) and no taxes were charged or paid. It was therefore very attractive for doctors and dentists and manufactures who could practice without licenses, or people who could not afford to live elsewhere.
The city's unique political status and anarchic conditions, however, made it an embarrassment for the British government, who after a difficult eviction process, started tearing it down in 1993.
The demolition ended in April 1994. A year later, the place was transformed into a Qing Dynasty style garden.
This animation recreates the historical process that lead to the creation of this fascinating city, and eventually to its disappearance.
5 июн 2014
