#Kowloon Walled City Park

[travelernight]

Hong Kong Secrets: Uncover The Top 10 Must-Visit Hidden Gems

[easternmind]

The weird and wonderful history of Kowloon as a digital interactive space - Part I

The Kowloon Walled City was one of the most emblematic locations in Hong Kong due to its irregular, fast-paced and largely ungoverned growth within a minute parcel of land. During the occupation of Hong Kong Island by the British in the mid 18th century, the Qing authorities surrounded the area with walls, turning it into a strategic position from where to closely inspect the foreign nation's covert activities. Almost a century later, during World War II, the area was seized by the Japanese, who tore down the walls and repurposed the stone for the construction of a nearby airport.

After the war, China would eventually regain possession of the city, though the disinterest of local authorities in addressing its increasing social disturbances placed it in a downward path to a state of utter degradation. By the 1970s, Kowloon had become the epicentre of Hong Kong's criminal underworld, dominated by a handful of its most vicious Triads.

Towards the last years of its existence, the ancient settlement was as a precarious heap of concrete, sheltering nearly half a million people within less than seven acres of land. Cultural and political changes in China made it increasingly difficult for this urban anomaly to remain unaddressed. In the late 1980s, an action plan was put together aiming to relocate its inhabitants and reconvert the real estate into an inner-city park. Stories about residents refusing to leave their unsafe and unsanitary homes were featured prominently in newspapers, baffling readers all over the world. Once the single most densely populated area in the world, this enclave was an architectural aberration whose disconcerting aesthetic influenced numerous works of art in different fields of creation; including a small yet consequential number of video games that briefly reference or prominently feature this abominably transfixing space.

九龍島 (Kyu-Ryu-Tou) - Starcraft - 1986

The year is 2025. An arms dealer escalates the tensions between East and West by developing a genetic weapon in a secret base at Kowloon Island. The United Nations react by sending in their best man, Jamie Starr. Unrelated to the Walled City itself, the first game to be located in the Kowloon peninsula - and indeed include the name as a part of its title - is this obscure turn-based RPG, Kyu-Ryu-Tou for the NEC PC88 and FM-77 machines. The game is a sequel to Shangai, released the year before, featuring the same protagonist. Starcraft would also go on to produce a third instalment in 1987 named TO.KY.O. Clearly there wasn't much regard here from the developers part for geographic accuracy, as Kowloon is depicted here as being an island. While Hong Kong's southern territory is composed of an actual island, all the different areas named Kowloon are located in the mainland.

Riot City - Westone - 1991

One of the most shameless specimens among a relatively long list of Final Fight clones, Riot City contains subtle references to Kowloon, though never referring to it by name. Two narcotics detectives are assigned with the mission of dismantling a cartel running a crime-ridden located in fictional Riot Island. This recurring yet geographically nonsensical notion of Kowloon as an island comes up here, yet again. The final moment of the introduction sequence for this minor Sega arcade success shows both protagonists approaching a tight cluster of buildings whose source inspiration is quite unmistakable. Because Westone maintained ownership of most of this production's intellectual property, a later port to the PC Engine entitled Riot Zone was made possible with the help of Hudson soft. Kowloon's Gate - Zeque - 1997

Reviving the Walled City through the lens of cybermystic surrealism, Kowloon's Gate is a dense, daunting adventure masterfully capturing the slum's dark and narrow recesses. This 1997 Japanese Playstation exclusive spans across four discs of unparalleled full motion 3D CGI spectacle, alternating with real-time 3D dungeons brimming with outlandish characters and concepts deeply inspired by Chinese history, geography and cultural traditions.

Ironically, Zeque managed to embed the theme of Feng-Shui, the ancient geomantic art seeking harmony between the individual and their surrounding space, into a story set in the world's most historically untidy district.

SaGa Frontier - Square - 1997

SaGa Frontier takes place in a solar system named The Regions, composed of multiple inhabited worlds for the player to explore, each with its different degree of civilizational development and culture. One of these planets goes by the suggestive name Kūron. Its pervasive neon light signs, food stalls, makeshift cabins and rooftop scaffolding instantly evoke the memory of China’s so-called city of darkness.

Shadow Hearts - Sacnoth - 2001

Shortly after the release of Koudelka, Sacnoth's initiated the development of Shadow Hearts, the first episode from a cult RPG trilogy exclusively designed for the Playstation 2. In good Japanese fashion, the game proposes an anachronistic yet visually suggestive depiction of Kowloon, portraying its architectural style and degree of decay as it existed in the late twentieth century, despite the fact that the game's events take place during the nineteen twenties.

Just as noteworthy is the almost complete absence of any inhabitants, which inadvertently make this portrayal of the quarter eerily reminiscent of the state in which it was found circa 1993 or 1994, as local authorities brought the long, arduous eviction project to a close.

Shenmue II - SEGA AM2 - 2001

Shenmue II exhibits the most complete and period-accurate video game representation of Kowloon to date. While more recent games featuring this area may represent a number of its aspects with the aid of improved visual fidelity, none features it with such depth as this masterpiece of masterpieces. More than mere background decoration, Kowloon exists in the Shenmue series as a crucial, climacteric element of its modern epic narrative.

It is a well known fact that Yu Suzuki and his team conducted extensive research of the region so as to achieve a result that impresses even to this day. It must be noted, however, that they have similarly taken a fair share of creative liberty when converting the area to best align with the themes they wished to explore. Further reading is required for a more complete context in this regard, namely how this area ties with an early Dreamcast tech demo design which fans lovingly named Tower of Babel. Ostensively, technical limitations did curtail the degree of precision in which the surrounding area could be replicated. The aerial view from the cutscene in which Ryo Hazuki arrives on location places Kowloon at an imaginary degree of elevation over surrounding vegetation. In the year of 1987, during which the game is set, the actual enclave stood perfectly levelled with a myriad of other modern buildings, undoubtedly more than could be reproduced under the circumstances. These trifling considerations aside, Shenmue II entirely succeeds in capturing the vibrant life and mesmerizing beauty of the destitute and decayed urban agglomeration, in a way that it was deemed entirely impossible at the time of its release.

For reasons entirely related to per post content limitations imposed by Tumblr, this article will be continued in PART II.

[victusinveritas]

Various images inside and outside of Kowloon Walled City (demolished in 1993-1994), and replaced with a park because we can't have anything nice or not controlled by the state.

[script-a-world]

Submitted via Google Form:

Do you have any ideas on how to world build a massive overpopulated city but it isn't dirty or in shambles. Basically, everything is neat, clean and works well. Just a massive population density. I'm thinking 30k people per km2 with a total area of 1200km2. When I find images or descriptions of such high density populations I often see buildings that kind of look all rundown and slummy (not to mention high crime rates and poor if not in poverty) Or is that like.. impossible if you have such a massive crowd in one spot?

Tex: “Overpopulated” implies “more residents than the infrastructure can accommodate”. What’s considered dirty or in shambles is the result of a garbage disposal system that isn’t structured to the amount of residents + guests (tourists, relatives, holiday-goers, etc). To have a city or other area properly equipped with the amount of employees to maintain sanitation and employees to repair buildings degrading over time, it must have properly-allocated funds, and enough of it. This is at its core a governance and taxation issue, not a morality issue of “just don’t make it dirty”. Crime and poverty are the natural result of neglect by one’s government, both at a local and larger level, which requires a lot of forethought in the amount of space an individual needs to live in private and public spaces.

Utuabzu: I’m going to assume you want a prosperous city with very high density. Happily for you, there are many examples of this in the real world. Density occurs when the demand for living/working space in an area is greater than the physical space available, meaning it is worthwhile to create more space by building upwards. This naturally occurs in the centres of all cities, because proximity to one another is a big draw for both people and organisations. In the absence of any limiting factors, this is usually counterbalanced by cost making it cheaper to build outwards and simply accept longer travel times, resulting in a relatively gradual gradient of density from rural periphery to urban core.

You get greater density when there are limiting factors on outward expansion. These can be geographic, like in the case of Singapore, Hong Kong and Manhattan (all islands), legal, like in the case of Vancouver, London and many other cities (laws and policies preserving green belts or valuable farmland), or political, such as was the case for Hong Kong and still is for Singapore (an international border acting as a constraint). Often it’s more than one of these. While places like Kowloon Walled City can exist - and it in particular is a very interesting case study in urban form - for the most part very high density occurs when people want to live and work somewhere, which usually means it’s a pretty nice place to be (at least in comparison to the other options anyway). Tokyō is the world’s largest city, with 36 million people (11 million more than the entire continent of Australia), but I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone accuse it of being dirty or in a shambles.

It is also worth noting that density doesn’t necessarily look like skyscrapers towering overhead. Paris has a population density of almost 25k/km² when one excludes the outlying woodland park areas, and is predominantly mid-rise buildings. The 11th Arrondissement of Paris outdoes what you ask for, with a population density just under 40k/km², and is mostly historic midrise buildings. Other European cities like Barcelona, Naples and Thessaloniki have a similar development pattern, largely due to having been built mostly before elevators existed or were commonplace, which naturally limited building heights to around 5 to 6 floors (any higher becoming increasingly impractical for the sheer number of stairs).

Feral: The International Residential Code has the minimum size required for a house to be 120 sq ft/11.1 sq m. That’s a pretty standard secondary bedroom size in suburban USA. Your population density would have one person per 33.3 sq meters, which sounds great except that doesn’t account for any non-residential use space. Given your desire for the entire city to be exceptionally well-maintained, free of crime, and presumably a wonderful place to live, that means you need great air quality, multiple green spaces, art, food, entertainment. And your city’s overall size is massive. It’s 20.5 times the size of Manhattan, 11.3x the size of Paris, and 1.6x the size of Singapore - to name a few of the cities brought up in previous answers. This kind of sprawl does not make for good urbanization - just ask the city of Los Angeles, which is almost exactly the same overall size as what you’re aiming for but has a tenth of the density.

A few articles to get you started on density, urbanization, and sprawl:

Cities Really Can Be Both Denser and Greener by Emma Marris

Is There a Perfect Density? By Michael Lewyn

When is density good, and when is it harmful to cities? By Philip Langdon

Making cities more dense always sparks resistance. Here’s how to overcome it. By David Roberts

[foone]

I dreamed I was some sort of agent for the "Allies" (by which I apparently meant the western world) going into an anarchist enclave (built something like Kowloon Walled City) on a mission to try to get them to accept aid because we were worried that they were headed towards ecological collapse, and this somehow would be a bad thing in our continuing cold war with the soviet union. I had to contact the five main gang leaders within the enclave, and the first I made contact with was in the back of a music co-op where they'd somehow moved an entire battleship in. A beached battleship, obviously. I woke up before I found out where the other leaders were located, because I lost a lot of time because my initial entry into the city was incorrect. I was sent into what we thought was the "main entrance", which was on the second floor of a new york city car park, but it turned out to be a back door into the dressing room of a troupe of polyamorous theater actors. They were at least able to redirect me to the main entrance. They suggested I join them for an orgy but I had a job to do, so I declined. An annoyed catgirl said I wouldn't be able to get in the main entrance, but she was wrong and I had no issues.

I don't know why my dreams keep taking place in worlds where the USSR still exists. Also my dream brain has a bad idea of what anarchism is, apparently. I don't know why there were gang leaders, and the whole place had more of a "crime den" vibe in the midst of a cold war between rival gangs, rather than any actual anarchist society.

[anonymouscomrade]

aC on vacation

so here's a summary of day 1, more later when i feel like getting the photos off my phone

got to a hotel where my brother and his wife are staying because fuck driving several hours when i should be asleep. google maps sends me to a parallel fucking dimension where the hotel was built on the opposite side of the city. also the roads here are somehow iced over when most of the road leading here wasn't so go figure. we try to get dinner and almost everywhere is closed on account of the snow, except for this hole in the wall chinese takeout place, because if you can count on any place to be open, it's one of these. they make the best general tso's chicken i've had in a long time, it turns out

woke up at like four in the morning for our 7:30 am flight, because by airport logic being only two hours early is tantamount to no-showing. this was right after shit got polar so the roads were covered in ice. at the parking place, i tried and failed to get past a barrier before the lever arm came back down again because it was on a slight incline and i couldn't get enough traction to clear it before it closed. this happened like SIX TIMES, it was some Three Stooges shit

our shuttle takes us over to the airport. i stick to my brother like a little kid to his mom because he's done this before and i have not. the flight is going to be five hours. which doesn't make sense to me because the return flight is only supposed to be three and a half. i dunno, maybe headwinds or something? i'm not a fucking pilot. i'm anxious to get this part over with because, again, never flown before. after waiting for clearance for what feels like forever (justified, on account of ice) we're finally in the air. it's... nothing? it's kind of mundane and somehow boring. one of the greatest achievements in human history and the only difference between this and being on a bus packed full of strangers is there's no road to rumble against that eventually numbs your butt, and also it's several degrees of magnitude faster than a bus i suppose

we arrive at LAX and if i didn't already feel like a fish out of water then oh boy. how the fuck do people live like this? how do you figure out who's supposed to go where? it's like living in the Kowloon Walled City, thought the guy who grew up imagining anywhere big enough to have a walmart counted as a "big city"

we get another shuttle, this one absolutely cramped with people, to get to the rental car place. my brother argues with the guy (who isn't even actually *physically* there, he's somehow doing sales over Zoom or some shit) for like half an hour before telling him to cancel the whole thing. turns out they wanted close to four times what he was originally quoted and weren't budging. we decide to get an uber to the closest In-n-Out, because we're in California, and also starving, so why not. we're standing in line looking a bunch of huge dorks carrying around suitcases. if i was ever going to be mugged in broad daylight it would be right here, right now. i order a double double combo, swap out the tomato for onions because raw tomato has all the texture and flavor of a balloon filled with wet sand, and onions and cheeseburgers go together like chocolate and peanut butter. the burger's okay, i guess. the fries are the most boring fries i've ever eaten. at least it's probably the cheapest meal i'll have while i'm here

we take another uber to get to our airbnb, about 45 minutes out. every other billboard is this guy

we arrive and immediately notice something is wrong. it was advertised as 4 bed. there are TWO double beds. this is pretty good if you're two married couples and not so much if you're the double third wheel travelling with two married couples. there's one room with a folding leather futon and not much else that seems kind of pointless and i decide this is where i'll stay. turns out that futon is the least comfortable sleeping surface ever manufactured in human history and there are maybe three exact positions that are even kind of comfortable enough to fall asleep in while lying on it and not having an iron bar press up into your lower back or your shoulderblade or the back of your neck

END OF DAY 1

[skopostheorie]

one of the mosques in hong kong has a halal dim sum restaurant. if u wanna get dim sum in hong kong like a tourist. idk how far 2$ will get u tho i am sorry. the park where kowloon walled city used to be is free tho! theres also some other nice parks. also some temples are open to the public if thats ur jam… or just ride the streetcar

Anon I love you

[ruby-red-inky-blue]

1, 3, 24! ❤️❤️❤️

1 . How many books did you read this year?

33 so far (plus like. some fifteen-odd seasons of actual play which feel like books to me)

3. already gave my top five but here are my honourable mentions

Stephen King's On Writing

Frank Goldammer's Im Schatten der Wende (this guy writes historical crime novels that are always GREAT historical and really bad crime novels, but this one was, while still pretty confusing, a marked improvement, and the historical part was fantastic)

Erich Kästner's Der Gang vor die Hunde which was fucking depressing but great, which surprises nobody because I am an unapologetic Kästner lover

Pim Wangtechawat's The Moon Represents My Heart, which was such a cool concept and had some really fascinating sections about the Kowloon Walled City that I loved!

24. Did you DNF anything?

Loads.

Tana French's The Witch Elm: I really liked The Seeker but this one did not grab me at all

Robin Wall Kimmerer's Braiding Sweetgrass: This was really lovely but I am a super hard sell on nonfiction and this was too slow-paced for me so it lost me

Mary Shelley's Frankenstein: I know I know! I'll give this another go at some point maybe but I got like halfway in and was just so bored

Thomas Mann's Death in Venice: Listen this is a German classic and I figured hey, this is Mann's shortest book why not, but I hated the topic and everything about this story.

Marcus Aurelius' Meditations: Not suited to audiobook format, I gave up

Homer's Odyssey: Again, I know. I tried guys but I just. Can't. With traditional Greek theatre. Or theatre in general. I hate reading a play. Shakespeare can stay. Sometimes.

Blake Snyder's Save the Cat!: Didn't learn anything new in the first third and was quite bored, so I stopped.

Michael Crichton's Jurassic Park: This was okay. I'd already seen the movie though and felt like this wasn't giving me anything the movie hadn't already, so I stopped around halfway through.

end of year book asks!

[booksandwords]

Map: Exploring the World by Victoria Clarke

Read time: 2 Days Rating: 4/5 Stars

The Quote: There are many different kinds of map. Part science, part artistic design, the map as a concept is complex and ever changing, encompassing a range of different forms of graphic expression and display. — John Hessler

Most of this review will just be a list of my favourite maps or notable inclusions and some interesting quotes. Honestly, this is a hard book to review purely because it is what it says on the tin, a collection of maps. Let's all be very honest here Map is a book for a particular kind of person. There are a number of fields that may find it of interest but for most people, it is just something that would not appeal. Some groups of people I think this might appeal to, the obvious is those with an amateur interest in cartography (ie the intended audience), those with an interest in anthropology, potentially art fans, or those looking to fill a reading prompt. It is an appealing coffee table book though, there are some really nice and unusual pairs of illustrations that you are likely to find anywhere else. Of the categories I listed I'm actually the anthropology (though I am using it for a prompt too).

To give you an idea of the layout of the book. For the most part, the maps are presented in sets of two. Each set is tied by having a similar topic, style or theme, though very few have similar colour themes. In most cases, the maps were created decades or longer apart. Each map is captioned by the title, year of creation and artist/ cartographer on one line. The second line has the materials it's made of and on, its dimensions and where it is currently housed. Under this is an approximately 200-word write-up on the map, its importance and the creator. I was reading this at night and found it to be quite like watching a match of tennis or test cricket (sometimes at least). Just one more game, just one more over or in this case just one more page. I found it to be quite a calming read. That said there are quite a lot of random facts I didn't know. Like where Brazil got its name from, a tree.

From here the review just devolves into a list of maps and quotes.

Olafur Eliasson's real-time neon light Daylight Map is the first one that made me this I have to mention this

City of Anarchy by Adolfo Arranz is a brilliant cutaway of Kowloon Walled City in Hong Kong

1247s A Map of the Stars by Wang Zhiyuan is stunning

Survival Map 1992-1996 (The Siege of Sarajevo) is such a dichotomy. It is a brightly coloured beautiful thing for a very dark time in human history.

Willamette River, Oregon by Daniel Coe is a gorgeous map and the colouring is fantastic.

Map of Days is a wonderful idea for a self-portrait by Grayson Perry.

Mapping the Brain by the Human Genome Project is a whole other way to present the human brain and I want it on my wall

The embossed Map of Maine is gorgeous and I want to such it.

The interactive Iceland Illustrated is a fantastic

In 1989 the-then American Cartographic Association recommended that rectangular projections should not be used at all for general-purpose world maps, but Peters' contention that we should scrutinize the way we predict the world remains valid. (p.156)

I have never seen the Upside Down World Map and I live in Australia.

I really like A Map of Vesuvius. It is a good way to show the impact of a lava flow.

“Few rulers have had as much reason to fear their enemies as King Henry VIII" — (p.176) Truer words have never been spoken.

Carta Marina is so stunningly detailed. I wish I could see it in all its in-person glory

Chicago, USA is just a smart piece of design work

Any given place holds an infinite number of things that can be mapped. An individual neighbourhood has streets and houses and parks - all of which we might expect to see on a map. But it also has power lines and Christmas lights and sounds and graffiti and people with their own aspirations and all this can be shown cartographically if we simply take the time to collect the information." — (p. 193)

This isn't the first map I've seen of Mecca but it is probably my favourite, its the colouring

Serio-Comic War Map for the Year 1877 by Frederick W. Rose is humorous.

"named Bom Bahia (good bay) by the Portuguese, Bombay was ceded by Portugal to Englan as part of Catherine of Braganza's dowry when she married Charles II of England in 1661" — (p.226) How did I not know this? I mean I'm not surprised it was all to do with marriage and dowries but I didn't know

Locals and Tourists by Eric Fischer is a wonderful project idea. I'd love to see it done in other cities. Also, I like the colour choices.

The Earth Seen Through the Sphere of the Stars by Andreas Cellarius is so pretty and so intricate it looks like it belongs on a ceiling somewhere.

2MASS Redshift Survey by John Hurchra, Thomas Jarrett and others I also want on my wall. It's mapping light wavelengths look it's pretty ok.

The Court Game of Geography c. 1840-3 by W. & H. Rock is a fantastic deck of cards and I want it. I would love to see the whole deck, the book only has one suit (hearts, Europe). Honestly, I think we could use this again now.

[gpuzzle]

re: Kowloon Manifesto (or a supreme procrastination rant)

I've been doing some reading on the Kowloon Manifesto concept from my boy @centrally-unplanned (shoutouts homie), and my personal take on it is that the thing with the Kowloon Walled City was that it never had any real services such as trash, and the planning was haphazard at best, but people still had plants, and if you were to do a Kowloon Walled City by design, what you would do would be to set up gardens in that area, and gardens that could ideally fulfill the roles of both landscaping/gardening so as to be aesthetically pleasing, and also as a food source, because this is actually all possible thanks to permaculture and agroforestry and all this entire field of study that's basically the domestication of an ecosystem, and managing plants native to the area (and the ones that aren't native that were introduced). The problem with those is and has always been that they have ridiculous yields (good!) but they are godawful to automate and don't scale into giant plots, which makes them both labor intensive and complex for industrial agriculture. Well, if you're setting up a thousand small gardens, you don't need to worry about that, and they help with landscaping and contact with nature, which has a bunch of benefits (notably, air quality!)

This is where you can push the entire thing even further into "high modernism bullshit" and just go down the route of "what if everything was Habitat 67" - because a) people won't just live in a concrete chaos, even in Kowloon they painted and built their own annexes and added their own personal touches, and b) the remarkable thing about Habitat 67 is that it fits, in about 120m by 300m - so 36000 m^2, or 0.036 km^2 worth of ground (and then shooting upwards), 146 residences. Assuming, say, that the averaged out population between families (or groups of roommates) of 3-5 and people who live by themselves or with a partner averages out to about 450 people living there, that's a population density of 12500 persons per square kilometer, on something only about 12 stories tall. This beats out Tokyo!

Habitat 67 was designed to specifically allow residents to still have a landscape garden no matter what. That was one of the primary design considerations, which means that if you push that landscape garden act into the full out food garden aspect, you can have something which starts veering into The Hanging Gardens.

I lived in Sao Paulo, a lot of it was 20 stories tall and higher, so you could just keep pushing that limit further and further, with interconnected gardens and small parks and all the services that come with not being Kowloon Walled City such as decent light and water and garbage collection, you could have something much, much denser - and frankly much more livable than the Midwestern hell that is Cincinnati.

[dan6085]

Here are some of the top tourist spots in Hong Kong, along with visitor numbers and details on their popularity:

1. Victoria Peak

Annual visitors: Over 7 million

Popularity: Offers stunning panoramic views of Hong Kong's skyline and harbor. The Peak Tram funicular railway to the top is an iconic experience.

2. Hong Kong Disneyland

Annual visitors: Around 6.5 million

Popularity: The first Disney park in China, featuring unique attractions blending Disney magic with Chinese culture.

3. Ocean Park Hong Kong

Annual visitors: Approximately 5.8 million

Popularity: Combines marine life exhibits, animal shows, and thrill rides in a scenic seaside setting.

4. Tian Tan Buddha (Big Buddha)

Annual visitors: Over 1 million

Popularity: One of the world's largest seated bronze Buddha statues, offering spiritual and cultural significance.

5. Temple Street Night Market

Annual visitors: Millions (exact numbers unavailable)

Popularity: Vibrant night market known for street food, fortune tellers, and bargain shopping.

6. Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade

Annual visitors: Millions (exact numbers unavailable)

Popularity: Offers spectacular views of Victoria Harbour and Hong Kong Island skyline, especially during the Symphony of Lights show.

7. Star Ferry

Annual passengers: Over 26 million

Popularity: Iconic ferry service offering scenic harbor crossings between Hong Kong Island and Kowloon.

8. Wong Tai Sin Temple

Annual visitors: Over 3 million

Popularity: Famous Taoist temple known for its colorful architecture and fortune-telling rituals.

9. Hong Kong Park

Annual visitors: Over 3 million

Popularity: Urban oasis featuring gardens, tea houses, and an aviary, popular for its blend of natural and modern elements.

10. Lantau Island

Annual visitors: Millions (exact numbers unavailable)

Popularity: Home to the Big Buddha, traditional fishing villages, and scenic hiking trails.

11. Mong Kok Markets

Annual visitors: Millions (exact numbers unavailable)

Popularity: A bustling area with various themed streets and markets, including Ladies' Market and Sneaker Street, offering a vibrant shopping experience.

12. Hong Kong Museum of History

Annual visitors: Around 1 million

Popularity: Provides a comprehensive overview of Hong Kong's history and culture through interactive exhibits.

13. Ngong Ping 360

Annual visitors: Over 1.8 million

Popularity: Cable car ride offering breathtaking views of Lantau Island, leading to the Big Buddha and Po Lin Monastery.

14. Tai O Fishing Village

Annual visitors: Over 1 million

Popularity: Traditional stilt houses and boat tours offer a glimpse into Hong Kong's fishing heritage.

15. Hong Kong Science Museum

Annual visitors: Around 1.5 million

Popularity: Interactive exhibits and demonstrations make science accessible and fun for all ages.

16. Kowloon Walled City Park

Annual visitors: Over 1 million

Popularity: A tranquil garden built on the site of the infamous Kowloon Walled City, blending history with nature.

17. Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery

Annual visitors: Hundreds of thousands (exact numbers unavailable)

Popularity: Features thousands of Buddha statues and offers panoramic views of Sha Tin.

18. Hong Kong Wetland Park

Annual visitors: Around 470,000

Popularity: Showcases Hong Kong's diverse wetland ecosystem and wildlife, popular among nature enthusiasts.

19. Sai Kung

Annual visitors: Millions (exact numbers unavailable)

Popularity: Known for its beautiful beaches, seafood restaurants, and access to hiking trails in the New Territories.

20. Lamma Island

Annual visitors: Over 1 million

Popularity: Offers a laid-back atmosphere with seafood restaurants, beaches, and hiking trails, providing a contrast to urban Hong Kong.

These attractions showcase Hong Kong's diversity, from bustling markets and cultural sites to natural landscapes and outlying islands. They appeal to a wide range of interests, including shopping, history, nature, and local culture, making Hong Kong a multifaceted destination for tourists. The accessibility of these spots via Hong Kong's efficient public transportation system further enhances their popularity.

[gokitetour]

Top 10 Unique and Underrated Attractions in Hong Kong

Towering buildings, busy marketplaces, and a lively nightlife are the hallmarks of Hong Kong. Beyond the well-known sights like the Star Ferry and Victoria Peak, the city has a lot of interesting hidden places that are just waiting to be explored. These undiscovered treasures present a distinct viewpoint on Hong Kong, exhibiting its abundant natural beauty, history, and culture. From serene parks and traditional villages to creative art spaces and picturesque hiking trails, there's so much more to explore in this dynamic city. Whether you're a first-time visitor or a seasoned traveler, uncovering these lesser-known attractions can make your trip to Hong Kong truly unforgettable. In this guide, we'll introduce you to some of the best-kept secrets of Hong Kong, highlighting the unique and underrated places that you shouldn't miss. Get ready to step off the beaten path and experience the city's hidden wonders.

Here are some unique and underrated attractions in Hong Kong:

1. Walled City Park in Kowloon:

Tucked away in the center of Kowloon is the historical jewel known as Kowloon Walled City Park. It was formerly a crowded, unruly area, but it has been turned into a lovely park that honours its fascinating history. The park has calm pavilions, traditional Chinese gardens, and in-depth historical exhibits about the walled city. It offers a tranquil escape from the bustle of the city as well as an enlightening look at Hong Kong's distinct past.

2. The Bird Garden on Yuen Po Street:

The serene Yuen Po Street Bird Garden is a haven in the busy metropolis. For bird lovers, this traditional Chinese-style garden is a favorite. Locals are seen interacting with one another, purchasing bird-related goods, and taking walks with their pet birds here. The lovely layout of the garden, combined with the soothing sound of chirping birds, creates a calm and charming ambiance that is ideal for a leisurely stroll.

3. The Police Married Quarters, or PMQ:

A creative hotspot, is situated in the busy Central neighbourhood. It was originally constructed as accommodation for married police officers, but now local designers, artists, and business owners use it as a workspace. There are several different stores, galleries, and restaurants at PMQ. It's a terrific spot to find unusual goods, take in modern artwork, and encourage regional ingenuity.

4. Tai O Fishing Village:

Fishing Village Tai O is often referred to as the "Venice of Hong Kong." Tai O Fishing Village provides an insight into the city's customs surrounding fishing. This little community on Lantau Island is well-known for its seafood, lively market, and stilt cottages. Tourists may see the stilt dwellings up close and potentially even spot pink dolphins by taking a boat excursion. The calmer pace and rustic beauty of Tai O provide a welcome counterpoint to the fast-paced lifestyle of the city.

5. The Monastery of Ten Thousand Buddhas:

The Ten Thousand Buddhas Monastery, a hidden treasure in Sha Tin, provides a calm spiritual experience. It is not a functioning monastery, despite its name, but it does have an amazing collection of more than 10,000 Buddha statues. Hundreds of golden Buddha statues, each with a distinct expression and stance, line the ascent to the monastery. The hike is worthwhile because of the serene surroundings and breathtaking vistas at the summit.

6. Nan Lian Garden and Chi Lin Nunnery:

Traditional Chinese architecture and gardening can be perfectly observed on Diamond Hill at Chi Lin Nunnery and the nearby Nan Lian Garden. The nunnery is a sizable Buddhist temple complex with peaceful lotus ponds and wooden structures constructed in the Tang period style. Nan Lian Garden is an exquisitely designed park featuring well-kept vegetation, water elements, and classic wooden buildings. When combined, they provide a calm haven in the center of the city.

7. Village of Lai Chi Wo:

Northeastern New Territories is home to the well-preserved Hakka village of Lai Chi Wo. It's a great place for hikers and environmental enthusiasts, surrounded by mangroves and beautiful forests. The community itself has temples, ancestral halls, and typical Hakka homes. Visitors can travel back in time and enjoy a bit of Hong Kong's rural heritage by exploring Lai Chi Wo.

8. The Island of Peng Chau:

A peaceful escape from Hong Kong's bustling city is provided by the small, serene island of Peng Chau. The island is well-known for its rustic charm, beautiful walking trails, and easy-going vibe. Peng Chau Fisherman's Village, the Finger Hill hiking trail, and a number of exquisite temples are some of the main attractions. Peng Chau is a great place for a day trip because of its slower pace and small-town atmosphere.

9. Lei Pai and Chau Ap Lei:

A bridge connects the small island of Ap Lei Chau to Hong Kong Island's southern coast. It is well-known for the charming Aberdeen Harbor, the old temples, and the neighbourhood fish market. The smaller, deserted island of Ap Lei Pai is reachable from Ap Lei Chau after a short stroll. The hike is a wonderful way to take in Hong Kong's natural beauty and gives breathtaking views of the surrounding waterways.

10. The Back Trail of the Dragon:

The Dragon's Back Trail is a must-see for nature lovers. Enjoy breathtaking views of the South China Sea, mountains, and coastline from this well-liked hiking track, which is one of the greatest in all of Hong Kong. All skill levels of hikers can enjoy this very easy walk. After completing the hike, unwind at Big Wave Bay, a stunning beach ideal for surfing and swimming.

Conclusion

Exploring the unique and underrated attractions in Hong Kong offers a refreshing break from the usual tourist spots. These hidden gems allow you to experience the city's rich culture, history, and natural beauty in a more intimate and personal way. From the tranquil Tai O Fishing Village to the vibrant street art of Sham Shui Po, each destination brings its own charm and story, making your Hong Kong tour truly special. Visiting these lesser-known attractions provides a deeper understanding of Hong Kong's diverse character. You can wander through the lush landscapes of Dragon's Back, admire the serene beauty of Nan Lian Garden, or explore the fascinating exhibits at the Hong Kong Heritage Museum. Each place reveals a different facet of the city, ensuring your trip is full of surprising and memorable moments. In conclusion, while the iconic landmarks of Hong Kong are definitely worth visiting, taking the time to discover its unique and underrated attractions will enrich your travel experience. These spots offer a unique glimpse into the heart and soul of the city, away from the crowds and hustle. So, when planning your next Hongkong tour, be sure to include these hidden treasures in your itinerary for an unforgettable adventure.

[nebris]

The Kowloon Walled City was a densely populated enclave of China within the boundaries of Kowloon City in Hong Kong. Built as an Imperial Chinese military fort, the walled city became a de jure enclave after the New Territories were leased to the United Kingdom in 1898. Its population increased dramatically after the end of the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong during World War II, attracting mostly refugees fleeing the renewed Chinese Civil War. The walled city was crossed by alleyways, often only 1 to 2 metres (3.3 to 6.6 ft) wide, with poor lighting and drainage. Construction went unregulated, and most of the roughly 350 buildings were built with poor foundations and few or no utilities. The population was estimated at 33,000 in 1987, giving the walled city a density of around 1,255,000 per square kilometre (3,250,000/sq mi), making it the densest location in the world at the time. The walled city was demolished between 1993 and 1994 and the site is now occupied by Kowloon Walled City Park.

[revintansokeplay777]

Hongkong Kota judi? coba kita cari tau tips dan trik jalan jalan ke hongkong versi Okeplay777

Kapan lagi si kamu bisa jalan jalan ke luar negri? apa lagi ke hongkong. nih tips and trick buat jalan jalan ke hongkong versi Okeplay777!!. Jalan-jalan ke Hong Kong bisa menjadi pengalaman yang menarik dan tak terlupakan. Berikut ini beberapa tips dan trik yang dapat membantu Anda dalam perjalanan tersebut:

Pilih waktu yang tepat: Hong Kong memiliki cuaca yang beragam sepanjang tahun. Suhu paling nyaman biasanya terjadi antara Oktober hingga Desember, ketika udara lebih sejuk dan cerah. Jika Anda ingin menghindari keramaian, hindari kunjungan selama liburan nasional atau festival populer.

Pilih akomodasi yang sesuai: Pilihlah hotel atau penginapan yang sesuai dengan kebutuhan dan anggaran Anda. Hong Kong menawarkan berbagai macam opsi akomodasi, mulai dari hotel mewah hingga hostel budget. Pastikan lokasinya strategis agar lebih mudah untuk menjelajahi kota ini.

Siapkan visa dan paspor: Pastikan Anda telah memeriksa persyaratan visa dan paspor sebelum perjalanan. Beberapa negara mungkin memerlukan visa sebelum masuk ke Hong Kong. Pastikan paspor Anda masih berlaku setidaknya enam bulan sebelum tanggal kedaluwarsa.

Rencanakan rute perjalanan: Buatlah rencana perjalanan yang rinci untuk mengoptimalkan waktu Anda. Hong Kong memiliki banyak tempat wisata menarik, seperti Victoria Peak, Kowloon Walled City Park, Pulau Lantau, dan berbagai pasar malam. Periksa peta dan jadwal transportasi umum untuk membantu Anda merencanakan rute dengan baik.

Gunakan transportasi umum: Transportasi umum di Hong Kong sangat efisien dan andal. Anda dapat menggunakan MTR (Mass Transit Railway) untuk berpindah antar-daerah dengan cepat. Opsi lainnya adalah bus, trem, dan kapal feri. Pertimbangkan untuk membeli kartu Octopus, yang dapat digunakan untuk membayar berbagai moda transportasi.

Cicipi makanan lokal: Jangan lewatkan kesempatan untuk mencoba makanan lokal Hong Kong yang terkenal. Nikmati hidangan seperti dim sum, pangsit won ton, siumai, dan pai daging. Jangan lupa mencicipi kue tradisional Hong Kong, seperti egg waffle atau pineapple bun.

Simpan nomor darurat penting: Simpan nomor darurat penting, termasuk nomor telepon darurat lokal dan kontak konsulat negara Anda. Juga, pastikan Anda memiliki salinan dokumen penting seperti paspor dan kartu identitas di tempat yang aman.

Bawa peta dan aplikasi pemandu wisata: Bawa peta fisik Hong Kong atau gunakan aplikasi pemandu wisata untuk membantu navigasi Anda. Aplikasi seperti Google Maps atau Citymapper dapat membantu Anda mencari rute terbaik, memeriksa jadwal transportasi, dan menemukan tempat-tempat menarik.

Persiapkan mata uang lokal: Pastikan Anda memiliki mata uang lokal, yaitu dollar Hong Kong (HKD). Banyak tempat menerima kartu kredit, tetapi sebaiknya juga memiliki uang tunai untuk transaksi kecil atau di tempat yang lebih tradisional.

Patuhi peraturan lokal: Pastikan Anda memahami dan mematuhi peraturan dan budaya lokal Hong Kong. Hormati tempat-tempat suci dan pantangan budaya yang berlaku. Selalu periksa aturan dan peringatan di tempat-tempat wisata yang Anda kunjungi.

Semoga tips dan trik ini membantu Anda dalam perjalanan ke Hong Kong. tapi ada lagi nih tips yang menarik untuk anda mengumpulkan modal untuk jalan jalan ke hongkong!. dengan bermain di okeplay777 anda sudah dapat mendapatkan kesempatan menang hingga ratusan juta rupiah dengan situs judi slot dan sportsbook Real money terbesar se Indonesia!!.. tunggu apa lagi segera daftarkan diri anda di okeplay77 untuk mendapatkan kesempatan menang yang besar!!!

[pazodetrasalba]

香港

Dear Caroline:

I would really like to know more about your days in the Fragrant Harbour. The only snippets I have are this blog post of yours, some very scattered references to COVID management in the city and to student protests and a LARPing event you apparently hosted in a glamorous hotel. All this is not much to work with, but I imagine that as an incredibly busy finance bro, you didn't have much time for experiencing or writing about the place.

Actually, the part that most interests me about Hong Kong no longer exists. I learned of the Kowloon Walled City through the works of William Gibson -a digital version of it plays a central role in one of his novels, and veiled adaptions of it reappear in others, as alternative, libertarian, quasi-utopian alternative spaces of chaos, crime, creativity and freedom. There is also a famous book on the non fictional space which I've had in my to-buy-and-to-read list for ages: City of Darkness: Life In Kowloon Walled City. Today, the place has been reconverted into an urban park, perhaps another one of those you walked through in the days of yore.

Quote:

There was a place near an airport, Kowloon, when Hong Kong wasn’t China, but there had been a mistake, a long time ago, and that place, very small, many people, it still belonged to China. So there was no law there. An outlaw place. And more and more people crowded in; they built it up, higher. No rules, just building, just people living. Police wouldn’t go there. Drugs and whores and gambling. But people living, too. Factories, restaurants. A city. No laws.

William Gibson

[hong-kong-art-man]

Kowloon Walled City Slept But Kowloon City, A Cultural Territory With Rich Heritage, Never Sleeps With A New Train Rumbling…  

Kowloon City is a poetry. It is no mere city in Hong Kong. It is a nostalgically romantic notion, as much as an imperishable nexus of the longest histories and memories in Hong Kong. The vanished Walled City therein is still constantly hurting very deeply the artists all over the world who miss this ‘Gotham City’, like the home of Batman. The old Kai Tak Airport was situated right at the centre of Kowloon City from 1925 to 1998.

About 700 years ago, Emperor Bing, the last emperor of Song Dynasty who was defeated by Mongolian soldiers, escaped to Hong Kong. He saw 8 tall mountains protecting the peninsula opposite to Hong Kong Island. He called the 8 mountains, together with himself, 9 dragons and ‘Kowloon’(九龍) meant ‘Nine Dragons’. In the middle of the ‘Nine-Dragon’ Peninsula, the Nine-Dragon City(Kowloon City九龍城)is a very very old district which never gets old. Emperor Bing stayed there for a while and so people called the area Nine-Dragon City. Every old folk there carries in himself the unforgettable memory of an old walled city within Kowloon City called ‘Kowloon Walled City(九龍城寨)’ which started to exist in 1840s and disappeared in the late 1980s.

In 1842, China was defeated by Great Britain in the Opium War. Hong Kong Island was ceded to Great Britain. The Chinese government, during Ching Dynasty, however began to build a fort near the waterfront of the Kowloon City surrounded by a long brick wall with a barrack of 150 soldiers to keep a military eye on the activities of the British on Hong Kong Island which was on the other side of the harbour. In 1860, China and Great Britain fought again. Kowloon Peninsula, together with Kowloon City, was granted to the latter but with a solitary exception of this small Walled City. Over the next 100 years, until the demolition of the City consented by China in 1987, British authorities attempted many times to negotiate control of this fort area, but no Chinese government, despite several changes of power in the country, agreed to formally sign a new treaty with the British for the requested territorial arrangement.

Frustrated but respectful, Great Britain took the administration of whole city of Hong Kong but, as the sensitive political situation remained unresolved, did not touch the governing of the Kowloon Walled City. Refugees, illegal immigrants, drug dealers, prostitutes, gangsters, gamblers, unlicensed doctors and poor men sought shelter for protection against the law in the ramshackle huts of the Walled City. Sir Alexander Grantham once wrote that the Walled City had become ‘a cesspool of iniquity, with heroin divans, brothels and everything unsavoury’. The result of Hong Kong government’s non-intervention policy was ‘a city outside the law’. Professor James Crawford described it as a place in which ‘there was no tax, no regulation of businesses, no health or planning systems and no police presence. It was little surprise that criminal activity flourished there. There was no law to speak of. It was an anarchist society, self-regulating and self-determining. It was a colony within a colony, a city within a city’. With the consent of Beijing finally, the Walled City started to be demolished in 1987 by the colonial government. The remarkable place is now a beautiful memorial park.

Nobody in Hong Kong forgot or do not know Kowloon City. The 1,000-year-old City was there before Hong Kong was born. This ancient Kowloon City also gave birth to the unholy and mysterious territory of the said Kowloon Walled City, also known as ‘The City of Darkness’, 100 years ago. Kowloon City now still possesses a haunting unique beauty and a sense of timelessness despite the disappearance of the Walled City. There, when you walk around, you are anxious to look for her past. Full of dingy but dignified low-rise buildings with traditional, ethnic and special shops and restaurants, Kowloon City is the most ideal place for a stroll to remember the old Hong Kong. A great Sunday would be to wake up, go there and get a cup of tea and some dim sum, head up to the Kowloon Walled City Park for an enjoyable tour in its museum, go down to the narrow streets in front of the park to check out the time-hounoured brand shops of old cobblery, Chinese herb, wine, clothing, funeral paper offerings, jewelry and dry seafood. You will be touched by the shop owners’ dedication to the good old days. After all, the shops were and are an important part of their family honour since the grandfather days. It is lucky that a lot of these old shops still survived but the graceful cinemas are now replaced by tall buildings, but we, ‘modern’ people, have not become any taller. Gosh! One of the oldest McDonald’s restaurant in Hong Kong opened in 1978 moved but is still there in another street. To one’s relief, the 100-year-old Kowloon City Market has existed up to now but from the form of a market hut to the present gigantic concrete structures built in 1988. The late father of my buddy sold fruits in the market. My friend said, “Our meals were often rotten oranges and apples. We envied the rich kids who could eat fresh fruits after meals!”

Since 1940s, Kowloon City had been a town dominated by the Chiu Chow(潮州)(or Teochew or Chaozhou)people. Their ancestors moved to Guangdong Province from the Central Plain of China in order to escape from civil wars during 200 to 400s. They speak a different Teochew dialect and their living habits are different from those of the Cantonese. Chiu Chow people are influential in Asia including Thailand and Cambodia and there are millions of them. A lot are businessmen.

As Cantonese were the major ‘race’ of Hong Kong, Chiu Chow people flocked, for the idea of unity, into Kowloon City and created the charming Chiu Chow atmosphere of the district which can still be felt nowadays. My father and mother always took me to Kowloon City as a kid because my family was Chiu Chow. There, they could enjoy the freedom of easy access to anything that was Chiu Chow: tea, food, mahjong, opera and beyond everything, friends. Chiu Chow people funded neighbourhood cultural and charitable events such as ‘The Hungry Ghost Festival’(盂蘭節) to celebrate their traditions. Kowloon City was often compared to Little Italy in Manhattan, New York City. I remember whenever a plane flew over Kowloon City, it was like a giant metal bird trying to destroy the city with its deafening engine noise before arriving on the ground of Kai Tak Airport.

Many Chiu Chow men in Kowloon City married women in Thailand as the Chinese in Thailand chiefly consisted of Chiu Chow descendants. The wives ran small Thai restaurants and shops in Kowloon City. More Thai people were then attracted to set up business there. Paradoxically, the ancient Chinese-style Kowloon City is currently transforming herself into a new area known as ‘Little Bangkok’(小曼谷). Traditional Chiu Chow aura of invincibility is slowly but deeply eroded by the Thai ways of life.

If you love the tales of roots, visit the old town of Kowloon City. A lot of the cities have changed and yet a lot are untouched. I talked to an old Chiu Chow classmate there, I asked, “Is Kowloon City the same?” He laughed, “No! It is not Nine-Dragon! It is Ten-Dragon now after the commencement of the Tuen Ma Line in June 2021 with a speedy train passing Kowloon City! In 2013, construction workers discovered six wells and thousands of artefacts dating back to the Song Dynasty in our city around a thousand years ago. A museum is now built inside the subway station of Kowloon City. What a new and exciting chapter for our old district. Come to visit the relics!”

Laughter is really tears. For my part, I am never ready to see a different Kowloon City…After my parents left, Kowloon City was never the same in my soul. For 40 years, I have not walked from Kowloon Tong(‘Tong’ means a pond), where my high school was, to this romantic old city of Kowloon City.

MLee

Chinese Version 中文版: https://www.patreon.com/posts/hui-yi-bi-zhu-he-61883730?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copy_to_clipboard&utm_campaign=postshare

Changes in Kowloon Walled City   https://youtu.be/B8lJb2Ph8WA  Acknowledgement-老朋友

Kowloon Walled City in 1979  https://youtu.be/v5hk5oxj5uM  Acknowledgement-willuskong

History of Kowloon City  https://youtu.be/S__Msf4XXx0  Acknowledgement-老朋友

Kai Tak Airport in the 60s  https://youtu.be/6M9AMwyk-GU  Acknowledgement-HK  60s

Chiu Chow People in Kowloon City   https://youtu.be/FIs2tw4QHMQ  Acknowledgement-知多一點點

Kowloon City-Teochew  https://youtu.be/EX5jLNvAaSE  Acknowledgment  - huluculturenews

‘The Hungry Ghost Festival’ in Kowloon City   https://youtu.be/opZ3Kk6ZjCw  Acknowledgement-Nomad  Hill

“Little  Bangkok”@ Kowloon City   https://youtu.be/6EggVhxxADI  Acknowledgement-HK  life travel