Kowloon Walled City

Roman Mars, in episode 66 of his 99% Invisible program, explores the fantastical world of the Kowloon Walled City in Hong Kong:

Kowloon Walled City was the densest place in the world, ever.

By its peak in the 1990s, the 6.5 acre Kowloon Walled City was home to at least 33,000 people (with estimates of up to 50,000). That’s a population density of at least 3.2 million per square mile. For New York City to get that dense, every man, woman, and child living in Texas would have to move to Manhattan.

Fascinating. And amazing. That kind of density just boggles the mind. For perspective, I grew up outside of town on 10 acres (surrounded by additional open acreage). To imagine 30,000–50,000 people living in less space than my boyhood stomping grounds is mind blowing.

In a 2005 trip to Hong Kong, I unknowingly had the opportunity to visit the site of the Walled City which had long been demolished and turned into a park of the same name. (The picture above is my favorite shot from that trip.) The park is a lovely place but the history of the area is even more fascinating. I wish now that I had known the history as it would have been astounding to consider that the beautiful park was once home to so many.