City-fortress Kowloon: photo, description. How to get from Kowloon to the airport?

This ghost town was considered by many to be a kingdom of darkness and the coming Apocalypse on the planet. It's just incredible that in the area of 2.6 hectares, which in size can be compared with two large football fields, at one time lived more than thirty thousand people. The city-fortress Kowloon can be considered a record for the number of people living on one square meter and the most populous place on earth.

How did it all start?

In the mid-nineteenth century, an opium war broke out between the Chinese Empire and Great Britain , following which Hong Kong became a British territory. Subsequently (in 1898) there were some changes, and this part of China was leased to Britain for 99 years, but only with one small condition: the fortress Kowloon will remain Chinese. This was done so that the government of the future PRC could observe how the British authorities and residents in Hong Kong behave. Thus, a real enclave appeared.

During the Second World War and the Japanese occupation of the island, the fortified city of Kowloon lost its surrounding walls, and the officials who lived there dispersed. Nevertheless, the quarter continued to exist and expanded not in breadth, but in height.

Transformation fortresses

In the postwar period, the city of Kowloon continued to be a Chinese territory surrounded by a colony of Britain. For the reasons that no laws and authorities operated at this place, this quarter became a real refuge for Chinese refugees. They rushed to its territory from the laws of revolutionary China and began a new life there.

At that time, a massive, spontaneous construction started on the site of the former construction, which the British authorities initially tried to prevent, but met with violent protest from the government of the Republic of China.

In the 60 years, the fortress town of Kowloon with its meager area became home to 20 thousand inhabitants. Every millimeter of its territory was occupied by high-rise buildings. There remained only a small unoccupied place in the center of the district, once served as the residence of a Chinese official, located there and at the present time as a reminder of the history of this fortress.

Features of city life

The city-fortress Kowloon was the territory on which the society lived, which does not recognize any laws. There was complete anarchy, any pickpocket or thief who committed the crime became an inviolable person for law enforcement officers, crossing the line of this quarter.

The population of this city continued to grow, and in the nineties it exceeded 30 thousand people. Perhaps, the residents would be more, but the height of the houses was limited and could not be more than 14 floors. Such forced measures were taken due to the fact that Kai Tak airport is nearby, and pilots for aircraft landing were forced to make a dangerous turn, afraid to hook the house.

But no one bothered to expand inside the fortified city of Kowloon. The photos taken at that time show that corridors and gaps between high-rise buildings and buildings here were only about seventy centimeters, or even less. Citizens living in apartments of ten square meters could consider that they are simply in the royal apartments of this place.

Every year new buildings here continued to grow, and complete powerlessness reigned. Old buildings fell into decay and collapsed, but there was no question of any major repairs. This is how I remember and entered the history of Hong Kong, this densely populated area.

The end of the "rubber" city

1987 was a decisive date for this quarter. The governments of the Republic of China and Britain finally came to a common agreement and decided to wipe these dangerous mega-slums off the face of the earth. All the residents of the city received financial compensation and could buy themselves a home in the houses of Hong Kong.

Demolition was set for 1992, but was perceived as violent protests by the aborigines of these places, who did not want to lose their old life. Nevertheless, the area was liquidated quite quickly, and during his devastation he served as a film set for the film with the participation of Jackie Chan. The process of destroying houses even allowed to remove several successful and spectacular frames.

The territory of the fortress in our days

And so, to the great relief of many Hong Kong residents, the city-fortress Kowloon ceased to exist. Kowloon Walled City - a park with the same name - appeared in its place, in which, in principle, there is nothing special, but for many tourists it reminds a certain castle having its own history.

The design is made in the style of the Qing dynasty. It was opened to the public in 1995. The park is located on an area of 31 000 square meters and is divided into eight different in style of scenic zones, but generalized by a unified architecture. On this local landmark, the Hong Kong government spent more than $ 76 million. For the safety of the park is the responsibility of the Ministry of leisure and culture.

Of course, there is not much that has been preserved from the former city, but still some items have remained. For example, there are some artifacts dating back to the times of the imperial dynasty of China. The remains of the southern gate are officially declared historical property of Hong Kong.

Route

A tourist who has arrived in Hong Kong will undoubtedly begin his inspection from a former fortress called Kowloon. How to get there, everyone in the city knows, but it's better to ask in advance.

There are several ways to build your route. The first one will tell you how to get from Kowloon to the airport and back. You can take advantage of the high-speed line of Metro Airport Express, which makes only three stops on the way. In order to reach the park, you need to go to the station Kowloon Station.

You can also take a bus. From the international airport of Chkheklapkok to the Kowloon Peninsula, there is a route No. A21, where stops are made only on demand. Therefore, it is better to look ahead at the electronic display with a scrolling line and the names of the stops.

Reviews of visitors

All those who previously saw or read about the fortress of Kowloon say that it was once the most dangerous place in the middle of the city, and now the locals are simply resting and quietly spending their leisure time. Many townspeople recommend visiting this park, as only in it one can rest in peace and quiet from the frenzied rhythm of the life of Hong Kong.

Tourists like that there are many beautiful Chinese pavilions, ponds and greenery, and especially the way birds sing beautifully in this place .

In the park, time passes unnoticed, you can just walk and enjoy the surrounding nature. There is also a cultural center, which can tell a lot of interesting things about the history of Hong Kong.