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The Strange Saga of Kowloon Walled City - Atlas Obscura

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Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life. This story is excerpted and adapted from James Crawford’s book, Fallen Glory: The Lives and Deaths of History’s Greatest Buildings. The most densely populated city on Earth had only one postman. His round was confined to an area barely a hundredth of a square mile in size. Yet within that space was a staggering number of addresses: 350 buildings, almost all between 10 and 14 stories high, occupied by 8,500 premises, 10,700 households, and more than 33,000 residents. The city’s many tall, narrow tower blocks were packed tight against each other—so tight as to make the whole place seem like one massive structure: part architecture, part organism. There was little uniformity of shape, height, or building material. Cast-iron balconies lurched against brick annexes and concrete walls. Wiring and cables covered every surface: running ver

' data-toggle="tooltip" title="Link Copied" class="DDPNavbarItem js-social-action-tracked" data-position="Sticky Header" data-service="Link" data-action="Copied" aria-label="Copy Link"> Copy Link Facebook Twitter Reddit Flipboard Pocket Kowloon Walled City was built without regulations. Greg Girard In This Story Place Kowloon Walled City Park Remnants of the most densely packed city in world history, that thrived on anarchy for 30 years. Destination Guide Hong Kong 14 Articles 70 Places This story is excerpted and adapted from James Crawford’s book, Fallen Glory: The Lives and Deaths of

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