KOWLOON A
LOST
WALLED
CITY:
HERITAGE
WHAT IS THE FUTURE OF LOST HERITAGE?
Siok Yee Tan Fifth Year U 1626389
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Contents
Abstract
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Introduction
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Chapter 1: History of Kowloon Walled City
The Origin The Rise The City
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Chapter 2: Dreams Turn Nightmares
Politics: The Safe Haven Politics: The Demolition Politics: The Memorial Park
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Chapter 3: Future of Heritage
Is Memorial Park Preserving The Heritage? Digital Tools In Reproduction of Lost Heritage
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Conclusion
Bibliography
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ABSTRACT 1, 2, 3…30…300 buildings……33,000 people, used to occupy a piece of land of no larger than 2.8ha (28,000m2). That was Kowloon Walled City (九龙城寨) 25 years ago before demolition, earned its fame by being the densest place on Earth during its peak in 1980s. It is said to be one of the history’s greatest anomalies. The site of Kowloon Walled City has more than 800 years of history since Song dynasty. Kowloon Walled City steadily bloomed into the densest urban cluster on Earth was due to complications of political power between the Chinese government and British colonial. The territory remained under Chinese rule throughout the period of British colonization, with neither authority power wishing to take charge, it has contributed to the growth of Kowloon Walled City, a safe haven for Chinese refugees during Opium War. This study examines how political power contributes to the rise and fall of a territory and what is the impact of the demolition. It further investigates how political power determines the heritage value of a site, from 300 buildings mowed flat into a memorial park now. Does the memorial park still hold any heritage value and what does it means to the people used to stay there? Apart from that, this study wishes to highlight that as the destruction of a historical site can no longer be prevented in the future, will digital tools be a method to reproduce the tangibility and intangibility of heritage? Is memorial park a way to preserve the heritage value and its collective memories? How can digital tools aid in the reproduction of lost heritage?
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INTRODUCTION Kowloon Walled City even though is not listed as world heritage by the UNESCO, but it has live on in the memories of ten of thousands of residents who once called it home. Situated on the north of Hong Kong island, Kowloon Walled City is one of the oldest sites in Hong Kong. Dating back to Song Dynasty, an outpost was built on site with merely 200 inhabitants and became the densest self-made, self-sustaining modern city on Earth. This essay will look into the transformation of Kowloon Walled City, from an outpost turned into densest place on Earth, how it helped to form a life within for the ten of thousands of people. Although the city is designed and formed without involvement of a single designer or architect, not to mention by-laws, yet they are bound to height restriction due to its location on the flight path of flights inbound and outbound of Kai Tak airport. Kowloon Walled City was born due to the complicated political status back in 19th Century while it was the political power too, that caused it falls. With it being the no man’s land, criminal activities and triads roam freely inside Kowloon Walled City, however, it is where the life of asylum seekers grasping for survival and a better future. This paper will investigate how political power contributed to its expansion to an uncontrollable measure and later turn it into dust. Historical, heritage and cultural values will be discussed in this essay to further understand how and why was it demolished. In 1993, it faced its deadly fate where the site has now turned into a flat, green memorial park with a couple of leftover foundations. What prompted its deadly fate? Is demolition trying to remove its existence and turning it into a myth? How would demolition help to build the society and is memorial park a way to preserve history? In this writing, I will look into these issues and research into how is the value of a land determined. Apart from that, in this era, destruction is sometimes unavoidable may it be caused by human nature or natural disaster, how can it be preserved for future reference? Kowloon Walled City has been widely used as a reference in foreign countries as a background for game development as well as film production. Will these be sufficient to sustain its essence? Are digital tools able to aid in the reproduction of lost heritage? How can these make a difference to a city that is now lost? These topics will be talked about in this paper with in-depth research.
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Figure 1. Aerial view of Kowloon Walled City in 1990s. Source: https://www.archdaily.com/800698/heres-what-western-accounts-of-the-kowloon-walled-city-dont-tell-you [Accessed 3 Jan 2018]
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Chapter 1
History of Kowloon Walled City The Origin Kowloon Walled City, before turning into a densely populated settlement, it was originally a Chinese military fort. Dating back to Song Dynasty from 960 to 1279, the northeastern corner of Kowloon peninsula was an important salt field. In order to control the trade of salt, the military outpost was established to house Imperial soldiers. By the year 1668, it was the habitat for 30 guards when the watchpost was set up on site. In 1810, an additional fort was built near the coast. Due to its strategic location, it was soon becoming a famous site. The name Kowloon was then adopted in 1840. In 1841, the Chinese responded when British occupied Hong Kong island to prevent its further invasion. (Wilkinson, 1993) After the ratification of Treaty of Nanking in 1843, a deputy magistrate whom responsible for 492 neighbouring villages and barracks of 150 soldiers were transferred to Kowloon city. However, the Viceroy/ Governor-General of Canton soon realised that those measures were not enough due to its exposed position of the site and proposed the most significant changes ever made to Kowloon city, the construction of the wall mounted with cannon. The wall was to strengthen the fort. (Sinn, 1987) By 1847, the wall is successfully built surrounding the fort, transforming the unremarkable fort into Kowloon Walled City. The wall was built of granite enclosed 6.5 acres of land. The walled fort symbolizes the Imperial control over the Barbarians in Hong Kong. Not long after the completion of the wall, the city had more improvements, several civic and public buildings were added on site. A yamen (office for the deputy magistrate), a traditional paper-burning pavilion near the east gate and in 1847, a communal school, Lung Chun Yee Hok was founded as a moral defence against barbarian influences and a meeting place for officials. Then, in 1880, a charitable society, the Lok Sin Tong (Hall of Willing Charity) had been established to distribute free education and free medicine to surrounding villages.
Figure 2. Map indicating area of Kowloon Walled City, Kowloon and Hong Kong in 1915. Source: http://www.mappery. com/map-of/1915-HongKong-Map [Accessed 3 Jan 2018]
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Figure 3. Kowloon Walled City in 1847. Source: http:// projects.wsj.com/ kwc/#chapter=history [Accessed 3 Jan 2018]
Figure 4. View of Dragon’s Path Pier towards Kowloon City, 1875. Source: City of Darkness: Life in Kowloon Walled City, 1993
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Figure 5. Image showing Magistrate’s Yamen and Sam Shing Temple, 1910s. Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/ richardwonghk/4258379505/in/photostream/[Accessed 3 Jan 2018]
Figure 6. The old wall, 1925. Source: https://gwulo.com/atom/29125 [Accessed 3 Jan 2018]
Figure 7. Kowloon Walled City in 1930s. Source: https://gwulo.com/taxonomy/term/22/photosgallery [Accessed 3 Jan 2018]
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The Walled City founded as a garrison town primarily for officials and soldiers as such commercial trading facilities such as markets are not available. In 1898, with a population of 500 soldiers and 200 civilians, the area leading from east gate to the waterfront soon developed into a hustling bustling market town. It soon attracted villagers and farmers from areas around. (Wilkinson, 1993) In the same year, Convention of Peking had been signed between China and Britain leasing territory south of the Shumchun river to Britain. However, a clause has been added to the agreement stating the Chinese will retain its jurisdiction in Kowloon Walled City as long as it is consistent with the military requirement to the defence of Hong Kong. (Sinn, 1987) Yet, that soon changed in 1899. With the Chinese sent in troops in the Walled City, the British is threatened and decided the Walled City should be seized. The British had claimed authority over the Walled City. (Wilkinson, 1993) Due to the feud between the Chinese and British, to portray dominance, British and Hong Kong authorities announced the plan of Walled City demolition. By 1940, everything was demolished except the yamen, school and one private house. Then, World War II broke off. In 1941, Japan had invaded Hong Kong for three years and eight months. During the invasion, Japanese had demolished oldest and final bit of the Walled City and used it for Kai Tak Airport expansion’s materials. (Carney, 2013; Wilkinson, 1993) The Walled City was gone.
Figure 8. The south gate inscribed with the words Kowloon Walled City, 1920s. Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/ richardwonghk/4258375027/in/photostream/ [Accessed 3 Jan 2018]
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The Rise After the end of the Japanese invasion, China tried to reclaim its jurisdiction over the Walled City. Even though the Kowloon Walled City was in a complete dismay, it did not stop the Chinese refugees from flocking in, fleeing away during Chinese Civil War. Kowloon Walled City was recognised as refugees guaranteed protection by China. At this time, both Chinese and British tried to claim sovereignty over Kowloon Walled City. (Wilkinson, 1993) This issue arose after the Opium War, when China saw ceding of Hong Kong to British as unfair when the Unequal Treaties were signed, 99 years lease of Kowloon and the New Territories. (Wesley, 1983) British agreed that China could continue its administration in Walled City until colonial administration was established. Yet, due to political reasons, Kowloon Walled City fell into the grey zone. The ambiguity over its sovereignty allowed Kowloon Walled City to be disputed but neither party were willing to surrender the area nor did they want to take full control. (Wilkinson, 1993) The sovereignty fight remained unresolved. (Sinn, 1987) The British adopted ‘hands-off’ policy in matters relating to the Walled City in order to maintain the good Sino-British relationship while Hong Kong government had no authority over the city. It resulted in turning Kowloon Walled City into a lawless enclave and hotbed for criminal activities. (Carney, 2013) Since opium was banned in China, it then found a new home inside Walled City. Opium dens, brothels, gambling parlors and dog meat restaurants soon mushroomed within the wall among a squalid maze of buildings. Apart from that, Kowloon Walled City was free from taxes and fees too, which attracted many inhabitants who was looking for land with cheap rental. (Wilkinson, 1993)
Figure 9. Convention on Extension of Hong Kong Territory between Chinese and Britain, 1898 Source: http://projects.wsj.com/kwc/#chapter=history [Accessed 3 Jan 2018]
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Figure 10. Aerial view of Kowloon Walled City in 1949. Source: https://www.archdaily.com/493900/the-architecture-of-kowloonwalled-city-an-excerpt-from-city-of-darkness-revisited [Accessed 3 Jan 2018]
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The City Kowloon Walled City soon made its name as a safe haven where refugees and squatters came pouring in. By 1947, 2000 squatters occupied Kowloon Walled City. As the fame of Kowloon Walled City as a place for refuge and cheap rent, the number of buildings and inhabitants soon followed. By 1947, there were 2,185 dwellings occupied by 10,000 people. (Carney, 2013) Dwellings soar skywards and they soon rose from 2 storeys to its golden height limit fourteen storeys (approximately 42 meters height). (Saywell, 2014) At that time, only two restrictions they were bound to, the height limit and the authorised installation of electricity to reduce fire risk. (Girard & Lambot, 1993) The buildings are bound to height limit of fourteen storeys were because of the close proximity to then still functioning Kai Tak Airport. The Kowloon Walled City situated just along the flight path where aircrafts were making the 45 degrees turn to land at Kai Tak. (Routley, 2017) During the early stage of construction inside Kowloon Walled City, buildings were constructed on the principle of squatters’ rights with predictable building typologies. Random constructions on the land of 2.7 hectares depended on whoever got there first. Since there were no rules and regulations and masterplans to abide by unconventional alleyways, passages, levels all grew unplanned and established the infamous Kowloon Walled City. Whole Kowloon Walled City existed without a single designer, architect or engineer in sight. (Saywell, 2014)
Figure 11. Flight path passing by Kowloon Walled City Source: http://www.visualcapitalist.com/ kowloon-walled-city/ [Accessed 3 Jan 2018]
Figure 12. Number of People per 5,000 sqft Source: City of Darkness: Life in Kowloon Walled City, 1993
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1847
1940
1965
1975
1989
Figure 13. Urban fabric form changes from 1847 - 1989. Source: https://issuu.com/historiadeunalobotomia/ docs/kowloon_walled_city_-_ heterotopia_i [Accessed 3 Jan 2018]
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Figure 14. Aerial view of Kowloon Walled City in 1970s. Source: http://hongwrong.com/ kowloon-walled-city-photos/ [Accessed 3 Jan 2018]
Figure 15. Roofscape of Kowloon Walled City Source: http://www.scmp.com/ magazines/post-magazine/ article/1581649/kowloon-walledcitys-fight-exist [Accessed 3 Jan 2018]
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Figure 16. Squatters infront Walled City in 1970s. Source: http://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1191748/kowloon-walled-city-life-city-darkness [Accessed 3 Jan 2018]
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An intricate network of communal stairways and corridors linked one to the other, creating a warren of passages that made it possible to traverse the Walled City from one end to the other without once touching the ground. Existing staircases were co-opted, floors were cantilevered over alleys while ignoring windows in adjacent buildings and walled over. Whilst on the ground level, still exists the old grid of public alleyways, although it was usually dark even in the day due to the density of dwellings built. Basic necessities such as electricity and water were provided. However, for an overcrowded community, they were merely provided with eight Government standpipes of fresh water, yet only one is within the city’s boundaries. (Girard & Lambot, 1993) With its compacity, roofscape of the Kowloon Walled City became its own public realm with gardening, playground for children, a place where lateral circulation occurred. (Saywell, 2014) By 1970s, the Kowloon Walled City was so compact that it was estimated to be only 7 square feet per person. It was so dense that there was virtually no ground level daylight penetration. The only void inside the city with visible sky was the yamen, which leased to a missionary society to be used as an almshouse and old folks’ home. The only part of Kowloon Walled City which against all odds surrounding it. (Saywell, 2014) At its peak during 1980s, Kowloon Walled City was home for 35,000 people with 300 buildings interwoven with each other. It was 119 times as dense as presentday New York City. (Carney, 2013)
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Figure 17. West facade of Kowloon Walled City. Source: City of Darkness: Life in Kowloon Walled City, 1993
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Chapter 2
Dreams turn Nightmares Politics- The Safe Haven As discussed briefly in previous paragraphs, Kowloon Walled City turned into a lawless slump mainly due to the politics between the Chinese and the British. This can be traced back to when Britain colonized Hong Kong island following Qing Dynasty defeat in the first Opium War. That had prompted the Chinese to take precaution measures of Britain possible invasion of Kowloon. Due to that, the Walled City was filled with garrison soldiers with a wall built. (Wilkinson, 1993) The first Opium War was ended with the Treaty of Nanking (29th Aug 1842) which resulted in a series of unfair treaties forced to sign by Chinese that eventually hurt them and benefited the West. Treaty of Nanking ceded Hong Kong island to Britain while opening treaty ports for foreign trades in China. (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2017) In 1898, following China’s defeat in Sino-Japanese War, Britain took the advantage of their weakened authority. A second unequal treaty, Convention of Peking for the Extension of Hong Kong had been signed. Britain wanted to expand its area of colonisation to secure the trades. In this new convention, Hong Kong was leased to Britain for ninety-nine years and to be returned to China in 1997 when the leased expired. The new lease included areas surrounding Hong Kong, called “New Territories” and Kowloon peninsula is part of it. (Scott, 1989) This is where it gets complicated as Kowloon Walled City falls under the territory but China was not letting go its jurisdiction over the Walled City. An extra clause was added in the agreement stated “…within the city of Kowloon, the Chinese officials now stationed there shall continue to exercise jurisdiction except so far as may be inconsistent with the military requirements for the defence of Hong Kong” while the surrounding land fell under Britain’s jurisdiction. (Wilkinson, 1993) The Walled City was engulfed and surrounded by Britain.
Figure 18. Treaty of Nanking. Source: https://china-britain-imperialism.weebly.com/unequal-treatiesdemands.html [Accessed 3 Jan 2018]
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The aftermath of this was the claim of jurisdiction over the Walled City after World War II. The sovereignty fight of jurisdiction over Walled City between Britain and China was unresolved. It resulted the Walled City became a lawless enclave. The British adopted ‘hands-off’ policy in matters relating to the Walled City in order to maintain the good SinoBritish relationship while Hong Kong government had no authority over the city. (Carney, 2013) The enormous architectural phenomenon in Kowloon Walled City existed due to complicated political issues between Chinese and Britain where it occupied the void between two nations where politics played out. It turned into a political no man’s land. (Hung, 2017) The Walled City then flourished into a self-supported lawless city which eventually got out of control.
Figure 19. New tower block rising up, 1975. Source: http://cityofdarkness. co.uk/category/the_city/ [Accessed 3 Jan 2018]
Figure 20. People started flocking in to Kowloon Walled City due to the politics between Chinese and Britain. Source: http://cityofdarkness.co.uk/category/ the_city/ [Accessed 3 Jan 2018]
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Figure 21. Axonometry of Kowloon Walled City.. Source: 1. http://www.visualcapitalist.com/kowloon-walled-city/ [Accessed 3 Jan 2018]
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Figure 22. Dark alley in Kowloon Walled City. Source: City of Darkness: Life in Kowloon Walled City, 1993
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Politics- The Demolition Several attempts were carried out by Hong Kong Government throughout the lifespan of Kowloon Walled City to get rid of the eyesore. The crowding of squatters was seen as a problem by colonial government and saw the opportunity to evict illegal settlers when the upcoming expiration of land leases in Walled City. In 1933, the Government announced the demolition plan and to compensate 436 squatter-residents. (Wilkinson, 1993) The Government saw the Walled City in the way of development when the surrounding had been rapidly evolved, demolition was used as an excuse. Demolition was seen as a tool to side-step the Chinese claim of jurisdiction over Kowloon Walled City too, in 1947. But, it did not go according to plan this time. A riot broke out. From here onwards, the Government adopted a hands-off policy which contributed to the uncontrollable growth.(Wilkinson, 1993) Three years later, a massive fire reduces the Walled City to near ashes yet it continued to sustain and grow exponentially. 1962, another plan to demolish was announced by the Government and angered China. The Walled City was still under Chinese’s sovereignty which was seen as a violation of power of the Government. In order to maintain a good relationship, the Government had put the demolition plan on halt. (Mchugh, 2014)
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Figure 23. Before the demolition. Source: City of Darkness: Life in Kowloon Walled City, 1993
Figure 24. Protest against demolition. Source: City of Darkness: Life in Kowloon Walled City, 1993
Figure 25. Conflict between the residents and police. Source: City of Darkness: Life in Kowloon Walled City, 1993
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Figure 26. Demolition with wrecking ball. Source: http://www.scmp. com/magazines/post-magazine/article/1581649/kowloon-walled-citys-fight-exist [3 Jan 2018]
Figure 27. Demolition in 1993. Source: http://www.scmp. com/magazines/post-magazine/article/1581649/kowloon-walled-citys-fight-exist [3 Jan 2018]
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However, it did not last long till another plan of demolition announced. By 1984, both Chinese and Britain had found the Kowloon Walled City to be unbearable with its high crime rates and evading rules. The mutual agreement of returning Hong Kong’s sovereignty to China had laid the groundwork for clearance of Kowloon Walled City during 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration. Just overnight, Kowloon Walled City lost its political protection from China which had been stopping Britain Hong Kong Government from mowing it to flat land. Both China and Britain agreed that Kowloon Walled City was unsafe for crowding people in harsh conditions and it needed to be cleared. (Goddard, 1993) The plan to demolish was kept with high confidentiality and top secret to prevent another series of mass rally and strike. Staffs from Housing Department were only told of their survey destination on the day of action. They went door-to-door for interviews and recorded 28,200 occupants in 8,800 structures. Demolition was used as a tool to remove the dark spot left from history. Compensations were distributed but residents were not satisfied. The first phase of demolition completed on 28th of November 1991 followed by the second phase on 3rd of March 1992. Kowloon Walled City was completely bulldozed into rubble in 1993. Kowloon Walled City, which described by a Chinese official as the “question left over from history”, then turned into nothing more than a park, after nearly 100 years standing. (Mchugh, 2014, Goddard, 1993) This raises the question, how did an architecture phenomena used to be so impactful and important, turned from something into nothing in a blink of an eye.
Figure 28. Report in South China Morning Post. Source: http://www.scmp.com/magazines/ post-magazine/article/1581649/kowloonwalled-citys-fight-exist [Accessed 3 Jan 2018]
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Figure 29. Elderly residents worship before the last clearance. Source: http://www.thetravelclub.org/articles/travelogues/664-kowloon-walled-city-life-in-the-cityof-darkness [3 Jan 2018]
Figure 30. Policemen barricade formed during the eviction. Source: http://www.thetravelclub.org/articles/travelogues/664-kowloon-walled-city-life-in-the-cityof-darkness [3 Jan 2018]
Figure 31. Resident forced removed during the eviction operation. Source: http://www.thetravelclub.org/articles/travelogues/664-kowloon-walled-city-life-in-the-city-ofdarkness [3 Jan 2018]
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Figure 32. Demolition during 1993- 1994. Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/HistoryPorn/comments/5lg1cs/demolition_of_the_kowloon_walled_city_199394/ [3 Jan 2018]
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Politics- The Memorial Park “There is both a horror and a fascination at something so apparently permanent as a building, something that one expects to outlast many a human span, meeting an untimely end.” (Bevan, 2006) How is one valued as heritage and preserved? The histories, the events or the socio-cultures? Kowloon Walled City was no doubt an undesirable outcome born under the political turmoil then again bulldozed under the stress of politics too. However, how did a site with rich and long standing history and life ended up as rumbles? Why was it labelled with title of historical site/ memorial park only after it turned into ashes? Why is it selectively preserved? The historical site is where pieces of social, cultural and political history have been preserved due to their cultural heritage value. However, Kowloon Walled City Memorial Park preserved only yamen and some remnants of the city wall. The social and cultural history of people and life within the wall is almost non-existence. Political tension between Chinese and Britain eased after some secret discussion which agreed to the Walled City which existed in a pocket of the past to be removed once and for all of the modern age. (Harter, 2000) It came as a shock to the residents who have always depend on its protection from China. Both governments erasing the leftover dark spot, notably for its vice activities. “It was an act to remove the presence of community.” (Bevan, 2006) Similar to the event of Nazis destroying German synagogues on Kristallnacht in 1938, it was an act of ethnic cleansing, to deny its past and future. (Bevan, 2006) By clearing Kowloon Walled City from the face of Earth, it wanted its dark past, its failure in controlling it be gone from history. In order to erase the painful memories of the unequal treaties and colonial exploitations during China’s darkest hour, a fictitious space is designed where history is controlled. (Hung, 2013) Even after its demolition, politics still play a role in determining what to be preserved.
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Figure 33. Kowloon Walled City mowed into flat land. Source: http://www.thetravelclub.org/articles/travelogues/664-kowloon-walled-city-life-in-the-city-of-darkness [3 Jan 2018]
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Chapter 3
Future of Heritage Is Memorial Park Preserving The Heritage? In 1994, Kowloon Walled City Memorial Park is placed on site which designed with reference to Qing Dynasty’s garden, showing the beauty of Chinese landscape. The park covered 31,000 square meters is opened to public in 1995. The memorial park featured a fully restored yamen and some relics of the original old gate (South Gate) engulfed by lush greeneries. (VisitOurChina, 2018) Both Yamen and remnants of South Gate were declared as monuments. (WebArchive, 2018) The memorial park was separated into sections of exhibition halls showing the history of Kowloon Walled City, some interviews with former residents, remnants and photos and model of Kowloon Walled City. It attempted to bring some realism to the visitors but failed. (Hung, 2013)
Figure 34. Kowloon Walled City Memorial Park Map. Source: http://www.dailyposts.me/a/20171129/00284.html [3 Jan 2018]
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Memorial park, generally, a site established to remember important past events which occurred on site may it be related to social, culture, politics or architecture. It serves as a remembrance. However, for the case of Kowloon Walled City, does the Memorial Park served as a remembrance? The memorial park is seen as a stage for a statement about the relationship between China and Hong Kong. Apart from that, turning it into a public green park was seen as a solution to discourage vice and foster urban morality is contrary to what it once was. (Harter, 2000) As quoted from a tourism website, “Kowloon Walled City, remembered today as haven of crime and debauchery.” (DiscoverHongKong, 2018) It was partially true, but not to the residents of Kowloon Walled City. One resident was interviewed in the article ‘Kowloon Walled City: Our Place’ mentioned, the danger was not always the case. In fact, she had happy memories living in Kowloon Walled City and nothing scary about it. Everyone lived as a close community, co-existing with each other. (Kwan, 1993) These are not the stories one would experience when visiting the memorial park. The memorial park was rather curated where selected parts and parcels of the history are delivered to the public. The harmonious community life it once contained was nowhere to be found in the memorial park. No doubt it has preserved the first building built on site (Yamen) and remnants of the South Gate, but it did not preserve the social culture it once had. It is almost like they do not want people to remember what it once was.
Figure 35. Previous yamen fully restored . Source: http:// archive.is/Kwztp [3 Jan 2018]
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Figure 36. Original remnants of South Gate. Source: http://hongwrong.com/ kowloon-walled-city-photos/ [3 Jan 2018]
Figure 37. The memorial park is officially opened to the public in 1995. Source: http://projects.wsj.com/ kwc/#chapter=history [3 Jan 2018]
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The careful selection of garden design with imitation to Qing Dynasty (a period where it was not influenced by Western power) was seen as a concerted effort to attempt to erase any impurities of the centuries that followed and to introduce a fictitious continuity. Although one of the goals of The Architecture Services Department was to preserve the spirit of Kowloon Walled City, it was rather confusing with the choice of its landscape design. (Harter, 2000) The intention was incoherent to its goals. The memorial park idealised China’s image of history while ignoring factual events. The physical memorialisation of inhabitants in Kowloon Walled City is erased and covered with an ornate garden. The experiences of vice, dirt and harmony are long gone. (Fraser & Li, 2017)
Figure 38. Previous yamen fully restored . Source: http://archive.is/Kwztp [3 Jan 2018]
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Digital Tools in Reproduction of Lost Heritage Despite it turning into dust, Kowloon Walled City has embarked an afterlife on other physical and virtual contexts while live on as vivid memories of ex-residents. (Fraser & Li, 2017) Kowloon Walled City has become a source of inspiration for film productions, online games’ graphics, setting for a story etc. Outsiders grew curiosity not just towards its self-organised form, but towards its functional community as well. Its urban self-growth and organic evolution attracted eyes of many. The organic built form, self-produced community and its harmonious relationship among residents have greatly inspired major filmmakers, artists and designers from east to west. From Crime Story and Ip Man to Bloodsport, The Bourne Supremacy and Batman Begins, all these movies adapted part of Kowloon Walled City in their movies. It appears in William Gibson’s Bridge trilogy and online game “Call of Duty: Black Ops” too. (WallStreetJournal, 2018) Kowloon Walled City has lived on in a virtual world. Kowloon Walled City has its own admirers in Japan. A group of Japanese architects and researchers had precisely measured the city the night before demolition and produced an incredibly precise cross-section drawing of Kowloon Walled City. Apart from virtual world and drawings, a Japanese games company found particular liking towards Kowloon Walled City too and has remodelled part of the city into an amusement arcade in Kawasaki Japan. The interior of Kawasaki Warehouse was carefully detailed including dilapidated structures, graffiti, original post boxes and even old laundry were sourced from Hong Kong. It is dimly lighted as well to recreate the dark, damp alleyways of Kowloon Walled City. (Girrard, 2018)
Figure 39. Detailed sections of Kowloon Walled City by Japanese researchers. Source: http://www.thisiscolossal.com/2014/11/an-illustrated-cross-section-of-hong-kongs-infamous-kowloon-walled-city/ [3 Jan 2018]
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All these ‘second-life’ in another form have been made possible thanks to previous research, photographs, video documentations and recollection memories of exresidents. However, how do we ensure its lasting presence in the future rather than just a myth for future generations? Many great heritage pieces have been destroyed by mankind or nature disasters as time passes. The lost pieces may only exist in the minds of those who experienced it. This raises the question of how heritage can be preserved and restored in digital formats via available digital tools in this technology shift. Project Mosul, an initiative by two archaeology greaduates, Matthew Vincent and Chance Coughenour, a crowdsourcing platform to collect photographs of monuments, museums and artefacts damaged by human interventions or natural disasters as a basis to create 3D representations of them. The digital restoration aims to preserve the memory of lost cultural heritage. The photographs are then matched by volunteers around the world and run them through modelling software to reconstruct it digitally. (Coughenour, 2016; Nodjimbadem, 2016) It would be an effective way to preserve memory and spirit of Kowloon Walled City via digital tools. There were numerous photographs and videos including the detailed sectional drawing and interviews with past residents which could serve as the data for reconstructing it digitally. The memory of Kowloon Walled City as a physical place can be replaced into a realm of cultural memory via artificial reconstruction digitally. (Fraser & Li, 2017)
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Conclusion Kowloon Walled City, a beautiful disaster, an accident formed within the crack between the political power of Chinese and Britain. Once a fortress with mere inhabitants transformed into the most densely populated settlement on Earth has vanished into thin air and turned into lush greeneries. It was a site once populated with life; now, it is just a vast garden which is almost forgotten by many what it once was. A site of controversial where outsiders despised its unhygienic conditions and criminal activities but home for many who just wanted to survive. Kowloon Walled City till this day remains a fascination to many. Its self-organising built form inspired researchers to look into the definition of organic architecture; it captivates people on how creative the inhabitants were in solving issues and making life works in a tiny space; its density and condition inspired many storylines in a fictional world. However, will Kowloon Walled City turns into a myth? It is saddening on the government’s approach in tackling the issue of Kowloon Walled City and saw demolition as a solution for creating a better living condition for the inhabitants while ironically turning the plot into a memorial park to commemorate its historical value. Funnily, most of the inhabitants were happy and contented with their state of life until the forceful evacuation which fumed outrage. It is even more devastating where traces of memories inside Kowloon Walled City are not fully portrayed in the designated memorial park. Kowloon Walled City came to life and rose to its fame for its organically built environment and its harmony among inhabitants but it was scraped off and remembered now as a place of vice. Memorial park may not be a wrong way to commemorate histories but it is not working in the context of Kowloon Walled City. The selectiveness of its memorialisation sparks the discourse of authenticity. More efforts and adequate solutions could have been done to showcase the history of Kowloon Walled City despite words and photographs and several fallen stones.
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Since the reality and physicality of Kowloon Walled City are gone, I believe there is a potential of incorporating technology in rebuilding the lost historical value and heritage. The history and experience could be digitised. For example, Project Mosul, it utilises the public and technologies to recreate the destroyed monuments so to prolong its existence in the mind of many in the future. It aims to preserve the form digitally and be shared. Yet unlike to Project Mosul, more incorporation is required to bring its essence of life to the public. With the emerging of augmented reality and virtual reality (AR/ VR) technology, it could help the lost culture and heritage finding a second life in the physical world showcasing its bits and grains. Such technology could help in recreating scenes and moments of life back in the days on the spot for visitors to better understand its histories. Globally, issues of ethnic cleansing and slum clearances have been neglected by many. Original inhabitants are forced to move, affecting the life and communities. Slums are seen as a tainted spot, seemingly unfit within the community; the authorities do the best to demolish it instead of enhancing the conditions. Kowloon Walled City was not the only place which experienced such treatment. Slums in London and Paris had both suffered a similar fate. Before long, with poor documentation and rejections of the authorities, the slums slowly turned into story ones used to know. Whilst, the site turned into something else which authorities deemed coherent with surrounding developments. These lost of memories, identities and heritage is saddening. Nevertheless, by utilising the advancement of the technologies, technology could play a vital role in preserving the lost memories and heritage. With the appropriate tools and data collections, the lost heritage will find a second life in virtual form. However, if demolition has not been executed, could these places be used differently? Will digital reality create better experiences for the visitors? These would be questions to ponder on.
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