What's the name of this Chinese neighborhood?

November 28, 2012 5:23 AM

Name of unofficial urban island within Chinese city, possibly Hong Kong?

I have seen photos of a tightly-bordered urban neighborhood in Hong Kong (I think) that was recently torn down. What was its name? I cannot think of terms useful for google.

The area was built in a haphazard fashion by residents to dizzying heights. From the ground one could not see the sun. People lived and worked there. All around was wasteland. An action movie was filmed there after it was condemned. I think there was a piece about it in the Daily Mail within the past year.

Thank you

posted by vincele to Grab Bag (7 answers total)

Best answer: Kowloon Walled City.
posted by pullayup at 5:25 AM on November 28, 2012 [2 favorites]

You may also be thinking of the parts of Skyfall filmed on Hashima Island, an actual island.
posted by pullayup at 5:27 AM on November 28, 2012 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Here's the Daily Mail article about Kowloon Walled City.
posted by pullayup at 5:28 AM on November 28, 2012 [3 favorites]

Best answer: I watched a good German documentary about the city on YouTube. It has English subtitles.
posted by devnull at 5:48 AM on November 28, 2012 [4 favorites]

I love this crazily-detailed drawing of Kowloon.
posted by Devils Rancher at 6:36 AM on November 28, 2012 [3 favorites]

Oddly relevant, it was the subject of the most recent episode of the 99% Invisible podcast.
posted by itesser at 7:08 AM on November 28, 2012 [2 favorites]

Coincidentally, the podcast "99% Invisible" had its most recent episode about Kowloon Walled City. That link has some excellent pictures, as well as a video of the city as it was re-created in the game "Call of Duty: Black Ops" (The original CoD:Black Ops game from a year or so ago, not the one that released this month.)

jinx!
posted by Sunburnt at 7:09 AM on November 28, 2012 [4 favorites]