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> What remains unclear is why there was such little protest over its demolition Why would there be? This seems like one of those "people living in squalor is t

> What remains unclear is why there was such little protest over its demolition Why would there be? This seems like one of those "people living in squalor is their right!" statements by people on the outside that want to visit a human zoo. I suspect no one that was living there would choose to go back if it still existed. My friends from there certainly don't. They might have a few fond memories but so do war veterans.

rkozik1989 2y ago
That's actually not true at all. According to interviews a lot of people actually miss it. I believe it was a German documentary that I first heard it in. I'm kind of obsessed with this place and even created a game around the premise of a walled city.
- tasuki 2y ago
  From another comment, said documentary: https://youtu.be/S-rj8m7Ssow https://youtu.be/S-rj8m7Ssow
- 15155 2y ago
  Stray?
- Macha 2y ago
  Certainly I've heard the same from a coworker reporting on her grandmother's perspective (her grandmother lived there in the 60s/70s). At the same time, the grandmother did leave when she could, long before the final demolition, despite her later views on that time.
- Loughla 2y ago
  Metro but set in Kowloon would be shockingly good to play.
brazzy 2y ago
Some people actually refused to move out and had to be evicted. People form emotional attachment to their home, even if the living conditions are bad.
- duxup 2y ago
  Especially if they are older. I'm in a suburban / rural border area and there are lots of older folks who just want to spend their days at home. But the area is changing, people around them are selling and that means change. The interesting dynamic is that most have enough land to sell for a very pretty penny and they could build a great place further out, far better than they have now, but rather they value the comfort and familiarity of home, and I get that too.
immibis 2y ago
There must have been reasons why those people chose to live there. They must have felt it was their best option. If they were mistaken then they should be provided with more information until they are not mistaken. If they were not mistaken then the government barged in and removed these people's best living option because the government felt it was ugly. That's not very good.
- alephnerd 2y ago
  > There must have been reasons why those people chose to live there Undocumented status. HK was not part of the PRC until 1997, and even today you require authorization to live there. Back before reunification, lots of undocumented Chinese nationals would sneak across the fence in the New Territories and then live in the Walled City as it was technically still Chinese territory that was not absorbed by the British during the 99 year lease.
  - immibis 2y ago
    So did they give those people permanent residency in Hong Kong, or did they just demolish their homes and tell them to fuck off back to the totalitarian dictatorship they escaped?
    - deleted 2y ago
      [deleted]
- 5040 2y ago
  Consider the plight of the dentists and doctors: >There were some 90 dentists and around 30 doctors operating in the City, for the most part trained in China but unable to operate in Hong Kong without taking more exams. The City provided a handy alternative and they were allowed to operate there without oversight from the authorities. Many were actually very good at their job and attracted patients from a wide area – including a number of policemen to our knowledge – the best of them with smart premises along Tung Tau Tsuen Road that ran along the north side of the City.
5040 2y ago
>"people living in squalor is their right!" For many, a big part of the appeal was the low costs of living. Surely choosing relative squalor with low prices should be an option?

rkozik1989 2y ago

That's actually not true at all. According to interviews a lot of people actually miss it. I believe it was a German documentary that I first heard it in. I'm kind of obsessed with this place and even created a game around the premise of a walled city.

tasuki 2y ago
From another comment, said documentary: https://youtu.be/S-rj8m7Ssow https://youtu.be/S-rj8m7Ssow
15155 2y ago
Stray?
Macha 2y ago
Certainly I've heard the same from a coworker reporting on her grandmother's perspective (her grandmother lived there in the 60s/70s). At the same time, the grandmother did leave when she could, long before the final demolition, despite her later views on that time.
Loughla 2y ago
Metro but set in Kowloon would be shockingly good to play.

brazzy 2y ago

Some people actually refused to move out and had to be evicted. People form emotional attachment to their home, even if the living conditions are bad.

duxup 2y ago
Especially if they are older. I'm in a suburban / rural border area and there are lots of older folks who just want to spend their days at home. But the area is changing, people around them are selling and that means change. The interesting dynamic is that most have enough land to sell for a very pretty penny and they could build a great place further out, far better than they have now, but rather they value the comfort and familiarity of home, and I get that too.

immibis 2y ago

There must have been reasons why those people chose to live there. They must have felt it was their best option. If they were mistaken then they should be provided with more information until they are not mistaken. If they were not mistaken then the government barged in and removed these people's best living option because the government felt it was ugly. That's not very good.

alephnerd 2y ago
> There must have been reasons why those people chose to live there Undocumented status. HK was not part of the PRC until 1997, and even today you require authorization to live there. Back before reunification, lots of undocumented Chinese nationals would sneak across the fence in the New Territories and then live in the Walled City as it was technically still Chinese territory that was not absorbed by the British during the 99 year lease.
- immibis 2y ago
  So did they give those people permanent residency in Hong Kong, or did they just demolish their homes and tell them to fuck off back to the totalitarian dictatorship they escaped?
  - deleted 2y ago
    [deleted]
5040 2y ago
Consider the plight of the dentists and doctors: >There were some 90 dentists and around 30 doctors operating in the City, for the most part trained in China but unable to operate in Hong Kong without taking more exams. The City provided a handy alternative and they were allowed to operate there without oversight from the authorities. Many were actually very good at their job and attracted patients from a wide area – including a number of policemen to our knowledge – the best of them with smart premises along Tung Tau Tsuen Road that ran along the north side of the City.

5040 2y ago

>"people living in squalor is their right!" For many, a big part of the appeal was the low costs of living. Surely choosing relative squalor with low prices should be an option?