KOWLOON

WALLED CITY

THE WALLED CITY

Try to imagine a city with no laws or regulations inhabited by 50,000 residents in
an area that is less than six acres.
In a chaotic labyrinth of darkness lies a community of human beings working and
living without sunlight or fresh air.
Opium dens and brothels sit side by side kindergartens and illegal doctors and
dentists. Food is prepared for upscale Hong Kong restaurants in areas the size of
a closet, crawling with roaches and mice. Sewage runs freely down dark streets as
women and drugs are sold with no fear of repercussions.
Here lies the social and legal anomaly named Kowloon Walled City.

EXPLORE THE WALLED CITY

INTERACTIVE 1.1 Kowloon 3D Model

Rotate & zoom to get a sense the walled city. Tap to view full-screen.

CITY OF DARKNESS
Kowloon is a legal and social anomaly found just outside the city
limits of Hong Kong, China. The original 6 acre plot of land was
established in the year 960 by the Song Dynasty to be used as an
outpost to regulate the trade of salt. In 1842 the Chinese built the
infamous wall around the outpost to further protect it from future
invasion of the British. China eventually lost Kowloon to the British in
1899. After years of inactivity China declared to take the walled city
back after the Japanese surrender in World War II. By 1947 over
2,000 squatters, wishing to live under Chinas protection, flooded the
area. After a failed attempt to drive them out in 1948, Britain adopted
a hands-off approach.
With little to no government enforcement from either Great Britain or
China, the walled city became a refuge for those who wished to live
outside the law. The city became a haven for crime and drugs, and
by 1959 Kowloon was almost completely governed by the organized
crime ring known as the Triads. The Triads had complete control of
all the brothels, drug dens, and gambling operations inside
Kowloon. Using the profits of such businesses, construction took off
in the 1960s and 1970s to expand to new enterprises. By the early
1960s, crime was so bad that the police would only attempt to enter
Kowloon with mass forces in raids. The Triads demanded that the
residents and business owners of the city pay them a fee in order to
be protected while living there. It was not until 1973-74 when a
series of 3,500 police raids resulting in over 2,500 arrests and 4,000
pounds of seized drugs that the Triads power began to wain.

Self-organized groups were established to improve the quality of

life in Kowloon and some schools were established, although they
were unregulated.
The architecture of the city itself during this time is what gave it the
name the City of Darkness.The buildings could not expand outward
past the natural wall borders, so the new construction was built
upwards. The buildings themselves were not to exceed 14 stories so
that planes could land at the Hong Kong airport, less than a mile
away. A labyrinth of 250 sq. ft. apartments and 10x10 rooms used
for businesses went up, one on top of the other, until natural sunlight
was seen no more. Fluorescent lighting and fans were found
throughout the structure to try to compensate for the lack of fresh air
and sunlight.
Only eight main water pipes were responsible for providing all
50,000 residents with water. Sewage flowed down the streets, which
were an average of 3.5 feet wide. People on upper floors would
simply empty a bucket of sewage out their door without regard to
what was beneath them. Walkways inside the city were built with
bamboo shoots linking the tiny rooms on many levels to each other.
All of the walls inside of the apartments and businesses were
constantly wet from the poor irrigation systems. Residents would get
the water they needed for personal use at filling stations located at
various stations throughout the city. The streets were littered with
rats and roaches and any other scavengers that had found a safe
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place to live in Kowloon, not unlike the

residents. The rooftops were completely
covered with TV antennae and ladders
connecting one roofline to the other.
The very center of the city was called
the Yemen, where many different
religions were practiced and gambling
was prevalent.
Even though Kowloon was notorious for
the violent lifestyle that went on within its
walls, there were many others who lived
there due to extreme poverty. Since there
were no regulations on how products
were manufactured, residents of the city
were able to sell their merchandise at a
greatly discounted rate. This attracted the
business of many fine restaurants and
merchants out of the Hong Kong area
looking to increase their profit margin.
Working 12 hour days, 7 days a week,
anywhere from 1-10 workers would
occupy a space up to 10x10 feet. Food
was prepared alongside the rats and
roaches with wet, dripping walls; and
plastic-bag manufacturers worked in
rooms with children and no ventilation.
Children as young as two were working

as well, mimicking the motions of

their mothers.
Over time, the British and Chinese
governments agreed that the living
conditions of the city had become
intolerable and laid out the plans for
destruction in 1984. The actual
announcement to demolish the city came
in 1987. The Hong Kong government
spent some 3.5 billion dollars in
compensating the residents that lived in
Kowloon; however, some of those
residents were not satisfied with this
compensation and were forcibly removed
from the city between November 1991
and December 1992.
After four months of planning, the
demolition of the walled city began on
March 23, 1993 and concluded in April of
1994. Construction for the Kowloon
Walled City Park began the following
month. The 336,000 square-foot area that
was once among the darkest, most
desolate places in the world to live, now
has a beautiful, fresh, flower-filled
memorial park standing in its stead.

DENSE
Explosive growth in a limited space made Kowloon Walled City one of the most
densely populated places on earth. At its peak, it is estimated that 50,000
people lived in about 6 acres.

DIAGRAM 1.2
Tap to view population density comparisons.

Lenoir City

Maryville, TN

Knoxville, TN

New York, NY

DIAGRAM 1.1 Each dot represents approximately 100 people. The boxes represent one square mile.

Kowloon

CITY OF ANARCHY

UNREGULATED & UNACCOUNTABLE

What made Kowloon dark and terrifying is also what caused
some to find it irresistible: it existed in a lawless vacuum.
If you were on the run, Kowloon was where you got to stop
running. If you wanted to conduct business in the shadow of
anonymity without regulations, Kowloon was perfect.
If you wanted to break a law, youd have to do that somewhere
else, because in Kowloon there were no laws.

NOT GONE YET

The historical and political anomaly once called Kowloon

Walled City now only exists in photos and memories. But
the mind is everyones walled city. In our minds we can
construct our own reality, and its just as ungovernable as
Kowloon once was. A fleeting moment of shame, rage or
lust and our minds may play host to thoughts that wed
never want revealed. We dream of doing things wed never
dream of doing. And yet, theres no one to call us into
account... no brows being furrowed, no fingers being
wagged, and certainly no punishments being exacted.

But, just as the inner workings of Kowloon dramatically

impacted the great city of Hong Kong that surrounded it, the
inner workings of our minds contribute to our external lives
constantly. What happens in Kowloon, doesnt stay in
Kowloon.
The greatest concern, however, is not the threat of idle
thoughts working their way into reality. This instruction was
not just concerned with preventing a potentially dangerous
thought pattern from leaking into the real world. This

The LORD does not look

at the things people
look at. People look at
the outward
appearance, but the
LORD looks at the
heart."

1 Samuel 16:7 (NIV)

instruction was given

because our thought patterns
dont have to lead to an action to be
real... the workings of the mind are no less
real than the things we can see and touch.
Beyond even that, what happens in our minds is
actually a far better indicator of who we are than
our actions in the physical world could ever be.
The Bible teaches from start to finish that its the
condition of our heart that matters most, not our
external actions.
Why does God care about what happens
between our ears? Because our thoughts do
more than just impact reality, they
represent it more clearly than anything
else possibly can.

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BABY AND BATHWATER

The dominance of the Triad gangs, rampant prostitution, drug
use and the almost unthinkable living conditions will always be
the story of the City of Darkness. Nevertheless, most of its
residents lived decent lives. Families grew, communities formed.
Granted, many of the inhabitants were on the run from the law,
and many others ran there for the purpose of getting around the
law. But many more were victims. Some were in such desperate
poverty that Kowloon may have been their only option. Some
were born in Kowloon. Others were driven there by addictions
that could only be indulged within its walls. Still others, searching
for work, saw it as their only opportunity for employment.
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Kowloon had plenty of shady characters, but thats not even close to
the whole story. Many who lived there report a close-knit community.
Thousands worked long hours day in, day out to provide for
themselves and the people they loved. In many ways Kowloon
displayed the incredible ingenuity of people who made untenable
living conditions sustain an explosively growing population for
decades, using little more than their own innovation and
determination.

There were bright spots throughout the

City of Darkness. But that didnt change
the unavoidable: Kowloon had to be
evacuated and demolished.
The twisted labyrinth of sewage-filled passageways, piecemeal
electrical work, and crumbling high-rises simply could not provide a
suitable foundation for a new start in Kowloon. It had to be
deconstructed piece by piece.

Consider the scriptures:

If peoples thinking is controlled by the sinful self, there is death.
But if their thinking is controlled by the Spirit, there is life and
peace. Romans 8:6 (NCV)
Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on
earth. Colossians 3:2 (ESV)
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the
renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the
will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans
12:2 (ESV)
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable,
whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is
commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything
worthy of praise, think about these things. Philippians 4:8 (ESV)

Isnt this true of us? Our best thoughts flow and intermingle with our
worst secrets in the hidden passageways of our minds. If we intend
to hold every thought captive (2 Corinthians 10:5) we cant build
on our existing patterns. We have to deconstruct our old ways of
thinking and build a new system of thought, based on Gods values
for our lives.

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To put it simply, it was a lot easier

to get into the Walled City than it
was to get out of it.

FINDING FREEDOM
Kowloon had two kinds of residents:
1. those who wanted to be there.
2. those who had no choice but to stay.
Plenty of people lived there because thats where they wanted to
be. Where else, for example, can you mass produce food for
local restaurants without being bothered by health inspectors or
sanitation laws?
But the historic population density was driven by more than the
absence of governance. There were many who stayed because

they couldnt leave. To leave would mean abandoning a parent,

facing a debt, risking arrest, or enduring the fury of a pimp or
druglord. They were stuck. To put it simply, it was a lot easier to
get into the Walled City than it was to get out of it.
In much the same way, many people are trapped in their own
minds. Some are the victims of trauma or abuse, and as a result
find themselves captive to patterns of thought that inevitably
lead to fear, shame, rage, and self-loathing. Others are so
entrenched in their thought habits that they simply have no hope
of pulling out on their own. In these all-too-common
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circumstances, counseling and other forms of intervention may

be necessary and can certainly be helpful. But we believe that
Jesus is our first and greatest resource in finding freedom.
Quoting Isaiahs prophecy, Jesus said:
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to
proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty
to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty
those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.
Luke 4:18-19 (ESV)

And Paul taught the Corinthians that we can be free from

strongholds:

Maryville Vineyard Church

713 William Blount Drive
Maryville, TN 37801
www.maryvillevineyard.com
865.268.WOOT (9668)

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world
does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world.
On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.
We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up
against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to
make it obedient to Christ.
2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (NIV)

FEEL TRAPPED IN YOUR OWN MIND?

Turn to Jesus and ask him to give you freedom.
For ongoing prayer ministry, Christian community, or a referral
to a trusted counselor, contact us or join us for worship.

Canvas Church
201 North B Street, PO Box 1114
Lenoir City, TN 37771
www.mycanvaschurch.com
865.599.0025

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It is very much easier to do what

God made you for than not.

A LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS

Called by God at the age of five, Jackie Pullinger grew up knowing
that she would be a missionary. However, she admits, she did not
like God very much back then. She did know that He always won
you over in the end, so she might as well face the fact that she
would walk the road of a Christianas God surely wanted everyone
to be a missionary.
Jackie grew up in a wealthy family in the UK and was an active
member in her church. She wondered why the Christians she knew
claimed to love God so much but looked as if they disliked him so
much. It wasnt until she started to attend college that she had her
first encounter with God despite the Christians. She was

introduced to a small group of Christians that were having Bible

study in their homes. One day while she was praying with them, she
opened her eyes and watched the other people thanking God for
eternal life. She saw that they believed with all their hearts that they
had received eternal life. She then realized that since she had
accepted Jesus Christ as her Savior, she also was to receive eternal
life. After about 30 seconds of pure happiness, she was filled with
terror. She realized that she had this life with Jesus for eternity, but
not everyone else did.
As the group moved to the kitchen to make dinner, she was
overwhelmed with an urge to leave right then and go find someone
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who did not know Jesus. God led her to a park bench outside the
apartments where there was a lady sleeping who did not know the
Lord. Jackie was able to pray with her and lead her to Christ. That
was the point where her calling met her faith.
Jackie prayed about what God wanted her to do. She knew that she
wanted to share Jesus with anyone who would listen, and she did
so. She began to receive visions and dreams where God clearly told
her to Go. When she would ask where? he would remain silent.
At 21, she had just graduated from Royal College of Music. When
she began to contact missionary organizations, she was rejected.
Rules dictated that one had to be 25 years old and a graduate of a
missionary college in order to work in the field.
She turned to her vicar, Richard Thompson, for advice, telling him
how confused she was. God kept telling her to go, but she was not
able to get her circumstances to line up. Thompson told Jackie that
if God said go, she needed to get all her money together and buy
a ticket on a boat going as far away as possible, passing through as
many countries as possible, and to pray to God about where to get
off. In 1966, with the equivalent of $100 in her possession, she
prayerfully got off the boat in Hong Kong.
God led Jackie to other missionaries in the Hong Kong area, and
she found a job immediately. After shed been in the city for awhile,
some missionaries asked her if she would like to accompany them
into the hidden city behind the walls: Kowloon. Jackie assumed this
was a poor place that needed Jesus love, so she gladly followed
her new friends into Kowloon, the City of Darkness.
She was met with one of the most horrific scenes she had ever
come across in her life. The city itself was a labyrinth of darkness

no natural light shone on its streets. Half-clothed prostitutes walked

past the entrances to opium dens. An armed man patrolling the
streets looked at her with his hand on his knife. Raw sewage poured
down the side of the street, and she saw a man lying there in the
midst of the filth. She walked over to him, pulled out a white
handkerchief, cleaned his face, and propped him up against a wall.
She was led inside this City of Darkness to a school for the most
poor children. She knew then that this was exactly where God
intended for her to be. She said it was like hearing a song in her
heart.
People say to me. What about the rich? They need Jesus too.
Well, thats fine if youre called to them, but were called to the
poor. The rich can look after themselves.
As the years went on, Jackie was able to meet people in the streets
of Kowloon and tell them about Jesus. She had the support of
several missionary friends, and they began to take in drug addicts
and prostitutes, helping them find a new life.
Jackie described the rehabilitation process as being completely led
by the Holy Spirit. It all started when a prominent member of the
Triads, the largest gang of opium smugglers in Kowloon, came to
her and said that he wanted to see if this Jesus she spoke of could
save him. She began to pray over this man, and, as she did, he
began crying. He later testified that all the drugs left his body
painlessly. After seeing the miraculous transformation, others from
the gang flooded the rehabilitation home that Jackie had started. As
the addicts came in, she and the other ex-addicts would pray in
shifts over the men and women. The Holy Spirit would minister to
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their hurts and save them from their disease. As they healed, these
former addicts in turn helped pray with addicts coming in, and they
also began to go back out into the darkness of the city and share
the light of the gospel. This was how Jackie founded St. Stephens
Society in 1981.
I went up to a man and said Jesus loves you but I realized
that it didnt mean anything unless I did it.
Jackie did not walk without enemies in Kowloon. The Triads were
angered by what they were seeing her do to gang members, and
they made a ritual of stealing from her and vandalizing her home.
She would send the gang leader messages about Jesus and said
that she would like to meet with him. Oddly enough, Jackie had
begun to notice that certain stolen items, such as a typewriter, were
returned a couple of weeks after being taken. She later discovered
that the leader had demanded that anything that was taken be
returned and anything that was broken be fixed. When the gang
members refused, stating that Jackie would never forgive them, the
leader simply replied, she has to forgiveshe is a Christian.
Jackie was even more determined to meet the gang leader after this
and waited for hours outside of his opium den for a meeting. When
he finally appeared, she told him that they were going for tea. At the
table she told the leader that he was very much like her Jesus. She
explained that she used to be Jesus enemy, but even so he had
given his life to save her; and now, even though she was the Triads
enemy, this man had given of himself to return her lost belongings.
That day the leader left the table completely embarrassed, but not
much later he used a double-decker bus to take his friends to the
oceanto witness his baptism.

After the government-mandated destruction of Kowloon in 1994,

Jackie stayed in an area right outside of Hong Kong. She continues
to minister to drug addicts and gang members in a housing
development paid for by the city government. She has also been
working with a world-wide foundation, Isaac, to educate the body of
Christ on its call to help the poor and lost. Jackie is also a published
author best known by her book Chasing the Dragon, which
chronicles her ministry in Kowloon.

1. Booth, Martin. Opium: A History. (New York: St. Martin's Press,

1998) p.100
2. Jackie Pullinger; Andrew Quickie (1 Sep 1980). Chasing the
Dragon. Hodder & Stoughton Religious. p. 28. ISBN
978-0-340-25760-9.
3. Booth, Martin pp.99-100
4. Baynham, Jacob Hong Kong missionary uses intensive prayer to
help heroin addicts San Francisco Chronicle. 17 December 2007.
Retrieved August 14, 2008
5. Pettie,Gordon. The Interview; July, 2011. Revelation TV.

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CREDITS

Created by: Maryville Vineyard Church in conjunction with Canvas

Church

KowloonWalledCityAlley2, 2006 Underbar dk, used on pg 4

under Fair Use: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_use

Development: Matt Farrand

Google Maps used on pg 6, Imagery 2013 TerraMetrics, Map

data 2013 Google. All rights reserved.

Editor: Sarah Small

Writers: Jenny Dawson, Aaron McCarter
PHOTOS
Kowloon Walled City Night View from SW Corner, 1987 Greg
Girard, All rights reserved. Used by written permission on cover,
pg 2, pg 7.
Kowloon Walled City from an aeroplane, 1989 Dan Jacobson,
used under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license on
pg 1: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en

KWC Vieze Gang, 2012 Daan Kolkman, used on pg 8 under

Fair Use: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_use
Kowloon Demolition 1 & 2, 1993 Michael Freeman. Used by
written permission on pgs 11, 12, 13.
"Jackie Pullinger of Hong Kong," 2010 The Totton Linnet, used
under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license: http://
creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
Census data on pg 5 from US Census Bureau and SCMP
Graphics: Adalpho Arranz.

Full Model of Kowloon Walled City, 2013 Google Sketchup User

NY, used on pg 2 according to Terms of Service: http://
sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/preview_tos.html

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DIG DEEPER

Learn more about Kowloon Walled City:

Chasing the Dragon: One Woman's Struggle Against the Darkness of Hong Kong by Jackie Pullinger
Kowloon Walled City on Wikipedia
Inside the Kowloon Walled City where 50,000 residents eked out
a grimy living in the most densely populated place on earth by
Pamela Owen for Daily Mail
A Brief Visual History of Kowloon Walled City by
HongWrong.com
A selection of Greg Girards photography from inside Kowloon
Walled City
Kowloon Walled City Hong Kong 1990 on YouTube
Kowloon walled city on YouTube
City of Anarchy Infographic from South China Morning Post
Official Kowloon Walled City Park website
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