User:Tktktk/Underconstruction2

Kowloon Walled City was a Chinese military fort in Kowloon, Hong Kong, that became an enclave after the Convention for the Extension of Hong Kong Territory ceded the New Territories to Great Britain in 1898. Following Japanese occupation during World War II, the Walled City developed into an extremely dense, largely ungoverned urban settlement during the latter half of the 20th century. According to a 1987 government survey, it contained 33,000 residents within its 6.5-acre (0.03 km$2$; 0.01 sq mi) borders.

In January 1987, the government announced plans to demolish the Walled City. Demolition began in March 1993 and was completed in April 1994. Kowloon Walled City Park, occupying the area of the former Walled City, opened in December 1995. Some historical artifacts from the Walled City, including its yamen and remnants of its South Gate, have been preserved there.

Layout and architecture
The Walled City was located in what is now Kowloon City, an area in Kowloon. In spite of its transformation from a fort into an urban enclave, the Walled City retained the same basic layout. The original fort was built on a slope and consisted of a 6.5-acre (0.03 km$2$; 0.01 sq mi) plot measuring about 210 by 120 m (700 by 400 ft). The stone wall surrounding it had four entrances and measured 4 m (13 ft) tall and 4.6 m (15 ft) wide before it was dismantled in 1943. Construction surged dramatically during the 1960s and 1970s, until the formerly low-rise City consisted almost entirely of buildings with 10 stories or more (with the notable exception of the Yamen in its center). However, due to the Kai Tak Airport's position 0.8 km (0.5 mi) south of the City, buildings did not exceed 14 stories. The two-story Sai Tau Tsuen settlement bordered the Walled City to the south and west until it was cleared in 1985 and replaced with Carpenter Road Park.

The City's dozens of alleyways were often only 1 – wide, and had poor lighting and drainage. An informal network of staircases and passageways also formed on upper levels, which was so extensive that one could travel north to south through the entire City without ever touching solid ground. Construction in the City went unregulated, and most of the roughly 350 buildings were built with poor foundations and few or no utilities. Because apartments were so small—60% were 23 m2—space was maximized with wider upper floors, caged balconies, and illegal rooftop additions. Roofs in the City were full of television antennas, clotheslines, water tanks, and garbage, and could be crossed using a series of ladders.