Kowloon Walled City: City of Darkness

Kowloon Walled City existed from 1843 to 1993. It began as an Imperial Chinese military outpost, but following the eviction of the Chinese officers it became an anarchic enclave in the midst of English territory, protected by the Chinese government but not ruled by it. People moved in for a variety of reasons, ranging from a desire to disappear to just being poor and needing a place to stay. Many business grew up in the city, encouraged by the lack of regulation, and it became a highly productive area in spite of the squalid living conditions. At it’s apex, it was the most densely populated region on Earth at the time, and perhaps ever.

People who are interested in anarcho-capitalism should be interested in Kowloon, as it was a real world example of this philosophy put into practice.

On a personal note, I find it interesting how some people handle complete freedom better than others. Although Kowloon had no law enforcement or laws, it was still more peaceful and safe than some other parts of the world which are heavily regulated. In some places lack of oversite leads to increased productivity, while in other places it degenerates into violent chaos.

Sources:
https://www.archdaily.com/493900/the-architecture-of-kowloon-walled-city-an-excerpt-from-city-of-darkness-revisited

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/kowloon-walled-city

https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/kowloon-walled-city/index.html

https://allthatsinteresting.com/kowloon-walled-city#19 – images to download

https://history.howstuffworks.com/world-history/kowloon-walled-city.htm

https://www.discovermagazine.com/the-sciences/the-lasting-legacy-of-hong-kongs-kowloon-walled-city

https://www.historytools.org/stories/the-kowloon-walled-city-a-vertical-slum-and-diplomatic-anomaly

https://www.ovalpartnership.com/en/article/Kowloon-Walled-City-A-Forgotten-Urban-Enigma