Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Kowloon Walled City Park - Hong Kong






Kowloon Walled City was a densely populated, largely ungoverned settlement in KowloonHong Kong. Originally a Chinese military fort, the Walled City became an enclave after the New Territories were leased to Britain in 1898. Its population increased dramatically following the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong during World War II.  From the 1950s to the 1970s, it was controlled by Triads and had high rates of prostitution, gambling, and drug use.
In January 1987, when the Hong Kong government announced plans to demolish the Walled City, there were 33,000 residents. After an arduous eviction process, demolition began in March 1993 and was completed in April 1994. Kowloon Walled City Park opened in December 1995 and occupies the area of the former Walled City. Some historical artefacts from the Walled City, including its Yamen, an imperial administrative building and remnants of its South Gate, have been preserved there.



The design of the gardens was inspired by the Jiangnan garden style of the early Qing Dynasty. Construction began in May 1994, with a work-force of skilled artisans from the Mainland being employed to ensure accurate reproduction of the classical concept.
Work was completed in August 1995, and the park was officially opened on December 22, 1995, by the Governor, the Rt. Hon. Christopher Patten.
The park covers 31,000 square metres and is divided into eight scenic zones with individual characteristics but blending into the overall design.
It was built at a cost of $76 million and is managed by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department.

It is now a very attractive park with pavilions and ponds and we were glad that we took the time to go there. Hopefully my photographs will give you a feel of just what a pleasant oasis within the city this park is. If you wish to view the complete album please visit the link Travel Tales - Kowloon Walled City Park.


















Finally an explanation about The Chinese Zodiac Garden and a collage of some of the sculptures within this part of the garden. The rest of them can be viewed in My Flickr Album Travel Tales - Kowloon Walled City Park.






Location Map
To reach this park we took the underground from Admiralty Station to Lok Fu Station Exit B in the Kowloon city district  followed by a fifteen minute walk south to Tung Tsing Road.  If time is a problem it is possible to take a taxi from the station. Or alternatively, Bus 1 from the Tsim Sha Tsui Ferry Pier Terminus and get off at Tung Tau Tsuen Road (opposite to the park).

With thanks to the following sites for the background information included in this post. The links will take you directly to the pages on the Kowloon Walled City Park if you are interested in learning more about the history. 



All photos are my own taken in October 2011.
 Copyright All rights reserved by LindyLouMac Photo Collection 
The photos may also be viewed individually in my album entitled Travel Tales - Kowloon Walled City Park at My Flickr.com account. 

16 comments:

  1. Interesting and informative post with some great photos. Diane

    ReplyDelete
  2. Very nice. I love Chinese gardens with their waterways and lovely buildings. We have a small one here which I go to now and then. It is a great oasis in a busy place.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I find it impressive just how quickly the gardens were readied. From demolition to brand new park took under 2 years!

    I enjoyed this informative post!

    ReplyDelete
  4. What a vast urban green space. I'm amazed that there aren't hoards of people. It does boggle my mind to hear of the costs of such an endeavor!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Nice tour :) Hope to visit there some day!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thanks gir free virtual ride. Very peaceful and beUtiful out there:)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Really informative post, Linda.
    In the past, I had not thought very much about Hong Kong, but you are truly showing me what a wonderful place it is!

    ReplyDelete
  8. So nice to travel. Thanks for the postings of your trip.

    ReplyDelete
  9. How beautiful! Thanks for taking us to Hong Kong.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hi Lindy Lou, you have tons of photos to post from your travel to Hongkong, i remember that was a few months ago or last year? I was there for the first time long ago when digital camera is not yet in, so didn't have much photos.

    [re my orchid post: our climate is so much suited for orchid growing, actually they are just a portion of those in exhibit]

    ReplyDelete
  11. WOW... Lindy Lou, I have enjoyed it so much!!
    I thank you for sharing it with us...
    Greetings,
    Anna :))

    ReplyDelete
  12. Adorei sua viagem!
    Lugares bonitos e maravilhosos!
    muito interessante o jardim zodíaco chinês e as esculturas!
    Adorei Hong Kong
    beijos
    Zizi santoss

    ReplyDelete
  13. I believe that the planet earth is round - I see the moon, the stars, and the human beings in every place I go.
    Flights to Abidjan
    Cheap Flights to Abidjan
    Cheap Air Tickets to Abidjan

    ReplyDelete
  14. These ruins are amazing. Beauty even in their destruction. Great photos!

    ReplyDelete

Thank you so much for visiting Travel Tales and taking the time to leave a comment. I really appreciate your support, which is a great encouragement to me and reading them is always a pleasure. All commenter's will receive a visit back from me and followers a follow back. I will respond to questions here but not reply to every individual comment due to time constraints, a problem we all have.