Striking Images From Hong Kong’s Iconic ‘Walled City’

Andy Yeung has been capturing the unique energy, dizzying lights and constant hustle of Hong Kong’s downtown area for years. His most recent series, Walled City, focuses on the iconic suburb of Kowloon and the story it tells. “The Kowloon Walled City was once the densest place on Earth,” he told AWOL. “Hundreds of houses stacked on top of each other enclosed in the centre of the structure. Many didn’t have access to air or open space.”

And while the city was officially demolished in the 1990s, Andy says that Kowloon is still home to many Hong Kong residents. “If you look hard enough, you will notice that the city is not dead,” he says. “This striking feature of the Hong Kong landscape wasn’t completely wiped away. Part of it still exists in many of current high-density and ‘enclosed’ housing apartments where the only view out the window is in the neighbour’s window.”

His aim is to offer an insight into one of the most fascinating urban dwellings on earth.