The Dark Side of Hong Kong 🇭🇰

A deep dive into Hong Kong's dark past and an insight into it's present living conditions.

Watch as british couple take a closer look into the living conditions of Hong Kong, starting at the old walled city of Kowloon, formerly known as the city of darkness. We learn more about the dark history that created the very foundations of this ungoverned enclave. In a better attempt to house the rising population of Hong Kong, the British built the massive housing estate in the 1960s, originally called Park Estate but now more harrowingly known now as Hong Kong's Monster Building. Holding 10,000 of the cities population over the 18 floors we urge to know more, when we make friends with an estate agent who shows us inside the famous building. Shocked by the living conditions inside, we ask questions about pricing for such apartments and what life is like living inside. On our final stop we head to where many saw their bitter end, Victoria Prison.

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⚡Timestamps:
00:00 - Kowloon's Walled City
15:52 - Exclusive Inside Hong Kong's Monster Building
31:45 - Inside Victoria Prison

[shrunked]

I like how you approach travel as a learning experience, immersing yourself in the history and engaging with its people. Your willingness to learn and check your own biases, is refreshing. For that, I'm rooting for you and wish you much success on YouTube.

[alfredchan]

I am local ppl who haven't been to the monster building🤣I am glad that you enjoy the visit and the women who invited you to visit the flat was so kind😀

[Z_LV]

A hongkonger here! Thatnk you for adressin this! Bless you and your channel, and also, UNDERRATED VIDEO

[BomberFletch]

I grew up in Hong Kong in the 1980s, and I had absolutely no idea about the walled city back then. It was only a few years ago that I started reading and learning about it. I guess I had been somewhat insulated in a lower middle-class family living in a typical lower middle-class neighbourhood - not rich, by any stretch of the imagination, but we had what we needed. I didn't know much about how the other side lived.

I haven't been back to Hong Kong in about 5 years now, but the next time I make it back there, I plan to go and see the walled city park.

[longyinkum]

Recently, there is a awarded movie called: "Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In" in 2024 which is about the walled city.
Quite a lot of people say that it is not bad. Recommended

[FrenchGlobetrotter]

First time discovering your vlog, it's amazing to have a flat tour inside the mysterious monster building!

[S_dott]

Getting the estate agent to let you see a place to rent was a simple but genius idea. I’ve always had the idea of going to Kowloon and filming this then going to Quarry Bay just as you did but I don’t need to now 😅 all the videos on my channel are about the walled city so this was a treat to watch thanks mate nice video 👌🏼

[li_tsz_fung]

I think I heard a resident of "Monster building" talking about their living condition online. She personally don't like people calling this "Monster building". It's just an old community without fancy renovation. But it's just very normal community. They live their live here. Not a crime scene, not a slum.

[rachelforrester]

Really interesting and enjoyable. Thank you xx

[Nicola_]

Thank you so much for this video it’s very interesting to see what life is like and what it use to be like in Hong Kong. Keep up the great work. Love you both ❤❤

[dunkierookie]

Poor Paige, does Jack ever take you to fancy touristy places of interest?😂 Jokes aside, another interesting "off the beaten track" travel vlog👍

[ericlo]

When I waas a kid, I used walk past the outside of the Kowloon City but never realise the seediness of it. You should watched the new HK movie Twilight of the Warriors : Walled In, it's about what is happening inside this Kowloon City which is a really fascinating!

And yes, flats in HK are very very small in average. The one you viewed is relatively modest in size!

[julieli]

A very good movie named Twilight of the warriors: walled is playing in HK.

[marioprogamer]

I’m just a student and never lived or witnessed the walled city in my eyes, but I have watched a TV programme introducing the place, although it’s dense, dark, dirty and dangerous (ok that’s unintentional alliteration 🤣), I’ve heard that the former residents described that the people get along well and it’s very harmonious, they also unite together and stayed strong, but yeah, indeed the living conditions are horrible and unhygienic, they remember when they’re kids they run around in this narrow maze, and get out very quickly to afraid getting lost
They had some good memories :)

[SO-rqpm]

Well done for visiting the site of Kowloon Walled City! Its history is indeed very interesting. It was once called "the deregulated by the three" - "three" means the Chinese, British and HongKong governments. None of the three authorities governed that tiny place (back in the first half of 19th centeury the north of Boundary Street in Kowloon, inclu. the Walled City did not belong to Britain yet, despite that it was the de facto administrator and ruler). In theory it remained to be the Chinese emperor's territory until 1898 when Britain took over the whole of Kowloon and New Territories (i.e. the city of HongKong as everybody knows ever since).

[fafnir-santpoon]

I love HONGKONG as being my birth place, and thankyou soo much letting me know the dark side of the past, even Jack's parents lived in HONGKONG for some time too, anyway, you guys have fun there

[Yuusei-brawl]

My mom used to live in the walled city and she said it was miserable.6 siblings and 120sqf
Well now we live in happy valley and it is super nice.come visit our home Blue pool road 89

[SO-rqpm]

Wow, couldn't beiieve you've got the chance to go and see the cramped apartment inside! Majority of locals don't event have the chance. Good job!

[SahilYadav-xzpu]

I really love u both seeing together, you both are adorable together, stay blessed 💫

[Bruceybonus]

gotta remember 7.5 million people here and space is at a premium, a hell of lot of new flats are being built starting at 200sqft upwards. Want a house, its gonna cost ya 16 grand a month sterling upwards!, even 200sq ft in a new built aprtment complex is gonna be well north of 1000 quid a month. hk is utter nuts, but been my home for 10+ years, still fab tho