TNAG-0642-FCO40-790-Kowloon-Walled-City-and-aircraft-safety-in-Hong-Kong-1977 — Page 40

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CONFIDENTIAL

Historical and Political Backgrounds of the Walled City

INTRODUCTION

1.

2.

Much has been written about the Walled City, and because of this phlethora of material much effort is often expended when information is required to deal with a particular administrative problem. To help ourselves in our day-to-day work in the Walled City, we have in this background paper attempted to summarise the principal historical facts about the Walled City and seen against this historical perspective, the present-day community and plitical forces at play. It is hoped that this paper would similarly be helpful to other departments operating in the Walled City.

It is stressed that the information contained in this paper is for background knowledge only, and should in no way be used to interpret or displace existing or future policy or practice directives from the Secretary for Security.

THE HISTORY

The Wall

3.

The Kowloon Walled City was formerly enclosed by a stone wall built in 1847, measuring 700 feet by 400 feet, and enclosing an area of 6 acres. This wall was demolished in 1943 during the Japanese occupation, to provide material for Kai Tak Airport improvements. As a result the exact boundaries of the Walled City cannot now be traced. However, the boundaries are customarily known as being Cai Shing Road on the West, Tung Tau Tsuen Road on the North, Lung Shing Road on the East, and Lung Chun Road on the South. In early 1973, it had been possible, using a new process camera on a 1902 plan, to deter more accurately the position of the old wall: this is shown in yellow in the enclosed map (Appendix I), whilst the customary boundaries are shown in brown. For practical purposes and not to be publicised, the Secretary for Security proposes that as a general rule, the boundary should be regarded as a combination of the two lines, taking whichever is exterior at any particular point.

CONFIDENTIAL