Published : 29/05/2025
The Hong Kong movie Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In released in May last year has grossed over 110 million USD worldwide to date.
Following the earlier film exhibitions set up at the Hong Kong International Airport and Kai Tak, the "Kowloon Walled City: A Cinematic Journey" Movie Set Exhibition has recently returned to the original site of the Kowloon Walled City, becoming one of the nine latest must-visit Hong Kong tourist attractions.
"Kowloon Walled City: A Cinematic Journey": Open for free visit
The "Kowloon Walled City: A Cinematic Journey" Movie Set Exhibition is one of the nine major Hong Kong tourist highlight projects promoted by the Hong Kong Government and a focal point of deep dives into Kowloon Walled City.
The exhibition is open to the public for free and will last for three years.
"Kowloon Walled City: A Cinematic Journey" features 8 exhibition halls with a 15-minute visit limit
Entering through the South Gate of Kowloon Walled City Park to the Yamen (衙門), the classic scenes from the movie Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In have transformed into eight exhibition halls integrated into the ancient style blue brick buildings.
First in sight is the "Walled City Neighbourhood Association Floral Board".
Moving past the board, visitors will reach the distinctive small shops of the Kowloon Walled City, where "Seven Kee Hong Kong Style cafe", "Dragon City Hair Salon", "Grocery Store and the traditional Chinese medicine hall", "Fish Ball Factory" and "Dental Clinic" are all "open for business."
At the end, continuing into the "Narrow Alley Interior", you will reach the "Kowloon Walled City Light and Shadow Rooftop" to watch a short film.
If you are interested to visit this exhibition, you can collect free tickets outside the Yamen of Kowloon Walled City Park.
Visitors can enter during the designated time slot with tickets. Each session accommodates 30 people, with a visit limit of 15 minutes.
Read more: "Four Brothers" in Kowloon Walled City dedicate to brotherhood
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"Kowloon Walled City: A Cinematic Journey" offers free guided tours
The author visited on a weekday afternoon during the first week after it opened and had to wait approximately half an hour after collecting the ticket before being admitted.
During this time, the author joined a free guided tour at the entrance of the Yamen, during which the guide shared stories about the Kowloon Walled City and the exhibition with the locals.
"I never went inside before the Kowloon Walled City was demolished. My family said it was 'very messy' and wouldn't let me in."
"There used to be a car in Temple Street that would take people to the Kowloon Walled City to watch striptease shows! Actually, those women who performed striptease shows were not what you would imagine, but were drug addicts with arms full of needle marks!"
"Did you all know? The Kowloon Walled City had not only dog meat but also stewed cat. Have you heard of it?"
"There are many Thai restaurants in Kowloon City now. Actually, there were Chinese-Thai marriages in the Kowloon Walled City a long time ago. Some of the residents were quite poor, with low education, and couldn't find wives in Hong Kong, so they went to Thailand to marry."
"Those Thai brides would help out by squeezing fish balls in fish ball shops, and the labour was cheap. The first time I ate Thai food was invited by them."
Everyone shared their stories, talking about topics that sound absurd today.
Read more: Kowloon Walled City: Once the "Lawless Land" in Hong Kong History
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Kowloon Walled City: Once a den of crime, yet full of humanity
The Kowloon Walled City, historically known as a lawless enclave, is considered by most people as a hotbed of crime.
The crisscrossing narrow alleys filled with cluttered wiring, dim and slippery street corners, the smoky atmosphere, and the pervasive presence of illicit activities like prostitution, gambling, and drugs.
As quoted from the movie character "Tornado" (played by Louis Koo), "Any ordinary person would turn back after smelling the stench of the walled city".
However, the imperfections of the walled city reflect the true struggles of life in post-war Hong Kong. The people staying in the walled city often had no other choice. Perhaps due to the darkness, the brilliance of humanity shone even brighter.
In the movie, Tornado once told Chen Lok Kan (played by Raymond Lam), "You can sleep, not because of the Kowloon Walled City, but because of the people in the Kowloon Walled City."
The precious aspect of the walled city lies in its spirit of mutual support among neighbours, with everyone helping each other in times of need and enduring hardship together. This mutual tolerance created perfection out of imperfection, writing the legend of the Kowloon Walled City.
Back in the day, some people who came to Hong Kong saw themselves merely as temporary visitors, believing they would leave one day. But over time, their days in Hong Kong gave them a sense of belonging, and they eventually chose to settle down.
With the signing of the Sino-British Joint Declaration in 1984, the demolition of Kowloon Walled City was put on the agenda.
As the date of Hong Kong's return to the motherland approached, the Kowloon Walled City emptied out.
In the early 1990s, bulldozers slowly moved in. Over 400 "monster buildings" were flattened, turning the historic lawless zone into rubble. More than 33,000 residents of the Kowloon Walled City were resettled and began new lives.
Read more: Classic Hong Kong films shot in the Kowloon Walled City