Kowloon Walled City: A Cinematic Journey is a new open-air exhibition that brings the former site of the Kowloon Walled City back to life through full-scale set recreations. Once the most densely populated place on earth, the Walled City was known for its maze-like architecture and informal way of life before its demolition in the 1990s.
The exhibition offers a way to engage with this unique chapter of Hong Kong’s past, while the surrounding Kowloon City district provides further context through its food culture, local art and daily life.
Launched on May 23, the exhibition is the largest of its kind in Hong Kong and recreates full-scale scenes from the 2024 action film Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In. Visitors can walk through realistic sets of 1980s alleyways and shops, including a tailor, barber, bone-setting clinic and fish ball factory. The exhibition is open daily at Kowloon Walled City Park’s Yamen area and runs for three years. Entry is free.
Beyond the exhibition, Kowloon City offers visitors a look into some of Hong Kong’s oldest cultural landmarks. Hau Wong Temple, built in 1730, preserves traditional architecture with porcelain figures, dragon carvings and Chinese calligraphy. The Cattle Depot Artist Village, once a slaughterhouse, now houses art spaces and local artists. Sung Wong Toi MTR station displays archaeological finds from the Song and Yuan Dynasties, including ceramics and trade relics.
Kowloon City is also known for its food. Long-time cafés such as Lok Yuen serve satay beef French toast with milk tea and coffee blends. Fong Wing Kee, open since 1952, remains popular for its hotpot. Lok Hau Fook is known for Chiu Chow dishes including roast goose and deep-fried taro (yam). Tai Wo Tang, a former Chinese medicine shop from 1932, is now a modern café that retains many of its original fittings. Tei Mou Koon Dessert specialises in traditional Cantonese sweets such as herbal jelly and sesame soup.
The neighbourhood’s retail mix reflects its diversity. The area south of Kowloon Walled City Park – often referred to as Little Thailand – features grocery shops, beauty salons and stalls selling Thai produce and meals.
For a more contemporary shopping experience, AIRSIDE at Kai Tak offers international brands, lifestyle boutiques, dining and leisure zones including indoor surfing. Nearby, Kai Tak Mall hosts over 200 stores and indoor attractions such as EpicLand and a climbing wall.
For more information, visit Discover Hong Kong.
