A guide to Kowloon Walled City Park

A declared monument, the Yamen is the sole surviving structure from the Walled City era. Designed in southern Chinese architectural style, the Yamen features three rows and four wings of houses built with brick, granite, and a traditional China fir roof adorned with cylindrical and flat tiles.

Inside the structure, visitors can explore stone tablets, historical records, and photographs related to the Walled City's history and the creation of Kowloon Walled City Park. Outside the Yamen's front yard also sit two cannons from 1802, during the reign of Qing Dynasty Emperor Jiaqing.

A City of Thousand Faces opened in 2009 as a permanent exhibition that showcases Kowloon Walled City's bygone era. The outdoor display area features a bronze miniature model of the Walled City and a shadow wall with an inscribed essay about the park on one side, and a cross-section of the pre-demolished Walled City on the other. Meanwhile, the Yamen houses six exhibition rooms that depict the history of the Walled City and the daily lives of its residents.

The Old South Gate, another declared monument of the park, served as the main entrance to the Walled City for over a century. During the demolition of the Walled City in 1994, significant findings were unearthed at the original South Gate site, including granite plaques, paving, foundations, a flagstone path, and a drainage ditch. These artefacts have been preserved in their original state for public viewing.

The Six Arts Terrace is a charming Chinese-style garden space that is often used as a venue for traditional Chinese wedding ceremonies and receptions. The terrace accommodates around 100 people and amenities such as acoustic equipment, foldable tables, and plastic chairs are available for loan. 

The two-storey Mountain View Pavilion resembles a docked boat with its upswept roof corners resembling a prow. The collonaded pavilion creates an illusion of high-sea waves when viewed with the piled limestone in front. A glossy-red rickshaw – once a common sight in Hong Kong – can be found on display inside the pavilion.

The Garden of Four Seasons, also known as Guangyin Square, showcases rock displays, seasonal plants, and Lingnan-style bonsai. Its pebble-stone courtyard holds a Chinese mosaic called 'Wu fu shou he tu' (five bats and a crane) – which symbolises blessings and longevity – is crafted from porcelain plates, beer bottle fragments, and pebbles. Some of the shrubs in the garden have also been worked into dragon and phoenix shapes, while the potted bonsai are carefully shaped through stem trimming and branch cultivation. 

In the post-war years, Guangyin Square stood as the sole open area within the densely populated Walled City. 

The park features eight beautiful Floral Walks, each named after the vibrant plants and blossoms they showcase. These include the Pine Tree Path, Lotus-Flowered Magnolia Path, Common Crepe Myrtle Path, Bamboo Path, Red Leaf Path, Fragrant Flowers Path, Pomegranate Path, and Banana Tree Path.

Photograph: Jenny Leung

Additionally, water features can be found as you venture to the western side of the park, including mini waterfalls and a stunning pond with a stone walking path that leads to a white pavilion. If you observe closely enough, you'll find adorable turtles lazily gliding through the water.

Located behind the Mountain View Pavilion, the Chinese Zodiac Garden is a grassy enclosure home to 12 white-stone animal sculptures each representing one of the Chinese zodiac signs. These sculptures are arranged in accordance with the traditional Chinese geomancy principles of 'tian gan' (heavenly stems) and 'di zhi' (earthly branches). Crafted in the styles of the Han and Qing Dynasties, the sculptures sit harmoniously beneath tall shade trees such as cotton and Indian rubber fig.

The park welcomes visitors every day from 6.30am to 11pm. Additionally, the exhibition room is open to the public daily from 10am to 6pm (excepted for Wednesdays). Admission to the park and exhibition room is free of charge.

The most convenient way is, of course, via MTR. Get off at Sung Wong Toi Station and head out of Exit B3. From there, go street down Nam Kok Road and you'll get to the park within minutes. Alternatively, there are numerous bus routes and green mini buses available.