Dirty and decaying, Kwun Tong has ceased to be the industrial hub that was built in the 1960s. Its residential blocks, many of which were built for factory workers, have become rundown after its industries began migrating to the mainland in the 1980s.
Soon, the slums will disappear too. In March, the Urban Renewal Authority will begin its long-awaited redevelopment of Kwun Tong, whose name means something like 'Lakeview' in Cantonese.
The authority estimates that it will take 12 years to transform in phases the 5.3 hectare site, which includes the Yuet Wah Street bus terminal, into a modern commercial and industrial centre. The authority's latest figures show the project will affect 24 buildings, 1,635 property rights and 300 shops.
More than half of the project's HK$25 billion costs - HK$13 billion - will be used to compensate the holders of property rights in the area, and the authority says that it will put community participation 'on top of the agenda'.
It remains to be seen how much this will all benefit the 5,000 people who live in the area, many of whom have grown accustomed to Kwun Tong's grimy charms. One man, for example, who gave his name only as Mr Li (below), has for some time run a tyre-repair business in the rear entrance of a residential block that is now destined for redevelopment. The building's tenants never complained about his business blocking their rear exit, he said; during the past 20 years, they had become used to it.
