If walls could talk ...

1961

Chungking Mansions opens at 36-44 Nathan Road, 17 storeys tall and consisting of five blocks packed with flats, guesthouses, restaurants and shops. On any given night an estimated 5,000 people stay there and 10,000 visit during the day.

1970s and 80s

The mansions acquire a reputation for cheap accommodation, fire safety problems and dodgy trade as the building deteriorates, becoming a favourite spot for hippies and illegal immigrants.

February 21, 1988

A Danish tourist tries to escape a fire with a rope made of bed sheets on the outside wall of the building, but plunges to his death.