Hong Kong Kowloon Dark Side Walking Tour: Sham Shui Po Caged Homes and Housing Crisis
by Hong Kong Free Tours
Choose from 1 available option
How do you want to book?
✓Confirmation before Wed, 9 Sept - card's only charged if it's a yes. If it's a no, still time to book on Viator.
Book on Viator Confirmed right away, but you pay full price.HK$580Overview
This two-hour walking tour in Kowloon’s Sham Shui Po district explores the dark side of Hong Kong’s housing crisis. A local guide explains why Hong Kong is the world’s least affordable city and shows how a typical 500 square foot apartment is subdivided into five units of about 100 square feet each. The tour covers the effects of post-World War II population growth, the city’s low-tax capitalist economy, and limited land supply on housing availability. Participants enter a 100 square foot subdivided flat where a minimum-wage family lives, with kitchen, bed, and living space combined, and see a caged home designed for a single resident. The group visits Lui Seng Chun, a declared monument and Tong Lau building historically used for subdivided housing, where they can rest with a cup of herbal tea. Walking through Sham Shui Po’s backstreets, the tour reveals connections between the drug and sex trades. It also highlights the contrast between new million-dollar apartments and clusters of subdivided units and caged homes. The tour includes a rooftop visit overlooking hidden slums in central Sham Shui Po. It ends at SoCo, a charity with 50 years of history supporting marginalized groups, where participants discuss possible solutions for Hong Kong’s housing future. Hotel pickup and drop-off are not included.
Highlights
What's included
What's not included
Itinerary
Subdivided Flats Overview
Learn why Hong Kong is the world's least affordable city and see how a 500 square foot apartment is divided into five units of about 100 square feet each.
15 min
Housing Crisis Background
Understand how post-war population growth, a low-tax capitalist economy, and scarce land supply created Hong Kong’s housing problems.
10 min
Inside a Subdivided Flat and Caged Home
Enter a 100 square foot subdivided flat combining kitchen, bed, and living space for a minimum-wage family, and see a caged home made for one resident.
10 min
Lui Seng Chun
Visit a declared monument and Tong Lau building from colonial times used for subdivided housing, while drinking a cup of herbal tea.
10 min
Sham Shui Po Backstreets
Walk through hidden backstreets to learn about connections between the drug and sex trades.
10 min
Housing Contrast
See new apartments costing about USD 1.5 million standing next to dense clusters of subdivided units and caged homes.
10 min
Rooftop View of Sham Shui Po Slums
Climb to a rooftop in central Sham Shui Po to view hidden slums not commonly seen by visitors.
10 min
SoCo Charity Visit
Visit SoCo, a charity with 50 years of history that supports marginalized people, and discuss ideas for Hong Kong’s housing future.
10 min
Meeting point
Prince Edward MTR Station Exit D - Concourse Level (INSIDE the station)
End point
Sham Shui Po MTR Station
Languages
Cancellation policy
- Cancel at least 24 hours before start for a full refund.
Additional info
Hong Kong Kowloon Dark Side Walking Tour: Sham Shui Po Caged Homes and Housing Crisis
by Hong Kong Free Tours
Choose from 1 available option
How do you want to book?
✓Confirmation before Wed, 9 Sept - card's only charged if it's a yes. If it's a no, still time to book on Viator.
Book on Viator Confirmed right away, but you pay full price.HK$580Overview
This two-hour walking tour in Kowloon’s Sham Shui Po district explores the dark side of Hong Kong’s housing crisis. A local guide explains why Hong Kong is the world’s least affordable city and shows how a typical 500 square foot apartment is subdivided into five units of about 100 square feet each. The tour covers the effects of post-World War II population growth, the city’s low-tax capitalist economy, and limited land supply on housing availability. Participants enter a 100 square foot subdivided flat where a minimum-wage family lives, with kitchen, bed, and living space combined, and see a caged home designed for a single resident. The group visits Lui Seng Chun, a declared monument and Tong Lau building historically used for subdivided housing, where they can rest with a cup of herbal tea. Walking through Sham Shui Po’s backstreets, the tour reveals connections between the drug and sex trades. It also highlights the contrast between new million-dollar apartments and clusters of subdivided units and caged homes. The tour includes a rooftop visit overlooking hidden slums in central Sham Shui Po. It ends at SoCo, a charity with 50 years of history supporting marginalized groups, where participants discuss possible solutions for Hong Kong’s housing future. Hotel pickup and drop-off are not included.
Highlights
What's included
What's not included
Itinerary
Subdivided Flats Overview
Learn why Hong Kong is the world's least affordable city and see how a 500 square foot apartment is divided into five units of about 100 square feet each.
15 min
Housing Crisis Background
Understand how post-war population growth, a low-tax capitalist economy, and scarce land supply created Hong Kong’s housing problems.
10 min
Inside a Subdivided Flat and Caged Home
Enter a 100 square foot subdivided flat combining kitchen, bed, and living space for a minimum-wage family, and see a caged home made for one resident.
10 min
Lui Seng Chun
Visit a declared monument and Tong Lau building from colonial times used for subdivided housing, while drinking a cup of herbal tea.
10 min
Sham Shui Po Backstreets
Walk through hidden backstreets to learn about connections between the drug and sex trades.
10 min
Housing Contrast
See new apartments costing about USD 1.5 million standing next to dense clusters of subdivided units and caged homes.
10 min
Rooftop View of Sham Shui Po Slums
Climb to a rooftop in central Sham Shui Po to view hidden slums not commonly seen by visitors.
10 min
SoCo Charity Visit
Visit SoCo, a charity with 50 years of history that supports marginalized people, and discuss ideas for Hong Kong’s housing future.
10 min
Meeting point
Prince Edward MTR Station Exit D - Concourse Level (INSIDE the station)
End point
Sham Shui Po MTR Station
Languages
Cancellation policy
- Cancel at least 24 hours before start for a full refund.