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Global Perspective: Chung King Mansions

A shabby tenement building in need of redevelopment in Hong Kong's teeming commercial district – a favourite with traders from Africa and anyone looking for a bargain.

The international documentary series Global Perspective this year has the theme of Islands.

The 'island chosen by RTHK is an infamous Hong Kong tenement building, in Kowloon’s teeming Nathan Road.

Chung King Mansions has a colourful past, and who knows what future.

Built as luxury residential flats in the early 1960s, these days it's a haven for asylum seekers, commercial travelers from the Africa and the developing world and anyone who needs a cheap place to stay.

Chungking Mansions stands out like a shabby island from its more luxurious surroundings: with a thousand owners and bad past management it has been impossible ever to get agreement on what to do with it.

Meanwhile the wiring could burst into flames at any minute, it thrives as a business community, appears to be self-sufficient and is an international melting pot which has been a law unto itself.

Chung King Mansions is produced by Sarah Passmore of RTHK Radio 3.

Available now

25 minutes

Broadcasts

  • Fri 31 Jul 2009 08:05GMT
  • Fri 31 Jul 2009 12:05GMT
  • Fri 31 Jul 2009 19:05GMT
  • Sat 1 Aug 2009 00:05GMT
  • Sun 2 Aug 2009 02:05GMT
  • Sun 2 Aug 2009 14:05GMT