Hong Kong jungle: living in cage apartments next to cockroaches

More than 7.5 million people live in a small area of ​​Hong Kong, and 1 sq. km accounts for almost 7,000. Residential quarters of the city are high-rise buildings that are very close to each other. Real estate here is one of the most expensive in the world, so many residents rent small studio apartments.

Residential quarters occupy only 7% of the area of ​​Hong Kong, so developers build houses very high and almost back to back, forgetting about the windows. This market is not controlled by the government, so landlords charge high prices. Few people can buy even a small apartment, the majority of even the middle class rent apartments. All this looks very strange when you know that the Hong Kong economy occupies a high position and the number of billionaires here is increasing every year.

When we rented a house on a trip, we were surprised by the shape of the apartment - two meters wide and ten meters long. The bedroom, fenced off by a thin wall, contained only a bed. The kitchen and toilet are still narrower. Later I found out that our conditions were simply gorgeous, because many Hong Kongers can afford 4-5 sq. m, often without windows. Here you have a bedroom, a kitchen, and a toilet with a shower. The minimum rent for such housing costs $ 250 per month. Often a family of two lives in such conditions. We haven't heard of any personal space here, and we have to share the shower and toilet with a dozen other people.

A dwelling of more than 10 square meters is already considered large. In order to accommodate children in such a territory, another tier is arranged on top. Every centimeter is involved here, and furniture performs several functions at once. It is clear that you cannot invite guests to such an apartment.

But the worst thing is coffins or cages - a limited space, where you can't stand up to full height. It's hard for me to imagine how you can survive in such conditions and not go crazy, not lose heart. Wondering what keeps poor Hong Kongers strong to live?

It is not surprising that in such conditions insects often coexist with people: bugs, cockroaches, and somewhere even rats. When I decided to go to the toilet at night, I was a little shocked by a couple of cockroaches on the kitchen sink. I even watched them for a while. But for residents of poor areas of Hong Kong, this is a familiar situation.

When I returned home, I realized that our life is not so bad. At least I don't know of a place with such terrible living conditions. Or am I wrong, and in our open spaces there is housing worse than Hong Kong rooms?

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