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Look What’s Hiding Inside Hong Kong’s Cage Homes
The density of the population in Hong Kong is huge and that’s why the city keeps growing upward. The majority of the population lives in skyscrapers that are deservedly called cage homes. Many of us have seen these massive buildings in photos, but very few people actually know what’s hiding inside them.
We at Bright Side learned how Hong Kong people live and now our apartments seem quite spacious and cozy to us.
These are Hong Kong cage homes.
The average price of one square meter here is about $ 28,570. For comparison, it’s $3,250 in Moscow. That’s why social inequality is very pronounced in Hong Kong and one cage house can contain several types of apartments for people with different levels of income.
There are 4 totally different types of apartments in cage houses:
1. Dorms for poor people
More than 20% of the Hong Kong population, which is almost 1.5 million people, live below the poverty line. There are so-called dorms in these cage homes for them. The dorms are rooms with about 20 cages inside; each cage is about 70 in by 24 in. The poor literally live in cages where they keep their modest belongings. Living in these terrible conditions still costs them about $180-200 per month. Not all of these people are unemployed, many sell things at markets or wash dishes, but still, they can’t afford better living conditions for themselves and continue to live in these cages for years.
2. Communal flats for the lower class
There are special communal apartments for this class of people in cage homes. They have a common kitchen and toilet, and 5 to 6 tiny rooms where only a table and a bed can fit. If you are lucky enough, you might find space for a closet too, however, oftentimes people have to hang their belongings right on the walls. This kind of room cost about $500 per month.
3. Tiny apartments for the youth
It’s very difficult to start an independent life in Hong Kong because renting an apartment costs a lot of money. A one bedroom flat in a cage home in the suburbs will cost you almost $1,650 every month. At the same time, the average salary for men is $2,500 and $1,900 for women. That’s why young people can only afford tiny shelters for themselves, where it’s hard to even move. Most apartments even lack a kitchen but at the same time, these flats are often stuffed with various smart gadgets and devices, secret closets, and transformable furniture.
4. Apartments for the middle class
So-called wealthy Hongkongers, who’ve managed to become successful at work, rent or even own apartments with kitchens and bathrooms in these cage homes. But these dwellings are usually extremely tiny and there are 4-5 people that squeeze into a space of about 215-270 sq ft.
Sometimes each family member doesn’t even have their own bedroom. That’s when inventive Hongkongers use various tricks, like installing futuristic beds, which in fact serve as separate rooms.
Would you be able to live in these restrained conditions or does your personal space matter to you a lot? We would be glad to read your opinions in the comments!
Preview photo credit East News, FAILORBIT / youtube
