The Audio Long Read From the archive: The King of Kowloon: my search for the cult graffiti prophet of Hong Kong
Jan 28, 2026
Louisa Lim, a journalist and author who studies Hong Kong history and culture, revisits the life of Tsang Tsou-choi, the King of Kowloon. She narrates discovering his rain-revealed calligraphy and traces his rise from eccentric street writer to cultural icon. The story follows contested exhibitions, preservation efforts, and how his public scrawl resurfaced amid Hong Kong protests.
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Wet Wall Revelation
- Louisa Lim describes first seeing the King of Kowloon's calligraphy reappear on a damp wall in Central, triggering nostalgia and curiosity.
- She recalls the king as a distinctive, ostracised street figure who painted government property to assert his lineage and stolen land claims.
From Madman To Symbol
- The King of Kowloon evolved from a local eccentric into a civic symbol before and after 1997, embodying Hong Kong identity.
- His public proclamations turned private grievance into a broader metaphor for dispossession and local distinctiveness.
Curator's Provocative Exhibition
- Curator Lao Kinh Wai gave Zhang brushes and small objects to paint and organised a controversial 1997 solo exhibition.
- The show provoked outrage from art academics but launched Zhang into public notoriety despite no sales.
