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Photos: Inside Hong Kong’s cubicle flats, social distancing is a dream

Squashed inside a 50-square-foot living space, Wong Mei-ying shares a bunk bed with her son in one of Hong Kong's cubicle flats. Walk-up flats in the New Territories of Hong Kong are often subdivided into several cubicles, thus making them one of the most densely packed buildings in the world. With the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak which has killed more than three million people worldwide, social distancing norms in these flats are a pipe dream.

Updated on: May 16, 2020 12:37 PM IST

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Wong Mei-ying walks in a shared corridor outside her 50-square feet cubicle flat, where she lives and shares a bunk bed with her 43-year old son. Hers is a walk-up flat that has been subdivided into six cubicles in the New Territories of Hong Kong. (Anthony Wallace / AFP)

Updated on May 16, 2020 12:37 PM

Wong Mei-ying walks in a shared corridor outside her 50-square feet cubicle flat, where she lives and shares a bunk bed with her 43-year old son. Hers is a walk-up flat that has been subdivided into six cubicles in the New Territories of Hong Kong. (Anthony Wallace / AFP)

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A view of the residential building, where Wong Mei-ying lives. The 70-year-old lives in one of the city’s notorious “cubicle flats” -- subdivided apartments that make up some of the most densely packed buildings in the world, reported AFP. (Anthony Wallace / AFP)

Updated on May 16, 2020 12:37 PM

A view of the residential building, where Wong Mei-ying lives. The 70-year-old lives in one of the city’s notorious “cubicle flats” -- subdivided apartments that make up some of the most densely packed buildings in the world, reported AFP. (Anthony Wallace / AFP)

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Wong wrings out a cleaning cloth in the kitchen of her flat. Earlier this week, authorities announced a new local outbreak of the deadly coronavirus in Wong’s neighbourhood -- the first local transmission case in the financial hub in nearly a month. (Anthony Wallace / AFP)

Updated on May 16, 2020 12:37 PM

Wong wrings out a cleaning cloth in the kitchen of her flat. Earlier this week, authorities announced a new local outbreak of the deadly coronavirus in Wong’s neighbourhood -- the first local transmission case in the financial hub in nearly a month. (Anthony Wallace / AFP)

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A cooking pot and stove belonging to Wong are seen beside the utensils of her fellow residents in the kitchen of the subdivided flat. Wong knows social-distancing during the coronavirus pandemic is all but impossible. (Anthony Wallace / AFP)

Updated on May 16, 2020 12:37 PM

A cooking pot and stove belonging to Wong are seen beside the utensils of her fellow residents in the kitchen of the subdivided flat. Wong knows social-distancing during the coronavirus pandemic is all but impossible. (Anthony Wallace / AFP)

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Wong seen drying clothes in her flat. On paper, Hong Kong is one of the richest cities in the world. But it suffers from pervasive inequality, an acute housing shortage and eye-watering rents that successive governments have failed to solve, reported AFP. (Anthony Wallace / AFP)

Updated on May 16, 2020 12:37 PM

Wong seen drying clothes in her flat. On paper, Hong Kong is one of the richest cities in the world. But it suffers from pervasive inequality, an acute housing shortage and eye-watering rents that successive governments have failed to solve, reported AFP. (Anthony Wallace / AFP)

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Wong seen on her mobile phone in the walk-up flat. She dreams of having an apartment for just herself and her son, who works in construction business. “But that would cost HK$7,000-8,000 per month, about the same as what I earn each month,” she said. (Anthony Wallace / AFP)

Updated on May 16, 2020 12:37 PM

Wong seen on her mobile phone in the walk-up flat. She dreams of having an apartment for just herself and her son, who works in construction business. “But that would cost HK$7,000-8,000 per month, about the same as what I earn each month,” she said. (Anthony Wallace / AFP)

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A view of residential buildings in the New Territories of Hong Kong. Wong’s cubicle rents at HK$2,000 ($258) a month. (Anthony Wallace / AFP)

Updated on May 16, 2020 12:37 PM

A view of residential buildings in the New Territories of Hong Kong. Wong’s cubicle rents at HK$2,000 ($258) a month. (Anthony Wallace / AFP)

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