[resolutebat]

That explained why they were abandoned, but not why they haven't been reoccupied, since HK's population has exploded since the 1950s.

The short answer seems to be corruption: a cabal of property developers colludes with the government to ensure prices are sky-high and nobody outside the system (like, say, whoever owns the land in these abandoned villages) gets building permits.

[Arn_Thor]

A missing part of the story is that so many moved abroad. So the land rights now belong to first or second generation migrants and there just isn't enough pull to get them back. Yet there are sentimental and family reasons to hold onto the land--it costs nothing. And the land plots can't really be sold to developers at a high price unless the whole village, or a section of it, all get together and agree.

[CyberDildonics]

And the land plots can't really be sold to developers at a high price unless the whole village, or a section of it, all get together and agree.

Where are you getting this? Do you have a source?

[Arn_Thor]

I added “really” to imply it’s impractical. What developer would pay a high premium? They can’t build a big tower unless they have a ton of adjoining plots. The village is abandoned and the owners are all abroad or just disinterested. The developer would have to do a lot of leg work just to find these people. And if one of them objects then the thing stalls.

It’s a lot of effort and high risk. Much easier to buy out active villages where you can knock on a door, show them a check and do it that way.

Edit: actually it may be even more difficult than that as the inheritance right appears limited to the heir building one house. I’m not sure the plots even can be sold. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_House_Policy