It was a success considering Hong Kong wasn't a developed country until the 80s, it was prevented from expanding and had no natural resources what with being located in the middle of a city under two military powerhouse states, was allowed minimum amenities from said states yet was able to make do with only a water source, for which private wells substituted, had decade spanning structures that withstood the test of time sans formal engineering practice and regulation, was peaceful for its income level despite the utter lack of law enforcement, and was so endearingly livable that demand for living there achieved population densities 20-200 times greater than the neighborhoods mere streets beside it.
Name one other social system that effectively turned a backyard with no natural resources (sans access to trade), formal engineering, law and bureaucratic principles, into a bustling city able to sustain more human beings than any modern human settlement, all the while being at most technologically half a decade behind surrounding state run economic leaders.