LOWER RING

The Lower Ring is home to the poor classes of Ba Sing Se's society and the majority of its population. In the time of the Hundred Year War, these consisted of newcomers to the city, including its multitude of refugees. Most of the Lower Ring residents work with their hands as artisans, laborers, and craftsman, while the rest are merchants and food vendors. Due to the impoverished state of the citizens of the Lower Ring, as well as the influx of refugees, the crime rate is significantly higher.

The Lower Ring is also the most densely populated area of Ba Sing Se. Buildings in the Lower Ring are generally small, because the Lower Ring houses the majority of the populace and many people need to be crammed into the space available. The roofs of most buildings in the ring are brown tiled, indicating the poor status of the owners.

The Lower Ring's status and poverty have remained unchanged over centuries. While parts of it were modernized after the Great War, mainly transportation and communication, the Lower Ring has further deteriorated into an overgrown, overpopulated slum with a foul odor, detectable from an airship overflying the area. It is impossible to travel from the Lower Ring into the Upper Ring without a valid passport.