Hong Kong’s Independent Bookstores That Offered Chinese Readers a Space to Question Are Now Closing

Chen Zhu, who travels from mainland China to Hong Kong every month, always visits the “Hunter Bookstore.” Founded four years ago by a former councilor, this independent bookstore is known for carrying books deemed sensitive by authorities—from detailed accounts of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy activists to George Orwell’s “Animal Farm” and Hajime Isayama’s popular dystopian series “Attack on Titan.” From Zhu’s home in Guangzhou on China’s southern coast to the bustling streets of Sham Shui Po district in Hong Kong, Hunter Bookstore serves as a gateway to a different kind of independent world, where she can find answers to forbidden questions. She wept upon hearing that police had raided the bookstore at the end of June. “I was completely stunned.”

After the 2019 pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong, independent bookstores proliferated rapidly. However, as Beijing tightened its control over the city, the survival of these stores has become increasingly precarious. Beijing imposed its national security law, justifying it as necessary for stability, while many Hong Kong residents and human rights groups argue it suppresses freedom of expression. The new security law has resulted in the arrest and conviction of numerous activists and former lawmakers, prompting thousands of locals to leave the city in recent years.

During a raid on June 24, police arrested 33-year-old bookstore owner Lotisha Wong and a 32-year-old man on charges of violating the law. They were accused of sedition and money laundering, charges both denied by the accused. They were subsequently released on bail. In March, authorities arrested the owner and three staff members of “Book Punch” on similar charges and confiscated copies of the biography of imprisoned pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai. On July 15, during Hong Kong’s annual book fair, national security police raided independent bookstores “Greenfield Bookstore” and “Have a Nice Stay,” arresting five individuals on sedition charges; all have since been released on bail.

At the end of the month, Greenfield announced on social media, “Our store is closing after the lease term ends. Thank you for supporting us through more than 50 years of ups and downs.” This marks the third independent bookstore to close within a month. These bookstores cater not only to Hong Kong residents but also loyal customers from mainland China who travel to the city to purchase books, like Zhu does.