These bookshops let Chinese readers question their country - now the doors are closing
For some mainlanders, Hong Kong's independent bookstores are a window into a different, freer world.
Chinese reader Chen Zhu frequently visits Hong Kong's Hunter Bookstore, the only place she can find answers to forbidden questions. Founded by a former councillor, the independent bookstore stocks sensitive books, including accounts of Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement and works like George Orwell's Animal Farm. Zhu travels from Guangzhou, China's southern coast, to the Sham Shui Po district to escape the limitations of the mainland's tightly controlled internet.
The bookshop, however, has faced difficulties as China's control over Hong Kong has grown. In June, police raided the store, accusing owner Letitia Wong and a visitor of sedition and money laundering, leading to the closure of Greenfield Bookstore, Have a Nice Stay, and other independent bookshops within a month. These bookshops, once a refuge for those fleeing China, are now experiencing a sharp decline in visitors as the spirit of political freedom they once offered is eroding.
Written by urgent.news from BBC News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
