In Pictures: Fans pay tribute to Hong Kong independent bookshop Have a Nice Stay on final day following raid

On the final day of its operations, Hong Kong independent bookstore Have a Nice Stay drew a crowd of devoted fans eager to pay their respects. The shop, which had been raided by national security police last month, was set to close its doors forever on August 30, 2026. Co-founder Sum Wan-wah greeted customers as they arrived, expressing gratitude for their support and wishing them well as the shop prepared to shut its shutters.

In the days leading up to the closure, the bookshop had announced a five-day clearance sale to attract the public's attention. Long queues formed outside the Prince Edward tenement building, where Have a Nice Stay was located, as fans eagerly awaited their turn to enter the premises. Electric fans were even set up in the staircase to provide some relief from the sweltering heat.

Sum Wan-wah, who had been operating the independent bookstore for four years, made his final plea to customers before closing the door. "Take care, everyone. Have a Nice Stay will cease operation from today," he told them in Cantonese. The shop's walls bore a message: "Make every effort to enter through the narrow door."

The arrests of Sum and four other independent bookshop owners last month had marked a significant escalation in the crackdown on Hong Kong's independent booksellers. Police had seized allegedly seditious materials from the raided stores, Greenfield Bookstore and Have a Nice Stay. The five were later released on bail pending further investigations.

The arrests came following previous crackdowns on independent bookstores, including raids on Book Punch in March and Hunter Bookstore in June. These actions have put Taiwan publishers in the spotlight as well, due to their role in publishing and distributing works that have been deemed seditious by the Hong Kong authorities.