Mostly tucked upstairs in tenement buildings above Hong Kong’s busy streets, independent bookstores offer a refuge, serving as a window to a freer world for some mainland Chinese readers seeking ideas suppressed at home.
A person waits for the lift leading to various shops including Hong Kong Reader Bookstore in Hong Kong, Friday, Aug. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/May James)
Books including one titled " The CCP’s Plan to Attack Taiwan: A Comprehensive Reveal” can be seen at Greenfield Bookstore in Hong Kong, Friday, Aug. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/May James)
Pedestrians pass a narrow street entrance leading to Greenfield Bookstore beneath bamboo scaffolding in Hong Kong Friday, Aug. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/May James)
A staff member opens Hunter Bookstore at noon near a heart-shaped display on the front window in Hong Kong, Friday, Aug. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/May James)
