Independent bookshops in Hong Kong have become important places for readers from mainland China seeking books and ideas that are difficult to access at home. But increasing political pressure and tighter security laws are making it harder for these shops to survive.

One such store is Hunter Bookstore in Hong Kong’s Sham Shui Po district. Founded four years ago by a former councillor, the independent shop became known for selling books that authorities might consider politically sensitive, including accounts of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement and works exploring authoritarianism such as George Orwell’s Animal Farm and Hajime Isayama’s Attack on Titan.

For 23-year-old Chen Zhu, who travels from Guangzhou to Hong Kong each month, the bookstore offered access to ideas and information she could not easily find in mainland China. She described visiting the shop as entering a freer world where she could explore questions that are difficult to discuss openly.

Her connection to the bookstore was shaken when she learned that police had raided it in late June. Zhu said she was devastated by the news.

Hong Kong experienced a rise in independent bookshops following the major pro-democracy protests of 2019. However, many have struggled as Beijing’s control over the city has tightened.

China’s government maintains that the National Security Law is necessary to protect stability and security. Critics, including Hong Kong residents and human rights organisations, argue that the legislation has significantly restricted freedom of expression.

Thousands of people, including activists and former lawmakers, have left Hong Kong in recent years as expanded security measures have resulted in numerous arrests and convictions.