HONG KONG — Dozens of readers gathered at independent bookstore Have a Nice Stay on Sunday to say goodbye as the Hong Kong shop closed permanently, weeks after national security police raided the premises and arrested three of its staff members on suspicion of sedition.
The bookstore, located on the third floor of a tenement building in Prince Edward, had drawn crowds throughout its final week. Readers queued along the narrow staircase during a five day clearance sale, with many waiting patiently despite the heat to browse the remaining books and support a shop that had become a gathering place for readers interested in journalism, social sciences and Hong Kong society.
By Sunday evening, the queue continued to stretch through the building as customers arrived for one final visit.
The shop had remained closed for several weeks after the police operation in July. It reopened only for the clearance sale, giving supporters a final opportunity to buy books and visit the space before its closure.
At about 9pm, co founder Sum Wan wah stood at the entrance and thanked customers who had supported the bookstore since it opened four years ago. Speaking in Cantonese, Sum told those gathered that the shop would cease operations that day and wished everyone well before pulling down the shutters.
“Take care, everyone. Have a Nice Stay will cease operation from today,” he said.
For many customers, the final evening was less about shopping than marking the end of a bookstore that had occupied a distinctive place in Hong Kong's independent publishing and literary community.
Long queues before the final closure
The bookstore announced the five day clearance sale after deciding to shut down. The announcement brought a steady stream of visitors from different parts of the city.
The queue climbed the staircase leading to the third floor, where two electric fans had been placed to provide some relief from the oppressive summer heat. Customers waited in the confined stairwell before entering the shop, sometimes carrying bags of books purchased during earlier visits.
Inside, readers moved between shelves stocked with works from independent publishers, including books covering journalism, social sciences and issues connected to Hong Kong's recent history.
A message displayed inside the store thanked customers for the affection they had shown toward Have a Nice Stay over the years.
“There is a time to gather and a time to scatter. We shall meet again,” the message said.
The farewell came less than two months after the bookstore was raided by national security police.
Booksellers arrested over alleged sedition
Sum was one of five independent booksellers arrested by national security police in July on suspicion of sedition.
Three of those arrested were connected to Have a Nice Stay, while the other two worked at Greenfield Bookstore, a Mong Kok shop that has been operating for about five decades.
Police raided both bookstores during the investigation and seized material that authorities alleged was linked to seditious activity. The five people were subsequently released on bail while police continued their investigations.
The arrests sent fresh concern through Hong Kong's independent bookselling community, where operators have faced growing uncertainty over what material authorities may regard as violating national security laws.
The police action followed other arrests involving independent bookstores earlier this year.
In March, staff at Book Punch were arrested in connection with alleged seditious publications. Among the material reportedly seized was a title related to jailed media tycoon Jimmy Lai.
In June, police raided Hunter Bookstore and arrested a former pro democracy district councillor in an investigation involving alleged sedition.
The sequence of cases has increased pressure on independent booksellers, particularly those whose collections include works on politics, journalism, civil society and Hong Kong's protest movement.
A bookstore born from a shuttered newsroom
Have a Nice Stay opened in 2022, at a time when Hong Kong's independent media and publishing sectors were undergoing major changes.
The bookstore was founded by former journalists from Stand News, the pro democracy media outlet that was shut down after police raided its offices in December 2021. Senior figures connected to the organisation were later prosecuted under the city's national security laws.
Have a Nice Stay developed a collection centred largely on journalism and the social sciences. It also stocked books produced by independent Hong Kong publishers, giving readers access to works that were not always prominently available through larger commercial booksellers.
The shop became part of a small network of independent bookstores that continued to provide space for books and discussions covering subjects that have become increasingly sensitive in Hong Kong.
Its closure now leaves another gap in that network.
“Unclear red lines” and financial pressure
Have a Nice Stay announced its decision to close one day before the July raid.
The bookstore cited financial difficulties as well as what it described as “unclear red lines” surrounding its operations.
The phrase reflected a wider problem faced by booksellers in Hong Kong since the introduction of national security legislation. While authorities have repeatedly said that lawful bookselling remains permitted, the boundaries surrounding publications considered problematic can be difficult for individual businesses to assess.
The bookstore's closure therefore came from more than one pressure. Financial difficulties had already affected its ability to operate, while the legal uncertainty surrounding certain publications added another layer of concern.
Greenfield Bookstore, which was also targeted in the July police operation, has likewise announced plans to close when its existing lease expires.
The developments have raised questions about how many independent booksellers will continue operating in the city and what range of politically sensitive or socially contentious books will remain available to readers.
Government says booksellers must ensure titles are lawful
Hong Kong Secretary for Security Chris Tang has defended the authorities' approach to national security enforcement.
Tang has said booksellers have a responsibility to ensure that the titles they sell do not threaten national security. He has also said the government would not produce a formal list of “banned publications” for booksellers.
According to Tang, the law provides a clear framework and authorities do not single out particular industries or sectors when enforcing national security requirements.
That position leaves individual booksellers responsible for making decisions about the material they stock, while potentially facing investigation if authorities later determine that particular publications breach the law.
The arrests and raids have consequently become a major concern for independent booksellers, who must balance customer demand, commercial pressures and legal risks.
A final night for Have a Nice Stay
For four years, Have a Nice Stay offered a place where readers could browse books outside the mainstream commercial market. Its final day brought many of those customers back to the Prince Edward shop.
Some came to buy books. Others came simply to see the bookstore one last time.
By Sunday night, the shelves had been picked over and the clearance sale had run its course. The visitors who remained gathered around the entrance as Sum thanked them before closing the door.
The shuttering of Have a Nice Stay comes alongside the planned closure of Greenfield Bookstore and follows police action against other independent booksellers in recent months.
For readers who relied on these shops for independently published works and books about Hong Kong's political and social history, the closures mean fewer places to find those titles.
The last customers eventually left the third floor, the staircase emptied and the fans fell silent.
Have a Nice Stay had been open for four years. On August 30, it closed for good.