### Crowds Gather to Bury the Past as Hong Kong Bookstore Closes Its Doors

HONG KONG – A poignant reminder of the city's changing political landscape played out on Sunday as the independent bookstore Have a Nice Stay, a beacon of free thought and expression, closed its doors to the public for the last time. The closure, following a July police raid over allegations of seditious content and financial difficulties, marked the end of an era for Hong Kong's once vibrant independent bookstore scene.

Crowds of book lovers and supporters gathered outside the store, located in the bustling Kowloon district, to pay their respects and share stories. Lines snaked down the staircase, with only 20 people allowed inside the approximately 600-square-foot space at a time. The emotional farewell was a stark contrast to the store's bustling days, when it was a hub for political discourse and cultural exchange.

The independent bookstore industry in Hong Kong has been on a steady decline since Beijing imposed the sweeping national security legislation in 2020. Many of these stores, including Have a Nice Stay, offered a broader range of political and social titles than mainstream retailers, becoming important spaces for civil society through book talks and workshops.

"We no longer have the ability, or perhaps the courage, to continue fulfilling the mission of using books to share knowledge drawn from a diversity of perspectives," the store said in an online statement last month.

Have a Nice Stay was founded in 2022 by a group of former Stand News journalists and veteran media professionals who lost their jobs following the wave of closures of independent local news outlets after the imposition of the security law. The store's closure was announced on July 14 on Facebook, with the owners citing poor business performance, financial pressures, uncertainty over their premises, and Hong Kong's wider social environment as reasons for the shutdown.

"We have faced financial deficits over the past six months, though at times we managed to scrape by," the statement read. "Looking at Hong Kong's broader economic situation, we can only pessimistically conclude that it will become increasingly difficult to carry on."

The closure of Have a Nice Stay is not an isolated incident. The store has been one of several bookstores targeted by the National Security Police this year, accused of displaying or selling publications with seditious intent. In one of the most high-profile cases, five publishers and booksellers associated with the Causeway Bay Books store disappeared under mysterious circumstances in late 2015. All five later emerged in mainland Chinese custody and delivered televised confessions related to their alleged offences.

The government's vague "red lines" on what constitutes seditious content have left bookstore owners and employees in a constant state of uncertainty. "Government officials have made it clear that they will not specify which books may or may not be sold," the Have a Nice Stay statement said. "We cannot read every book, nor are we able to determine which books may be considered problematic."

The closure of Have a Nice Stay is a somber reminder of the challenges faced by Hong Kong's civil society in the face of Beijing's tightening grip on the city. As the store's last day of operation came to an end, many of its patrons left with a heavy heart, reflecting on the loss of a space that once fostered free thought and open dialogue.

The emotional farewell to Have a Nice Stay serves as a stark reminder of the delicate balance between freedom of expression and political control in today's Hong Kong. As the city continues to navigate the complexities of its relationship with Beijing, the closure of the bookstore stands as a testament to the resilience of a community that will not be silenced.