New Mong Kok bookshop opens amid harsh winter for indie bookstores in Hong Kong
Por Vivian Au — South China Morning Post – News feed
Advertisement Hong Kong society Hong Kong Society New Mong Kok bookshop opens amid harsh winter for indie bookstores in Hong Kong
New Year Bookshop owner Grace Lau, 41, says she invested six-figure sum for one-year lease on her passion project
2 -MIN READ 2 -MIN Listen
Vivian Au Published: 12:05pm, 4 Oct 2026
Small independent bookstores tucked away in walk-up tenement buildings above neon-lit streets have long made Mong Kok a sanctuary for Hong Kong book lovers, until recently when one after another was forced to close due to economic headwinds or political uncertainty.
Defying the trend, 41-year-old bibliophile Grace Lau invested a six-figure sum to launch New Year Bookshop, a move driven by passion and lower rents that some in the community regarded as a bold gamble on the neighbourhood’s literary future.
Housed in an upstairs shop on Sai Yeung Choi Street South in Mong Kok, the roughly 600 sq ft bookshop opened on Sunday, offering more than 2,000 new and second-hand titles focusing on literature, history and philosophy.
Select Voice Select Speed 0.8x 0.9x 1.0x 1.1x 1.2x 1.5x 1.75x 00:00 00:00 1x AI-generated voice
