Taipei: Chatter in Cantonese and Mandarin filled a Taipei bazaar on Saturday, where stalls run by Hongkongers in Taiwan drew crowds seeking authentic cuisine and traces of the creative freedom many believe has vanished from Hong Kong. Among the 68 stalls set up at Huashan 1914 Creative Park, a bookstall selling titles no longer publishable in Hong Kong stood out from the others offering Hong Kong-style snacks and creative products.

According to Focus Taiwan, a few years ago, these books likely couldn’t be published in Hong Kong, prompting authors to move to Taiwan to work with local publishers, as explained by Amy, a Taiwan-based Hongkonger who requested anonymity due to safety concerns. The books, authored by Hong Kong journalists, focus on the city’s 2019 Anti-Extradition Law Amendment Bill Movement, a series of demonstrations against Beijing’s increasing control over the former British colony.

Since the enactment of the Hong Kong National Security Law in 2020, the space for creative and publishing freedoms in Hong Kong has diminished, leading to the 2021 closure of Apple Daily. Many Hong Kong media workers and authors have since emigrated to Taiwan in search of greater creative freedom, Amy noted.

Taiwanese bazaar-goer Doris Weng expressed enthusiasm for Hong Kong cultural workers pursuing their craft in Taiwan, highlighting the absence of censorship in Taiwan’s publishing industry, even on sensitive themes such as LGBTQ+ topics. Weng mentioned the establishment of the Hong Kong-themed bookstore “nowhere” in Taipei in 2022, emphasizing Taiwan’s welcoming stance towards cultural contributions from Hongkongers, which she believes can enrich Taiwan’s culture.

Weng also characterized Taiwan and Hong Kong as “allies of freedom” facing pressure from China. “When confronting a big authoritarian power, we hope to make more friends — that way we have more strength,” she stated. The bazaar, running from Saturday to Sunday, was organized by the government-funded Taiwan-Hong Kong Economic and Cultural Co-operation Council (THEC), which has hosted the event annually since 2023.

THEC Secretary-General Lu Chang-shui emphasized Taiwan’s “free, diverse and democratic environment” as a catalyst for creativity. “In Taiwan, you can focus on expressing your creativity . You don’t have to worry that your creations won’t be shareable,” Lu said, adding that THEC plans to continue supporting Hong Kong cultural workers, including organizing a film festival next year showcasing movies censored in Hong Kong.