Over the past year, Hong Kong’s cultural mood has been filled with nostalgia. Take Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In’s prize sweep at the 43rd Hong Kong Film Awards as an example. The local film transports viewers back in time to the infamous, mazelike Kowloon Walled City.
In the spirit of making historical journeys, here are five book recommendations to help you experience Hong Kong’s charm and better understand our home.
Hong Kong exhibition explores history through family heirlooms
City of Darkness: Life In Kowloon Walled City (1993)
The Kowloon Walled City’s legacy lives on, shaping art, architecture and ideas worldwide. For those curious about the mystifying, anarchic enclave, this photographic record by Greg Girard and British architect Ian Lambot captures its history, revealing how a self-sufficient community lived and worked harmoniously within such densely packed spaces.
Girard and Lambot spent four years exploring the settlement before it was cleared in 1992. Featuring over 320 photographs and 32 in-depth interviews and essays on the Walled City’s history and nature, this book offers an intimate portrait of the now-demolished metropolis.
Hong Kong Shifts (2024)
Shift workers form the backbone of Hong Kong’s fast-paced metropolis, yet these individuals – sampan ladies, bamboo scaffolders, street cleaners, fishermen, security guards and market vendors – are often overlooked.
This photojournalism book, written by Cynthia Cheng and photographed by Maxime Vanhollebeke, gives voice to 50 Hongkongers, collecting stories and portraits since 2019 through the pandemic, which pay tribute to their resilience and dedication in shaping a better city.
Hong Kong Shifts tells stories of city’s overlooked workers to build community
Shooting Hoops, All 2,549 Basketball Courts In Hong Kong (2025)
When you grow up in Hong Kong, it can become easy to take the city’s beauty for granted. But American photographer Austin Bell was struck by the city’s stunning sights, especially its basketball courts that span different colours and patterns. Bell built an extensive visual archive in a quest to document all 2,549 courts across the city, using aerial photography to transform these everyday spaces into remarkable mosaics.
The Ink Trail: Hong Kong (2024)
From wet market stalls and towering high-rises to crumbling buildings and lush, winding nature trails, artist Andreas von Buddenbrock has been filling his sketchbook with ink drawings that capture the places and people he encounters in the city.
The Ink Trail: Hong Kong presents a selection of his best work from 2017 to 2023, featuring not only Hong Kong’s diverse landscape but also the artist’s personal anecdotes and insights into his creative process.
Cha Guo film captures Hong Kong village’s developing changes in face of urbanisation
Pickle the Porcupine and the Wild Hong Kong Adventure (2024)
Pickle the Porcupine lives high in the hills of Hong Kong, happily nibbling on tree trunks. But one day, he finds himself lost in the bustling streets of the city. How will he find his way back home to the forest?
Illustrated by Catherine Choi and written by Lindsay Varty, this charming picture book tells a playful tale about a lovable local critter. It may be for children, but it is tender and poetic, and introduces readers to the many modes of transport in Hong Kong – from ferries and buses to trams and more.
