A decade ago, Choy Po-yin stumbled upon an artfully designed publication. She was enamoured by its stories of old shops in Hong Kong’s Central and Western districts – but what shocked her most was that it was free.
“My initial thought was, ‘How could such a high-quality bilingual publication be offered free of charge?’ Not only does it boast rich content, but it also aptly captures the historical context and human touch of each shop,” said the 33-year-old, who worked as a reporter for three years before becoming a freelance content creator.
This book, Virtue under the Breaking Roofs, was published by the Conservancy Association Centre for Heritage in 2013 to record memories of these local shops as they faced rapid urbanisation.
Seeing this account opened Choy’s eyes to the power of community-based publications, and she began building her collection of them. Over the next few years, she also took part in producing other neighbourhood magazines.
In March, Choy opened her collection to the public and founded Kong Temporary Archive in Wan Chai’s Foo Tak building. From Thursday to Sunday every week, visitors can peruse the library of resources and contribute their own materials.
The archive has amassed more than 500 publications, which are divided into categories based on their content and circulation area. Most have been sourced from exhibitions, second-hand bookstores and donations.
Explaining why she named it a “temporary” archive, Choy said: “I run this place by myself ... I’m unsure if this archive can be sustained in the long run.”
It is also a reference to the temporary licences that many of Hong Kong’s traditional hawkers operate under.
“Although they said it’s temporary, these things have existed for a long time,” Choy said, adding that she hoped her “temporary” archive would also persist.
“While I do hope this archive will be long lasting, my ultimate goal is for these types of resources to be accessible in every corner of Hong Kong, with each district having its own library dedicated to community publications,” she shared.
Why are community publications important?
Typically self-financed or funded through one-off grants, these free publications often take on the task of chronicling the changes in a neighbourhood. While public libraries are likely to archive newspapers and magazines from mainstream media, community-sourced literature often goes unnoticed.
Choy observed that the proliferation of these publications coincided with important moments in the city.
The first time she noticed this was in 2008, when the government introduced plans to develop the North East New Territories, and people were concerned about how these projects would affect the communities there.
“It led to a growing interest in preserving the uniqueness and memories of the community, which manifested in various projects, including publications and art initiatives,” Choy recalled.
Enthusiast’s collection of more than 4,000 items from 60s to 80s in Hong Kong tells the city’s story
In 2020, Choy worked on a six-edition community magazine as part of the Via North Point project, a series of programmes to connect new and old parts of the neighbourhood. But she recalled that it was not easy to run this magazine without support from a professional team of writers and editors.
Despite the challenges, the former journalist highlighted the role of community press to offer distinctive narratives that might be otherwise overlooked.
“There are certain trivial community topics that are challenging to cover from the perspective of mainstream media, which tend to focus on the broader cityscape,” Choy noted.
“Community publications often centre around specific themes ... and their coverage delves deeper than what is typically found in traditional media.”
Dive deeper into Hong Kong
For anyone looking to explore Hong Kong’s lesser-known stories, Choy recommends Kuk Post; since 2022, this magazine has been documenting the history and revitalisation efforts in a Hakka village in Kuk Po, located in the northeastern New Territories.
“Rural areas are seldom visited, and people often only associate them with hiking spots, lacking a true understanding of their significance,” Choy said.
She noted that Kuk Post provided a valuable reference for why collective memories should be preserved.
“These villages have experienced the disappearance of their communities. So by reading their stories, we can also contemplate what might happen if one day our district ages or if one area vanishes,” she reflected.
Many community publications also go beyond advocating for the protection of cultural heritage – they also share niche stories about everyday life.
“Older publications usually focused on the inheritance of historical and cultural records. But nowadays, with more individual publications, there are more ... diverse voices about the neighbourhood,” Choy said.
One example is Journ, a quarterly publication that circulates in Tai Po. Started by a group of experienced journalists, it focuses on the district’s rich culture and the everyday stories of its residents.
Choy, who also lives in Tai Po, explained, “It’s not just about showcasing the beauty of the place, but also explaining its formation and why people love this place.”
“For instance, there is Wun Yiu Village, which derives its name from its once-renowned porcelain craftsmanship.”
Journ showcases Tai Po in a way that outsiders wouldn’t be able to find in mainstream outlets. “The community press ... strengthens the unique characteristics of each district and offers an alternative platform for people to learn about the city’s landscape,” Choy said.
In the future, the archivist hopes to see more bilingual community-based publications that can tell Hong Kong’s stories to a wider audience.
“There are many ethnic minority groups or locals who are not native Chinese speakers, and they are also part of our city. It would also be helpful for foreign visitors to understand the city. We need to be more inclusive and use diverse ways to tell a better story of Hong Kong,” she said.
