The recent passing of Lam Wing-kee (林榮基) at the age of 70 marks the end of an extraordinary chapter in Hong Kong’s modern history. To many, he was a bookseller. To others, he became one of the most important witnesses to the erosion of Hong Kong’s freedoms.
His courage in telling the world what had happened to him exposed the reach of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) beyond mainland China and awakened many people to the fragility of the “One Country, Two Systems” framework.
The Bookseller Who Refused to Return
I first met Lam after he publicly revealed his remarkable story in 2015–2016. As one of the owners of Causeway Bay Books, Lam had sold books in Hong Kong that were politically sensitive and unavailable in mainland China. In late 2015, he disappeared without explanation. Months later, he revealed that he had been secretly detained by mainland Chinese authorities and held for many months under interrogation. His experience shocked Hong Kong and attracted worldwide attention.Perhaps the most extraordinary part of his testimony was what happened after his detention. Mainland authorities allowed him to return briefly to Hong Kong with one assignment: retrieve customer records and return to mainland China with a list of mainland readers who had purchased politically sensitive books.
Instead of obeying those instructions, Lam stood before the international media in Hong Kong and told the world everything that had happened. He refused to return to mainland China. His courageous decision protected countless readers while exposing a system that sought to intimidate not only publishers but also ordinary citizens who simply wanted to read books unavailable across the border.
This all happened years before the Hong Kong National Security Law came into force in 2020. At that time, Hong Kong still possessed sufficient freedom for Lam to hold a press conference, speak openly, and criticize his treatment without immediate prosecution.
Looking back today, it is difficult to imagine such a public disclosure taking place under the current political environment. For many observers, Lam’s testimony became one of the earliest warnings that the boundaries between Hong Kong and mainland China were rapidly disappearing.
The Last Supper Before Exile
Following his public testimony, Lam became one of the most recognizable advocates for freedom of expression in Hong Kong. He participated in public forums, demonstrations, interviews, and discussions concerning press freedom, publishing, and the rule of law.During those years, I served on the Press Freedom Committee at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club in Hong Kong. Because of my work with the committee and my own growing advocacy for Hong Kong’s freedoms, I met Lam frequently. We spoke many times about the rapidly changing political climate and the increasing pressure facing journalists, publishers, and civil society.
By early 2019, Lam increasingly believed that remaining in Hong Kong had become too dangerous. Given his previous detention, he feared he could once again become a target.
On April 24, 2019, Lam and I shared what would become our final dinner together in Hong Kong. Neither of us knew exactly what the future would hold, but we both sensed that Hong Kong was approaching a historic turning point. The following day, Lam boarded a flight to Taipei. It proved to be his final farewell to Hong Kong. He would never return.
Only 14 months later, the CCP-imposed National Security Law fundamentally transformed Hong Kong. Many of the freedoms that once distinguished the city disappeared almost overnight. Lam’s decision to leave now appears both timely and prophetic.
A New Beginning in Taiwan
Over the following years, Lam rebuilt his life in Taiwan. He eventually obtained residency and reopened Causeway Bay Books in Taipei. The bookstore became much more than a place to buy books.It became a gathering place for Hong Kong emigrants, journalists, scholars, students, and visitors from around the world. It was a place where people could freely discuss Hong Kong’s future, exchange ideas, and reconnect with a city many had been forced to leave behind.
I was honored to host one of the launch events for my memoir, the “Path to True Freedom—A Hedge Fund Manager’s Memoir on the Dismantling of Hong Kong,” at Lam Wing-kee’s bookstore in Taipei.
Seeing Lam once again in Taipei was deeply moving. Although exile had changed his surroundings, it had not changed his convictions. He remained warm, thoughtful, and unwavering in his commitment to freedom of expression.
There was profound symbolism in holding a book launch inside Causeway Bay Books. Books had once led to Lam’s imprisonment, yet he refused to allow fear to silence him. Instead, he transformed his bookstore into a place where free discussion could continue.
A Legacy of Courage
Lam never abandoned the struggle for freedom. Even after settling in Taiwan, he quietly helped countless Hongkongers who arrived seeking a new beginning. Some needed practical advice about life in Taiwan. Others simply wanted someone who understood what they had lost. Lam welcomed them with generosity, humility, and compassion.Causeway Bay Books gradually evolved into an informal community center for the Hong Kong diaspora. Many visitors stopped by not only to browse the shelves but also to spend time talking with Lam about Hong Kong, Taiwan, and the uncertain future facing both places. His influence reached far beyond Taiwan.
During a 2017 visit to Canada, Lam Wing-kee shared his firsthand account of being abducted by Chinese authorities. After crossing into mainland China in 2015, he was detained, blindfolded, transferred to Ningbo, and held in solitary confinement for five months under so-called residential surveillance at a designated location.
His courageous decision to publicly reveal his ordeal exposed the reality of cross-border censorship, extraterritorial law enforcement, and the ever-present threat of arbitrary detention that was eroding Hong Kong’s freedoms long before the National Security Law was imposed.
Lam never sought political office. He never expected to become an international symbol. History chose him. A bookseller became a prisoner. A prisoner became a witness. A witness became one of the most powerful voices reminding the world that freedom cannot be taken for granted.
As I reflect on our friendship, I will always remember our conversations, our final dinner together in Hong Kong, and our reunion in Taipei. Those memories have become even more precious with his passing.
Lam Wing-kee leaves behind far more than a bookstore. He leaves behind a legacy of courage, integrity, and moral conviction. His life reminds us that freedom of expression carries a price, but silence carries an even greater one. May he rest in peace.
May future generations remember not only the bookseller, but also the man who chose conscience over fear, truth over silence, and freedom over submission.
