Latest news with #FredLam
South China Morning Post
16-06-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Every storey has a story in a Cheung Sha Wan tong lau with cafe, bookshop, event space
Fred Lam was trekking 4,000 metres above sea level in Nepal. There, he got a call about renting a tong lau in Hong Kong's Cheung Sha Wan neighbourhood. 'Many people who love reading and travelling – whether they're backpackers or book lovers – dream of opening a cafe, a bar, a hostel or a bookstore. I was lucky,' the 45-year-old said. 'In this one building, I got to fulfil three of those wishes.' With this five-storey building, Lam fulfilled his dream of opening a travel-themed bookshop last December. Called Thirsty, the ground floor has a Turkish-style cafe. On the second floor is a bookshop. The floors above host a range of events. Lam manages the bookshop, while his partner runs the cafe. From February to April, the space held discussions on travel, book club gatherings, film screenings and more. 'My idea of a perfect bookstore is quite old-school. It's a place where people and books can find each other,' Lam said. 'I hope this place can be a gathering point ... for people to connect, both intellectually and emotionally.' After taking his daughter to school, this Hong Kong dad stops to sketch A space to connect and explore The owner explained that the name 'Thirsty' represented a longing for knowledge, experience and action. 'My ideal is for this place to be somewhere couples can hang out for a few hours, see an exhibition [and] have a coffee. I want it to be a one-stop spot,' Lam said. While it might be tough to make money, he believes this space can help people explore and connect. 'Books give a sense of life ... If someone wants to learn, they can actually find real knowledge here,' he said. Thirsty has travel-related books on everything from philosophy to writing and city guides. It also sells books about hiking, running, cycling, food, architecture, art and museums. Another section focuses on helping people explore and understand Hong Kong's history, geography and culture. Lam also hopes that hosting events can help the business stay afloat. The shop owner shared that a school library club once brought about 30 students for a visit. Thirsty hosted a book talk for them and provided refreshments, and each student was also given money to buy a book. Thirsty's rooftop is a space for community events. Photo: Edmond So The meaning of travel Over three decades, Lam has visited more than 100 countries. It all started in 1996 after Lam finished Form Five. He left Hong Kong alone for the first time to spend a year travelling in Australia. 'Travel to me meant being like a sponge,' he said. 'I was thrown into a completely unfamiliar world and just absorbed everything.' Over time, he embraced his long journeys to new places. He experimented with different ways of travelling, such as volunteering, cycling and hiking. After spending two years travelling the world, Lam returned to Hong Kong and launched a travel agency to guide others on their journeys abroad. 'To me, the meaning of travel is always evolving. It's a constantly shifting mode of life,' he said. Now, he is focused on his work at Thirsty. Here, he hopes to help people 'travel' through books, drinks and events. 'This place brings me a lot of satisfaction,' Lam said. 'If it can become the only travel-themed bookstore in Hong Kong ... that would be incredibly fulfilling.' Reflect: Do you think bookshops are important? Explain. Why this story matters: It is not easy to keep a shop open in Hong Kong these days. But Fred Lam believes in Thirsty's mission of bringing people together to explore new ideas and places. It takes a lot of work to build spaces for people to connect.
South China Morning Post
15-06-2025
- South China Morning Post
Thirsty – cafe, bookshop, event space – is a refreshing spot in Hong Kong
Last year, while trekking 4,000 metres above sea level in Nepal, travel writer and restaurateur Fred Lam was on a call negotiating the lease for a tong lau in Hong Kong's Cheung Sha Wan neighbourhood. 'My girlfriend passed by the building and saw a tiny A4 paper that said 'for rent' ... She said it was the tong lau of her dreams,' the 45-year-old recalled. 'When she told me the price, I realised maybe this could actually work.' This was not Lam's first attempt at turning his love for travel into a tangible space. During the pandemic, he and his partner opened Lonely Paisley – a cosy culture hub and restaurant with globally inspired dishes. But the space was cramped, and Lam had long dreamed of opening a travel-themed bookshop. Last December, that dream became Thirsty: a five-storey building where each floor tells a different story. The ground-floor Turkish-style cafe, I'm Thirsty, flows into the second-floor bookshop, Thirsty for the Unknown. Upstairs, a multipurpose space, loft and rooftop host events gathering Hongkongers around the theme of travel. From February to April, the space held up to 20 events each month: discussions on travel, book club gatherings, film screenings, community running groups and more. 'My idea of a perfect bookstore is quite old-school. It's a place where people and books can find each other,' Lam said. 'I hope this place can be a gathering point ... for people to connect, both intellectually and emotionally.' Thirsty for the Unknown features books related to travel, as well as Hong Kong history and culture. Photo: Edmond So Thirsty for the unknown The owner explained that the name 'Thirsty' represented a longing for knowledge, experience and action. Lam manages the bookshop, while his partner runs the cafe. 'Many people who love reading and travelling – whether they're backpackers or book lovers – dream of opening a cafe, a bar, a hostel or a bookstore. I was lucky,' Lam said. 'In this one building, I got to fulfil three of those wishes.' 'My ideal is for this place to be somewhere couples can hang out for a few hours, see an exhibition [and] have a coffee. I want it to be a one-stop spot.' While running a bookshop in Hong Kong is a risky venture with almost no financial reward, Lam believes in its deeper value: a bookstore gives a space its soul. 'Books give a sense of life ... It's about substance. If someone wants to learn, they can actually find real knowledge here,' he said. 'Honestly, I don't have high expectations for book sales. If the bookstore can just earn enough to pay our staff, I'll already be satisfied.' Bookstore helps locals quench their thirst for knowledge about Hong Kong While the shop owner admitted they had not yet broken even, one big advantage they have is space. Lam hopes that revenue from renting out the event space and the cafe can help cover other costs. He shared about an event where a school library club brought 30 students for a book talk, and each student was given money to buy a book. Shelves in Thirsty for the Unknown include books on travel philosophy, travel writing and guidebooks. They also stock titles involving travel-related interests, such as hiking, running, cycling, food, architecture, art and museums. Another section focuses on helping people explore and understand Hong Kong's history, geography and culture. There is also a spiritual section with books about religion and mindfulness. One corner of the shop features hand-picked souvenirs, such as Turkish jewellery and Nepalese incense. 'We can't stock every book,' he said. 'But my hope is that people walk in and feel the curation is thoughtful. If someone loves to travel, they'll find books that suit their interests, maybe even discover something unexpected.' The meaning of travel Over three decades of travel, Lam has visited over 100 countries. In 1996, after finishing Form Five, Lam left Hong Kong alone for the first time to spend a year travelling in Australia. 'Looking back, travel to me meant being like a sponge,' he said. 'I was thrown into a completely unfamiliar world and just absorbed everything. I was totally clueless – just soaking it all in.' Over time, he embraced the life of a backpacker, going on long journeys and experimenting with different ways of travelling, such as volunteering, cycling, hiking and writing. After spending two years travelling the world while writing, he returned to Hong Kong and launched a travel agency to guide others on their journeys abroad. 'To me, the meaning of travel is always evolving. It's a constantly shifting mode of life,' he said. Save money – and the planet – at Hong Kong's Repair Cafe Lam is now working on a book chronicling his three decades on the road. 'I'm planning to write a book this year because next year marks 30 years since I began my journey,' he said. But ever since opening Thirsty, he has cut back on his tours abroad and is channelling the spirit of exploration into his local initiatives. One project includes organising walking tours in Hong Kong, including one that explores deaths and crimes in Cheung Sha Wan. He is also focused on developing Thirsty as a way to expand his definition of what it means to travel. 'This place brings me a lot of satisfaction,' Lam said. 'If it can become the only travel-themed bookstore in Hong Kong and a unique space, that would be incredibly fulfilling ... It's all part of the journey.' Stop and think: What is the purpose of each floor in Thirsty, and why has this venture fulfilled Lam's wishes? Why this story matters: As many Hong Kong shops struggle to stay open amid a tough economy, Fred Lam's work with Thirsty shows the importance of dedication and creativity to build meaningful spaces that bring people together.
