hong kong travel health declaration

Health declaration system refined

The Government announced today the launch of an upgraded electronic health declaration system on a trial basis from July 28 to streamline the processing of arrival quarantine procedures.

Currently, inbound travellers should submit a health declaration through the  Health & Quarantine Information Declaration  to obtain a QR code for boarding a flight to Hong Kong.

While the number of inbound travellers taking time to complete the health declaration form upon arrival in Hong Kong has reduced significantly under the aforesaid arrival quarantine arrangement, there remains some people who do not complete the health declaration until after their arrival that hinders other inbound travellers with a valid health declaration during peak hours.

The upgraded health declaration system is therefore implemented. Starting from midnight on July 28, those boarding flights to Hong Kong are required to complete the Health & Quarantine Information Declaration in advance and present the health declaration QR code generated after completion of the declaration at check-in for verification by the airlines concerned.

The health declaration to be presented can be a downloadable version of the QR code, a screen shot or a printout. The health declaration QR code will be valid for 96 hours and inbound travellers can submit the declaration form as early as three days before their scheduled arrival time in Hong Kong.

On top of the health and quarantine declaration, information required for inbound quarantine such as proof of completion of vaccination and reservation reference numbers of designated quarantine hotels should also be provided under the upgraded declaration system.

Inbound travellers unable to produce the electronic health declaration QR code will still be allowed to board the flight during the trial run. Upon completion of the trial and enhancement of the systems, the travellers must obtain the electronic health declaration QR code before they can board a flight to Hong Kong.

The Government plans to upgrade the electronic health declaration system and the functions of the QR code in August upon successful trial of the upgrade, so that pre-boarding documentation verification process can be gradually digitalised and conducted via the system.

This includes the verification of proof of vaccination and designated quarantine hotels reservations. The verified information will be integrated into the electronic health declaration QR code to enable inbound travellers to use it for going through the procedures prior to boarding and upon arrival at the airport, such as inbound quarantine, test-and-hold and closed-loop transportation to quarantine hotels.

Completing the health declaration prior to boarding allows smoother arrival quarantine procedures for inbound travellers at the airport, the Government said.

It will also facilitate the gradual introduction of electronic processing of arrival quarantine procedures, thereby reducing the need for manual processing and hence the waiting time and bottlenecks, it added.

Click  here  for the boarding and compulsory quarantine requirements of inbound travel.

• Presentation of a negative nucleic acid testing report prior to boarding will no longer be required. Instead, a declaration of the negative result of a self-arranged rapid antigen test (RAT) conducted within 24 hours prior to the scheduled time of departure should be made via the online Health & Quarantine Information Declaration of the Department of Health.
• Boarding requirement of having completed vaccination for Hong Kong residents will be lifted. Non-Hong Kong residents aged 12 or above will still be required to be fully vaccinated or have obtained a medical exemption certificate before they are allowed to board a flight for Hong Kong.
• "Test-and-go" arrangement will be implemented at the Hong Kong International Airport, i.e. inbound persons will not be required to wait for the test result at the airport after undergoing specimen collection for the nucleic acid test. They can take public transport or self-arranged transport to return to their home or their hotel of choice.
• Quarantine arrangement upon arrival at Hong Kong will be changed to "0+3", i.e. no compulsory quarantine will be required. There will be three days of medical surveillance during which inbound persons are free to go out but are obliged to comply with Amber Code restrictions under the Vaccine Pass, followed by a four-day self-monitoring period, making it a 7-day observation period in total.
• Nucleic acid tests at community testing centres, mobile testing stations or other recognised institutions on Day 2, Day 4 and Day 6 (the day of arrival is Day 0) will be required upon arrival at Hong Kong, supplemented by daily RATs from Day 1 to Day 7.
• For inbound persons who are tested positive by nucleic acid tests or RATs, their Vaccine Pass will be converted to a Red Code. Their isolation arrangements will be aligned with that for local cases.
• Day 0: nucleic acid test at the airport;
• Day 2, Day 4 and Day 6: after obtaining a negative result of RAT on respective days, inbound persons should undergo nucleic acid test at a community testing centre or a mobile specimen collection station, or arrange a self-paid test by professional swab sampling at a local medical testing institution recognised by the Government; and
• During medical surveillance and self-monitoring periods, inbound persons are subject to daily RAT until Day 7 of arrival at Hong Kong.
• Premises required to use the QR Code Verification Scanner and is regulated under Cap. 599F, i.e. catering business premises (including bars or pubs), amusement game centres, bathhouses, fitness centres, places of amusement, indoor places of public entertainment, party rooms, beauty parlours and massage establishments, club houses, clubs or nightclubs, karaoke establishments, mahjong-tin kau premises, indoor sports premises, swimming pools, cruise ships, indoor event premises, barber shops or hair salons and religious premises.
• Premises required to inspect the Vaccine Pass visually as far as feasible, i.e. outdoor places of public entertainment, outdoor sports premises and outdoor event premises.

Inbound Travel

Inbound arrangements.

• All inbound persons must pass temperature checks upon arrival. Those found with symptoms will be referred to the Department of Health for further handling.
• No further restrictions upon arrival.

Handling Arrangements for Persons Tested Positive After Arrival at Hong Kong

• For persons tested positive after arrival at Hong Kong, please refer to the webpage on Points to Note for Persons who Tested Positive .

Please refer to this webpage .

More Information

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Hong kong tourism board, travel health advice.

Ensuring the safety and wellbeing of all travellers is important to us. Before your journey, follow these recommendations to safeguard your health and enjoy a worry-free visit to Hong Kong.

• Discuss with your family doctor before your trip if you have any medical conditions

Make a record of all the medicines that you are using 

Keep any medications that need to be taken regularly in your hand luggage 

Check with your family doctor or the Travel Health Centers of the Department of Health for the types of vaccines required. These may include vaccination against hepatitis A and B, yellow fever and typhoid fever  

Inform your doctor of any allergies if you need vaccination

For more travel health tips and the latest news on travel-related diseases and environmental health risks, please visit: https://www.travelhealth.gov.hk/english/index.html .

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Hong Kong: Updated Health Form For Inbound Travelers

Key Points  

• The authorities of Hong Kong will introduce an updated electronic health declaration system that must be completed by all travelers prior to entering the jurisdiction

The authorities of  Hong Kong updated its electronic health declaration system for all travelers entering the jurisdiction  starting 28 July 2022. All travelers entering Hong Kong will be required to complete an online  Health and Quarantine Declaration form  prior to arrival. After submitting the form, travelers will receive a QR code that is scanned prior to boarding a flight to Hong Kong. The QR code will remain valid for 96 hours and the form can be submitted three days prior to the scheduled arrival time in Hong Kong. Within the form, travelers will need to include information on vaccination status and designated quarantine hotel reservations.   

What are the Changes?  

Inbound travelers to Hong Kong will be required to submit a health declaration form through the  Health and Quarantine Declaration system  beginning 28 July 2022. The new system is expected to streamline the processing of arrival quarantine procedures according to the officials of Hong Kong. 

Looking Ahead  

Continue to check the authorities of Hong Kong's  website  and Envoy's  website  for the latest updates and information.  

Originally published 27 July 2022

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.

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Hong Kong News

Health declaration procedure for HK entry made easier

Click here to access the website. With the new system now online, starting from Wednesday midnight, all persons boarding flights to Hong Kong are required to complete the Health & Quarantine Information Declaration in advance and present the health declaration QR code generated after completion of the declaration at check-in for verification by the airline. The health declaration QR code will be valid for 96 hours and inbound travelers can submit the declaration form as early as three days before their scheduled arrival time in Hong Kong, a government statement wrote. During the trial run, those who cannot produce the electronic health declaration QR code will still be allowed to board their flight to Hong Kong. “The Government is planning to upgrade the electronic health declaration system and the functions of the QR code in August upon successful trial of the upgraded electronic health declaration system, so that the pre-boarding documentation verification process can be gradually digitalized and conducted via the system, including the verification of proof of vaccination and DQH reservations,” said a government spokesman.

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Latest Entry Requirements To Hong Kong

14 February 2023

LATEST ENTRY REQUIREMENTS TO HONG KONG

The Hong Kong authorities  announced   on 03 February 2023 that  with effect from 06 February 2023, non-Hong Kong residents coming to Hong Kong from overseas places need not be fully vaccinated.  The latest pre-departure requirements are as follows:

a) Except those aged three and below on the day of arrival at Hong Kong, rapid Antigen Test (RAT) conducted within 24 hours or PCR-based nucleic acid test conducted within 48 hours prior to the scheduled time of departure (for arrivals via the airport) or before arrival at Hong Kong (for arrivals via other boundary control points), and obtain a negative result; and

b) Retain the photo showing the RAT result or the PCR test report for 90 days.   

The Hong Kong Government recommends all inbound persons to undergo daily RATs using self-arranged RAT kits from the day of arrival (i.e. Day 0) until Day 5 after arrival at Hong Kong. Travellers may voluntarily report their RAT results and health status via the  Electronic COVID-19 Monitoring & Surveillance System (eCMSS) .

What happens when you test positive for COVID-19 in Hong Kong?

For persons tested positive after arrival at Hong Kong, please refer to the  webpage on Points to Note for Persons who Tested Positive .

Any inbound traveller to Hong Kong who fails to comply with the requirement to provide information, or knowingly or recklessly provides any information that is false or misleading in a material particular, he or she is liable on conviction to the maximum penalty of a fine at level 3 (HKD 10,000) and imprisonment for 6 months.

See  https://www.coronavirus.gov. hk/eng/inbound-travel.html  for information and FAQs pertaining to travelling to Hong Kong. 

24-hour telephone hotline for inbound travellers: +852 2125 1999

TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS IMPOSED IN MACAO

With effect from  6 February 2023 , travellers aged 4 and above  entering Macao   from   mainland China, Hong Kong or Taiwan regions,  or  entering Hong Kong from Macao  will not need to present any proof of COVID-19 testing.  Travellers must take the manual inspection channels and are not allowed to take the vehicle channels (except the driver) when leaving Macao via the Zhuhai-Macao ports, Macao International Airport or ferry terminals for the first time within 7 days from the second day after their date of entry.

Travellers entering Macao  from   other foreign places  will have to present a negative proof of antigen or nucleic acid test (can be self-administered or by professional swab sampling) for COVID-19 conducted within 48 hours prior to entering Macao. 

For the latest information on Macao’s latest entry requirements, please refer to:  https://www.ssm.gov.mo/apps1/ preventcovid-19/en.aspx# clg17458 . 

TRAVELLING TO SINGAPORE FROM HONG KONG AND MACAO

From  13 February 2023 , the following changes were implemented:

a)  All non-fully vaccinated travellers entering Singapore will no longer be required to produce a negative Pre-Departure Test; and

b) Non-fully vaccinated Short Term Visitors (STVs) will no longer be required to purchase COVID-19 travel insurance.

All travellers entering Singapore via air or sea (including Singapore residents), and STVs entering via land, must continue to submit an electronic health declaration via the  SG Arrival Card e-Service  within 3 days before their arrival in Singapore.  Travellers are advised to check the ICA website for the latest border measures before entering Singapore.

There are currently no restrictions imposed on departures from Singapore.  However, travellers must abide by the entry requirements imposed by the countries they are travelling to.

Transit travellers are defined as those travelling to another country via Singapore, without clearing Singapore arrival immigration.  Such transit travellers do not need proof of vaccination, COVID-19 tests, travel visas or entry approvals. If unsure, travellers connecting through Singapore should consult their airline on whether they need to go through immigration, or if they can remain in the transit area to connect to their next flight. 

For information on Singapore’s latest inbound travel policies, please refer to the following links:

-  Travelling to Singapore

-  Departing from Singapore

-  Transiting through Singapore

-  FAQs

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is a ministry of the Government of Singapore responsible for conducting and managing diplomatic relations between Singapore and other countries and regions.

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Follow our news, recent searches, visiting hong kong soon here's what you need to know about the revised entry rules, advertisement.

While arrivals no longer face restrictions on moving around - provided they test negative for COVID-19 - there are still several regulations in force.

Passengers arriving at Hong Kong International Airport on Dec 8, 2022. (Photo: AFP/Isaac Lawrence)

Ashley Tham

SINGAPORE: From Wednesday (Dec 14), international passengers arriving in Hong Kong will no longer face COVID-19 movement controls following the axing of a mandatory mobile application.

Travellers were previously issued an "amber code", which meant they could not visit venues like restaurants or bars for their first three days in Hong Kong. 

Health Secretary Lo Chung-mau said on Tuesday that "international arrivals don't have any restrictions" after the easing of COVID-19 rules.

"So the same day they step off the aircraft, they are free to enter any premises," he added.

While arrivals no longer face restrictions on moving around - provided they test negative for COVID-19 -  there are still several regulations in force.

Inbound travellers to Hong Kong have to be fully vaccinated and undergo a pre-departure Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) within 24 hours before the scheduled time of departure.

After submitting their negative test result and vaccination records via a health and quarantine declaration form, a green health declaration QR code will be generated for visitors for presentation at their airline check-in counter. 

Upon arrival, they must take a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test at the Hong Kong International Airport and on their third day in the city. 

The PCR tests can be conducted at community testing centres, mobile specimen collection stations or any recognised local medical testing institution.

Travellers are also required to undertake RAT testing for the first five days of their visit and report the results through Hong Kong's electronic COVID-19 Medical Surveillance System. 

Snap Insight: Hong Kong lifts all travel curbs – could this be the test balloon for China’s reopening?

Here's everything new you'll want to experience when you're in Hong Kong

Masks are also still compulsory both indoors and outdoors, unless engaging in exercise or in country parks, while group gatherings are currently capped at 12 people. However, people are able to go to nightclubs and banquets. 

For those intending to visit eateries or drinking establishments, Mr Lo said visitors will "need to show a photograph or paper record of their COVID-19 vaccines at some venues which require it".

Hong Kong has followed closely in China's footsteps in enforcing a zero-COVID policy but began scaling down the tight regulations in the last few months. 

COVID-19 rules that travellers to Hong Kong must continue to follow:

Inbound travellers to Hong Kong have to be fully vaccinated and undergo a pre-departure RAT test within 24 hours before the scheduled time of departure.

Two PCR tests - one at the airport and one on the third day of their visit.

RAT testing for the first five days of their visit, with results to be submitted online.

Mask-wearing remains largely compulsory both indoors and outdoors.

Group gatherings of more than 12 people in public places are not allowed.

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ON THE PAGE

Improving cross-border health declaration process backed.

Hong Kong lawmakers, organization leaders and experts familiar with cross-border affairs said on Thursday that the existing health-declaration procedure for travel between Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland needs to be improved if not abandoned completely, as it is cumbersome and impedes the immigration clearance process.

Currently, cross-boundary passengers need to complete an electronic heath declaration form and generate a “black QR code” on their smartphones every time they enter or leave the mainland.

Although staff members have been deployed over the past few months to assist passengers, the declaration process has repeatedly caused long lines at border checkpoints during peak hours

As the number of people traveling between the two places has continued to climb since Jan 8, when quarantine-free cross-border travel resumed, many residents and civic leaders believe that the declaration mechanism is time-consuming and not user-friendly for some travelers, including the elderly, who are not good at using cellphones.

READ MORE : HK NPC deputies sign petition to cancel health declaration code

Although staff members have been deployed over the past few months to assist passengers, the declaration process has repeatedly caused long lines at border checkpoints during peak hours.

Hong Kong lawmaker Edward Leung Hei told China Daily on Thursday that the black QR code played an important role during the COVID-19 pandemic , but as both the Hong Kong and mainland societies have returned to normal, it is time for the black QR code to wrap up its “historic mission”, he said. There is a need to discuss its cancellation to facilitate cross-boundary travels, he added.

Leung said that many neighboring regions, such as Japan, have already lifted their health declaration requirements for cross-boundary travel, and this has received positive feedback from passengers. Such arrangements do not trigger significant resurgence of the pandemic, too, Leung said, adding that he believes the cancellation of the “black QR code” is appropriate at this time.

Timothy Chui Ting-pong and Fanny Yeung Shuk-fan, two representatives of the Hong Kong travel industry, both agree that the “black QR code” has imposed a lot of inconvenience on travelers, especially to the elderly.

Chui, executive director of the Hong Kong Tourism Association, told China Daily that elderly travelers are usually unfamiliar with smartphones, not to mention phone apps. As a result, these groups may give up traveling, he said.

Yeung, executive director of the Travel Industry Council of Hong Kong, said the current health declaration process has cost travelers significantly more time as everyone must line up to get their black QR code scanned at checkpoints. She said she believes that the cancellation of the black QR code can greatly improve passengers’ travel experiences.

The unstable Wi-Fi signal at checkpoints also makes it difficult for travelers to fill in information and generate the black QR codes quickly

Wen Yajing, deputy director of the Institute of Hong Kong, Macau and Regional Development, China Development Institute, said the black QR code is unsuitable at this stage as most of the QR codes designed for anti-pandemic work on the mainland have been canceled.

The black QR code now looks odd as almost all of the anti-pandemic restrictions were lifted in both Hong Kong and the mainland, Wen added.

Wen told China Daily that she frequently takes high-speed trains between Shenzhen and Hong Kong for meetings as bullet trains can take her to destinations in a very short time. However, she now has discovered that she needs to allocate at least 45 minutes of extra time to complete the health declaration process and other border clearance procedures, which is extremely inconvenient and not conducive to the integration of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area .

READ MORE : HK will benefit from bigger role in nation’s opening up

Fung Wing-cheong, deputy director of the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions’ Shenzhen consulting service center, told China Daily that the black QR code mode is inconvenient, especially to the elderly and those with physical disabilities or carrying heavy luggage. He suggests canceling — or at least simplifying — the procedure.

Fung said that the limited number of employees at checkpoints makes it difficult to provide timely help given that the number of passenger is so large. The unstable Wi-Fi signal at checkpoints also makes it difficult for travelers to fill in information and generate the black QR codes quickly.

Foreigners are required to complete the declaration at manual counters, which also takes extra time, he added.

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Health declaration forms

A number of governments have issued quarantine measures for travellers. A health declaration form must be completed and submitted prior to departure for the following destinations:

Hong Kong Free Press HKFP

Hong Kong news, breaking updates – 100% Independent, impartial, non-profit

Learning their red lines: Hong Kong’s drama groups struggle to set boundaries as performances are axed

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Theatrical and awards events hosted by at least four organisations and student groups have been axed so far this year, sparking fears in the performing arts community and anguished debate over where the “red lines” now run .

The sector depends heavily on government and charity funding. But for those who work in it, many of whom are freelance or self-employed, the cancellations came as little surprise, following a wave of crackdowns since China imposed a sweeping security law on the city in 2020.

On March 23, Hong Kong enacted its own security legislation , which covers five types of crime , including treason, insurrection, theft of state secrets and espionage, with some offences punishable by life imprisonment.

The cancellations began in early January when the Arts Development Council (ADC) withdrew its subsidy for the annual awards organised by the Hong Kong Federation of Drama Societies (HKFDS), after years of supporting the event.

In late January, theatre troupe Fire Makes Us Human lost venues it had hired from a school for two self-funded plays scheduled for February due to Education Bureau pressure, after complaints about the performances were reportedly received. The group later announced it was suspending operations .

In early February, the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA) cancelled a drama performance by graduating students, citing amendments in the school’s production plan. Then three shows scheduled for March by the dance group Fun Forest were also called off.

In a February internal circular to schools, the Education Bureau asked artistic bodies to sign a declaration that their performances would not endanger national security, as a prerequisite for renting school venues. The Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) will be responsible for approving the use of school venues by arts groups.

While the clampdown was expected, insiders said, at least one show was cancelled after having been given the green light, wasting months of practice. There was speculation – but no confirmation – that expressions of support by some artists on social media for the 2019 protests may have been behind some of the cancellations.

In a response to HKFP as to whether the cancellations would impede the goal of promoting Hong Kong as a global arts and cultural hub, the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau, which leads the LCSD and ADC, said the government had reserved HK$7.31 billion for driving the development of arts, culture and creative industries, and hosted over 5,400 performances in venues under the LSCD over the past 12 months.

“Hong Kong remains a free and open society with ample opportunities for the development of arts and culture…The individual cases referred to have already been explained clearly by responsible parties,” the bureau said. 

The LCSD told HKFP that hiring applications will be considered based on factors such as “the artistic merit of the proposed event, the organising ability of the applicant and the track record of the activities and programmes organised by the applicant organisation.”

Kenneth Chan Ka-lok, associate professor in the Department of Government and International Studies at Hong Kong Baptist University, said the lack of transparency in the reasons behind the cancellations of venues and funding would lead to the whole of society “second-guessing” where the red lines lay, and gradually self-regulating.

“There is no need to tell you how to behave; you can judge by yourself,” Chan told HKFP in Cantonese, adding that the situation was unfair to artists and “lacks the most basic respect and protection for cultural work.”

No chance of defence

A joint statement issued by the Hong Kong Theatre Arts Practitioners Union (HKTAPU) and the HKFDS in February called on the Education Bureau to clarify how to verify and fact-check complaints about performances to avoid misjudgement. It questioned whether there was any way for those impacted to provide clarification or a defence.

Chan Wing-yip, internal vice-president of the HKTAPU and street dancer, said many art groups are willing to sign the declaration letter to rent school venues. He urged the bureau to define what was allowed, “or else we would be perpetually trying to grasp the red lines, resulting in limiting what we wish to say to the minimum,” he told HKFP in Cantonese.

In a response in Chinese to HKFP’s enquiry as to whether there is a mechanism for complainants to submit a clarification or defence, the Education Bureau said schools must follow up “in accordance with their school-based complaint handling mechanisms and procedures” and notify the Bureau, “which will take appropriate follow-up actions based on the circumstances.”

In case of severe complaints, the bureau shall handle it “with prudence” and “directly intervene in the investigation.” The individual or group could appeal to the bureau if they did not accept the results of the bureau’s investigation, it said.

Gum Cheng, part of an U.K.-based artist duo with his wife Clara Cheung called C&G Artpartment, told HKFP in Cantonese that the key to fostering a healthy ecosystem for the arts was to establish an appeal system for artists to defend themselves in the face of complaints. 

“An international city must allow critical voices to be heard, but it’s beyond my wildest guess [why] these voices are no longer allowed,” Cheng said, referring to the show cancellations.

If controls continue to tighten, Cheng said the restrictions in artistic freedom would drag Hong Kong arts “back to the way it was before 1997 – homogeneous, lacking in critical voices.”

‘Every performance is a gamble’

Jason Wong is a choreographer and instructor of Fun Forest, a dance group consisting of members with hearing impairments. Its three community dance shows scheduled for March were called off . 

There was speculation online that the sponsor, the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC), cancelled the performances after claims that Wong previously taught people to perform the 2019 protest song Glory to Hong Kong in sign language. But the club said it had “no direct involvement in the project” aside from being the funder, and the Hong Kong Youth Arts Foundation, which was helping to put on the shows, said they were dropped due to “changes in production arrangements.” 

While other Fun Forest members, who had rehearsed for more than a month, called the cancellation “unfair,” they were determined to continue performing, Wong told HKFP with the assistance of sign-language translation.

But the incident has deterred Wong from applying for government funding for future shows. His upcoming project is a self-funded music video that aims to spread positivity through a sign-language dance he has choreographed. Instead of Hong Kong, he will expand to Asia for other collaboration opportunities. 

“I hope the government can pay more attention to minority groups, give them more chances and a platform to express themselves,” Wong said. 

Daisy, a 33-year old actor based in Hong Kong who asked to use a pseudonym, said the arts sector relies heavily on government funding or support from charities like the HKJC.

In the 2022-23 financial year, the HKJC Charities Trust disbursed a total of HK$7.3 billion to 247 charity and community projects. It does not provide a breakdown for how much of this went to the arts, but has been supporting the Hong Kong Arts Festival since its launch in 1973, providing it with an average of HK$7 million annually.

Daisy said there had been at least one instance in which artists, who might have been deemed to have crossed the red line on social media, were “advised” by personnel who have knowledge about the funding, to change their titles from creators to other non-creative roles in the team, or be removed from the official team list altogether, as a way of securing the grants for the art show proposal.

“Many of us feel helpless and miserable, but this is the only way to do it,” Daisy told HKFP in Cantonese. “Everyone’s developed a much stronger awareness in dodging potential crises since the passage of the security law.”  

Daisy has checked her own social media and restricted access to it so that it won’t sabotage her own creative chances. 

She said she would automatically avoid certain topics, such as work that directly tackles Hong Kong’s past, because the city’s history is “inextricably linked to politics.” Previous allegories or metaphors such as “yellow umbrella” or “May 35th”, which allude to the protests and the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown, were no longer subtle, but “overt similes.”

For her future creative direction, Daisy wants to focus on the deteriorating mental health of Hongkongers and explore ways to live well and survive under the new normal. She does not rule out leaving the city someday.

Louise, a playwright, producer and director who also requested a pseudonym, said artists must rely on themselves to test where the red lines run at the risk of losing funding, and she was unsure whether even topics like immigration could be considered as off limits. 

“Every performance is now a gamble,” Louise told HKFP in Cantonese. 

Recipients of funding from the ADC must take part in a national security law seminar organised by law firms,  Louise said. In a 2022 talk , Louise recalled that the lawyers only reiterated the law and “cited very few references from few existing legal cases” as reasons why they could not advise on what dramatic presentations were permitted. 

Over the past two years, the restrictions on renting performance venues have only scaled up, Louise said. As a producer, she was uncertain how to protect her artists.  “How do I know what is a show that could ’ be based on malicious or unfounded allegations ’ as per LCSD requirements? How should I advise the artist in setting limits when creating art? At what point do I stop the artist?” she said.

‘A sort of resistance’

Some performance artists have decided to go abroad to develop their careers. A 30-year-old actor, who used the pseudonym Kathryn, was shocked to learn that the latest performance by theatre troupe Fire Makes Us Human had been cancelled. The choreographer, Alex Tong, is her former co-worker.  

“Previous times I have read the news, it was someone’s film got censored or someone’s film didn’t make it through the cut , and it seemed a bit further removed. So when it happened to someone that I actually know, it really shook me,” Kathryn said.  

Kathryn, who completed a drama degree in London, will stay and develop her career there. As a Hongkonger on the Western stage, Kathryn said it’s “embodying a sort of resistance” because “Hongkongers are so underrepresented in Europe.”

”Even if I’m standing on stage telling my story and it’s got nothing to do with the protests, it’s still political, because you’re letting someone underrepresented use their voice to tell their story,” she said.

While she refrains from self-censorship, Kathryn said she now mentions “facts instead of inserting judgement or feelings.”

Rather than seeking government funding, UK-based Cheng said it was crucial to tap new resources like smaller non-profit groups or crowdfunding, or focus on self-funded smaller projects. 

“This is the premise of not making compromises to self-censorship,” Cheng said, who moved from Hong Kong to the U.K. in 2021. 

Mahina Wong, a drama and theatre arts student at the University of Birmingham, still hopes to return to Hong Kong. The recent incidents, she said, made her realise that creative artists and members of the theatre sector like herself needed to drive the industry. 

“How do we promote and remind government officials that theatre is one of the few art forms that reflect and demonstrate empathy, solidarity, and compassion to a pool of people? This needs to be discussed because the arts, something so precious, are dying,” Wong said.

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Theodora Yu

Theodora Yu is a freelance reporter with an interest in labour and environmental issues as well as open-source investigations. She previously covered Hong Kong and China as a reporter and researcher for the Washington Post.

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