These days, many Hongkongers speak of migration; perhaps they are planning a move, or know people who have already left. In 2023, Chief Executive Lee Ka-chiu said that the city had lost 200,000 from its workforce in recent years, a shortage he said he hoped to address by attracting foreign talent and importing labour.

People walk along Tamsui pier, in Taiwan, on January 10, 2024. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.
People walk along Tamsui pier, in Taiwan, on January 10, 2024. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.

When Hongkongers do choose to leave their hometown, many opt for the United Kingdom or Canada. Taiwan, too, is a top choice.

Compared with Western countries, Taiwan and Hong Kong share traditional Chinese characters, culture and food. These elements can make Hongkongers feel more comfortable and secure when it comes to settling in to a new place.

A property advertisement displayed in Tamsui, Taiwan, on January 10, 2024. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.
A property advertisement displayed in Tamsui, Taiwan, on January 10, 2024. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.

Tamsui, a remote community to the north-west of Taipei, has attracted lots of Hong Kong families, its streets evoking a peculiar sensation among outsiders. The city’s appearance is both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. In some ways, it is reminiscent of certain landscapes in Hong Kong.

A Mazu temple, often called Tin Hau temples in Hong Kong, located in downtown Tamsui, in Taiwan, on January 10, 2024. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.
A Mazu temple, often called Tin Hau temples in Hong Kong, located in downtown Tamsui, in Taiwan, on January 10, 2024. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.
A drainage channel in Tamsui, Taiwan, on January 10, 2024. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.
A drainage channel in Tamsui, Taiwan, on January 10, 2024. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.
A giant billboard on the wall of building in Tamsui, Taiwan, on January 10, 2024. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.
A giant billboard on the wall of building in Tamsui, Taiwan, on January 10, 2024. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.
A Hong Kong-style restaurant in Tamsui, Taiwan, on January 10, 2024. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP
A Hong Kong-style restaurant in Tamsui, Taiwan, on January 10, 2024. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP
A fast food restaurant advertisement in a residential area in Tamsui, Taiwan, on January 10, 2024. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.
A fast food restaurant advertisement in a residential area in Tamsui, Taiwan, on January 10, 2024. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.
A property advertisement on display in Tamsui, Taiwan, on January 10, 2024. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.
A property advertisement on display in Tamsui, Taiwan, on January 10, 2024. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.
A church in downtown Tamsui, in Taiwan, on January 10, 2024. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP
A church in downtown Tamsui, in Taiwan, on January 10, 2024. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP
A toy store in Tamsui, Taiwan, January 10, 2024. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP
A toy store in Tamsui, Taiwan, January 10, 2024. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP
Property advertisements in Tamsui, in Taiwan, on January 10, 2024. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.
Property advertisements in Tamsui, in Taiwan, on January 10, 2024. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.
A typhoon shelter in Tamsui, Taiwan, on January 10, 2024. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP
A typhoon shelter in Tamsui, Taiwan, on January 10, 2024. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP

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Kyle Lam is a Hong Kong Baptist University graduate who has worked as a photojournalist and reporter since 2013. His work has been published by HK01, the European Pressphoto Agency, Bloomberg and Ming Pao. Lam is the recipient of several prizes from the Hong Kong Press Photographers Association and Human Rights Press Awards.