The Hong Kong Press Photographers Association (HKPPA) has called off an exhibition after Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) pulled its venue, citing “emergency maintenance.”
A photo taken on November 22, 2025 outside the Koo Ming Kown Exhibition Gallery at Hong Kong Baptist University, where a photo exhibition by the Hong Kong Press Photographers Association was cut short. Photo: Kyle Lam/HKFP.
In a statement on Friday evening, the HKPPA said the photo exhibition marking its 35th anniversary had to be cut short after HKBU informed them earlier that day that the event venue – the Koo Ming Kown Exhibition Gallery – had to be closed for “emergency maintenance” until further notice.
Citing “uncertain factors” and difficulty in finding an alternative venue on short notice for the large-scale exhibition, the HKPPA said they had no choice but to axe the event, which opened lastTuesday and was originally set to run until December 8.
The exhibition took nine months to prepare and featured a selection of historical photographs and photo stories covering important moments in Hong Kong since the late 1980s to the present, the press group said.
“Not being able to let the public understand the history of photojournalism in Hong Kong and showcase the excellent work of our members throughout the years is truly a great loss to the promotion and future development of the photojournalism profession. The association deeply regrets this,” the HKPPA said.
Hong Kong Baptist University. Photo: GovHK.
The group added that although the exhibition was scrapped, photojournalists in the city would “continue to be present” and “keep a record for the public.” Part of the exhibition will be uploaded online, it said.
HKFP has reached out to HKBU for comment.
See also: Timeline: Hong Kong civil society’s mysteriously axed venue bookings
In recent years, bookings by independent civil society groups, NGOs, opposition parties, and activists have been cancelled at the last minute. Some venues cited reasons such as urgent maintenance work, while others provided no explanation for the cancellations or alluded to official pressure.
In 2023, Chief Executive John Lee was twice asked about the Democratic Party – the city’s largest opposition party, which is now facing disbandment – and their inability to secure a venue for its annual fundraising dinner. While Lee did not respond directly, he said “private organisations arranging private activities is the matter of the private organisation. I have no comments regarding private activities.”
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