Hong Kong Indie Bookshops: Indosiam’s World of Rare and Antique Books

We’re shining a light on some of the independent bookshops that are keeping Hong Kong’s literary scene alive. Stay tuned for our upcoming Zolima’s Picks roundup!

Stroll along Hollywood Road and you’ll soon arrive at a steel gate opposite PMQ. It’s easy to miss if you’re in a hurry, but this is not something you’ll want to overlook. Indosiam is a rare antiquarian bookshop home to around 15,000 items, mostly in French, but with a collection of maps, historical images, documents and magazines as well.

Ring the doorbell and owner Yves Azemar will offer a firm handshake before leading upstairs to the first floor: a haven for history enthusiasts and the curious. The space is well air-conditioned and warmly lit. A large map of 19th-century Indochina welcomes visitors, stretching along a narrow corridor onto the windowsill.

What the shop lacks in space, it makes up for in depth. Shelves are lined with beautifully bound volumes, carefully indexed by countries such as China, Vietnam and Japan; photographs and prints gleam in protective plastic, while stacks of books trace histories from 17th-century Thailand to more modern Indochina and Hong Kong.

Azemar moves through the space with care, straightening a pile of photographs and resting his hand on a book. “Here are my books and works. They each have a soul and I can talk to them every day,” he says. He then gestures towards a leather sofa and offers tea from an old Chinese pot — a fitting touch for a bookshop steeped in history. 

From Asia with love

Azemar’s love of collecting began in childhood. At the age of five, he took an interest in gathering books and small cars — early signs of an insatiable curiosity about the world, nurtured through literature. 

Born in Morocco, he and his two siblings were raised by their mother in the remote countryside, known locally as the “bled.” Amidst the rural isolation, his mother turned to reading as her main form of entertainment. Among her favourite authors were Nobel Prize-winning writer Pearl Buck, known for her depictions of Chinese peasant life in The Good Earth, and Rosalie Chou — better known by her pen name Han Suyin — author of the bestselling A Many-Splendoured Thing when it was first published in London in 1952. 

Through his mother’s books, Azemar recalls gradually developing a fascination with China and its culture. Each year during Mardi Gras, normally held in February or March, his mother would even prepare a full Chinese costume, planting a fascination that stayed with him. (Though it is mainly a Catholic celebration, the festival was celebrated in Morocco during the French colonial period from 1912 to 1956.)

Azemar’s curiosity about Asia only deepened over time. During his early years in primary school, the owner recalls a teacher from French Indochina, the colonial entity that now consists of Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. He has since forgotten the teacher’s name, but she left a lasting impression. “I’m not sure what it was,” he says, his face lighting up. “She had some magic about her.” It marked the beginning of a lifelong fascination with Indochina, and with it, a desire to travel to Asia. 

In 1960, Azemar moved from Morocco to France to pursue his secondary education. He became a teacher in the 1970s, a career that took him across the world, from Réunion Island to Tahiti to Thailand, then to Indonesia and ultimately Hong Kong. While he had a knack for sharing his knowledge in the classroom, collecting steadily grew into a parallel passion. In Thailand, he began acquiring books within his means, initially out of personal interest, before gradually expanding into antiquarian works — mainly sourced from France and Belgium — as well as photographs and maps, to offer clients a wider range of materials.

That passion would eventually lead to the opening of Indosiam in 2003, its name a reflection of his enduring interest in both Indochina and Thailand (Siam was the name the country used until 1949). He continued teaching French at the French International School from 1992 to 2008 and worked part-time at the bookshop between 2003 and 2008. 

Sharing is caring

“To collect books is to buy and sell; it’s a selfish profession,” says Azemar. Yet sharing his passion with customers from diverse backgrounds — from Chinese to French and British — proves far more rewarding than any transaction. He recalls an American collector searching for a rare 1941 book, Les Tortues d’Indochine (The Turtles and Tortoises of Indochina) by French herpetologist and geologist René Bourret. Most copies are believed to have been lost in a fire or shipwreck during the Japanese occupation of Vietnam, and it took 30 years to track one down. Finding it, he says, was a source of satisfaction. 

What makes Indosiam so special? Like many independent bookshops, its defining quality lies in its human touch. While Azemar is less inclined to host large-scale literary events, he prefers intimate encounters — conversations with two or three visitors at a time, across different generations. For him, the shop is neither a library, archive nor museum. “It’s a type of sanctuary or classroom where I can keep teaching,” he says, his eyes flickering with passion. “Like a teacher, I always have to be ready to share the story behind each item.” 

Another factor behind the shop’s uniqueness is its longevity. Azemar purchased the centrally located property back in 2003, rather than renting it — a rare move that has allowed the shop to remain rooted in the same place for decades. Many customers, he says, are grateful for that continuity.

A deep passion

With such a vast collection, does Azemar have a favourite? He pulls out a copy of Albert Nachbaur’s Les images populaires chinoises (Popular Chinese Images) and gently lays it on his desk. Published in 1926, the volume of prints is one he brought to the bookshop specifically to show us, comprising around 40 to 50 pages of intricately rendered figures, including deities symbolising prosperity and double happiness.

The connection between the two Frenchmen is clear. Azemar sees similarities in his compatriot, as they both share a love of books and bookmaking. A former architect and journalist, Nachbaur fled France for China after World War I. Captivated by the country, he founded a publishing and printing company in 1918, then opened a bookshop a few years later, specialising in modern and rare works on Asia. A well-connected figure, he hosted regular gatherings at his home, welcoming guests, officials and academics alike. 

Intrigued by Nachbaur’s colourful character and varied publications like his daily life in Beijing, Azemar has spent the past two decades researching his life and work, assembling a personal collection of around 300 documents published by the author. A satirical chansonnier, Nachbaur has written songs based on everyday themes such as food, wine, love and women.

Maintaining an antiquarian bookstore in an era dominated by online platforms is a challenge, yet Azemar remains confident in the enduring global collectors’ interest in Asia. At 75, he has no intention of stopping. “So long as I can keep carrying the heavy boxes into the shop,” he says with a smile, he will continue his work. He issues a new e-catalogue every three to four months (currently at number 71), shipping hundreds of items to collectors worldwide, and is already preparing for the upcoming International League of Antiquarian Booksellers (ILAB) fair from 4 to 6 December.

While he has no specific plans yet for the bookshop’s 25th anniversary in 2028, his sights are set on a different milestone. “My real goal is to reach 100 catalogues,” he says, chuckling as he looks into the distance. “I’ll be around 85 by then — that’s when I can finally retire peacefully.”