Club 71, located adjacent to the Pak Tsz Lane Park in Central, has long been a popular gathering place for activists and creatives. Unfortunately, the bar announced that it will be closing on October 30 as they could no longer afford the rent.

Due to coronavirus-related mandatory closures, the bar has been closed since late March until only recently in mid-September. The landlord had lowered the rent then but was now asking for the original amount of rent starting October. Having been affected first by a year of anti-government protests and then the Covid-19 pandemic, Club 71 has no choice but to call it quits.

Named after the July 1 protest in 2003, Club 71 is one of the first bars to host cultural events, organizing regular movie screenings, art exhibitions, performances by local musicians, and more. It is also beloved for its affordable prices in the expensive Central area.

Its predecessor, Club 64 — named after the June Fourth Incident in 1989 — opened in 1990 and served as a meeting place for the city’s artists and activists. Social activist “Long Hair” Leung Kwok-hung bartended at the bar for several months. Filmmakers Christopher Doyle and Herman Yau Lai-to are also said to be frequent customers.

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