Kwai Chung Plaza's 'book-selling girls' in shorts spark online debate

An online post shared Monday (Aug 3) on a local forum accused some female staff, colloquially known as “book-selling girls,” of dressing inappropriately at the bustling Kwai Chung Plaza, a popular hub for second-hand textbook trading during the summer break.

The poster claimed the staff, described as young women wearing miniskirts, hot pants, crop tops, and backless shirts, were “practically naked” and argued the clothing “insults the textbook-selling industry,” suggesting it could have a negative influence on student buyers.

The post quickly sparked debate online. Some users drew comparisons between the girls and nightlife districts, quipping that the vendors were “more intense than nightclubs.”

One commenter alleged they were grabbed by a female staff member, stating, “I was hugged and couldn’t leave for half an hour,” adding that they experienced physical contact with the female staff.

However, some netizens pushed back against the poster’s criticism. Defenders questioned the logic of the original poster, asking, “If they don’t dress that way when they’re young, should they wait until they’re in their seventies or eighties?”

Some criticized the complainants for holding “Qing Dynasty” conservative views, arguing that tank tops and shorts are normal summer attire.

Beyond the clothing disputes, complaints surged on other social media platforms regarding aggressive marketing.

Some users described the "selling army” as intimidating, likening them to “street gangsters.” One user wrote about the experience of being pursued from a shop all the way to the mall’s entrance, while others stated they felt harassed by sellers pointing at them aggressively.

The criticism extended to business practices. Several buyers claimed they were overcharged, alleging a seller offered a 45 percent discount but ultimately applied a 40 percent discount at checkout.

Despite the backlash, some netizens took a sardonic view, suggesting the annual event has become a unique local tradition.

One user jokingly proposed that the mall’s textbook-selling culture be classified as “intangible cultural heritage,” noting that attractive young people are recruited every year to sell books.

“How do they manage to hire so many good-looking MK-style boys and girls to sell books every year?” the user wrote.

𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗔𝗽𝗽 ↓