SCANNOW 城市編輯室-心度探索（Deep Dive）- 神話書店

神話書店：在西貢巷弄裡遇見一間把歷史當策展的香港書店

在香港，書店從來不只是買書的地方。它更像城市的一段呼吸：在日常的噪音裡，留下一個能慢下來的空間。如果你最近正在尋找一個真正能「放下手機、回到自己」的角落，那麼位於西貢舊墟窄巷裡的神話書店，可能會是你此行最溫柔的發現——一間低調卻堅定的獨立書店。

這間店的誕生並非精心計劃。Stephanie在 2020 年遇上人生的停頓期，除了每天在家閱讀，也開始反思過往與未來。就在那段時間，他們碰巧遇見這個位於西貢舊墟的地鋪，並意識到一件很簡單、卻很重要的事：自己居住的區域，連一間書店也沒有。於是，原本只是興趣的閱讀，慢慢變成一份志業——把一個社區缺失的空白補上，也把自己想要的生活方式，放進城市裡。

從「停頓」到「開店」：神話書店的起點

神話書店的故事很香港：不是因為資源充足而開始，而是在不確定與轉變裡找到一個可以落腳的方向。創辦人坦言，在此之前從未想過要建立品牌或營運書店；但當世界按下暫停鍵，Stephanie在閱讀與思考之間，遇上了這個空間，也遇上「為什麼這裡沒有書店？」的提問。

對Stephanie而言，開店不只是創業，而是一種回應——回應當下的混亂、回應生活的空白，也回應社區需要一個能聚合人的地方。試業期漫長，直到去年 11 月，店面終於可以對外宣告「正式開業」，甚至擴大面積一倍，兼售英文書。許多西貢街坊這才知道，原來巷弄裡藏著一間書店。

把歷史當策展：一間「不迎合熱銷」的獨立書店

走進神話書店，你會感受到一種很罕見的秩序感：書不是隨意堆疊，而是被細緻地分類、排列，像策展一樣引導讀者循序漸進地走進故事。特別是歷史類選書——創辦人因熱愛歷史閱讀，認為它能擴闊思考空間，幫助我們以更長的時間尺度看待當下的轉變。

現實是殘酷的：歷史書並不一定熱銷。但他們仍堅持其呈現方式與豐富度，因為這是神話書店回應這個時代的方式。這份「不妥協」並不是固執，而是一種溫柔的信念：在一切都追求快速與即時的城市裡，仍要留一個地方，讓人可以慢慢讀、慢慢想。

西貢的書香回來了：人與連結，才是最動人的部分

神話書店最珍貴的，或許不是某一本書，而是它重新把「人」帶回到閱讀場景裡。因為書店開在舊墟窄巷，又是地鋪，很多路過進來的客人平日未必會逛書店，甚至對獨立書店沒有概念。但正是這些「第一次走進來」的人，讓創辦人一次次確認自己在做對的事。

他們說，最讓人感到「這就是我想做的事」的瞬間，是看見客人被某個主題吸引，願意放下手機，把專注力交回給閱讀；甚至開始愛上逛小店，想了解獨立書店的營運理念。還有一種更深的情感，來自街坊的回應——很多西貢居民，尤其外籍人士，會真心地說謝謝，因為「西貢終於又有一間書店了」。那句感謝，不只是對店，也是對一種生活方式的認同。

如果你正在尋找一個能慢下來的西貢書店

在西貢，海風、窄巷與日常交織出一種獨特的節奏；而神話書店，就像那個節奏裡最安靜卻最堅定的一拍。它是一間獨立書店，也是一個社區重新擁有的書香；它用策展般的歷史書架提醒我們：在快速變動的時代，仍可以選擇把時間拉長，把思考放深。

如果你正在計劃下一次西貢散步路線，不妨把這間書店加入清單。走進去，翻開一頁，你會明白——有些地方存在的意義，就是讓我們回到當下，也回到自己。

Dionysus Books: A Hong Kong Hidden Bookshop in Sai Kung That Curates History Like an Exhibition

In Hong Kong, a bookshop is never just a place to buy books. It’s a pocket of the city’s breath—somewhere the noise softens, and time slows down. If you’ve been craving a corner where you can genuinely put your phone away and return to yourself, Dionysus Books in Sai Kung may be the quiet discovery you didn’t know you needed: a true Hong Kong Hidden Gem independent bookshop tucked inside a narrow lane of Sai Kung Old Town.

This shop wasn’t born from a grand business plan. The founder met it during a pause in 2020—a period of slowdown and reflection. Reading became a daily anchor, and in the middle of that stillness, they came across a small ground-floor space in Sai Kung. Then came a simple, striking realization: the neighborhood they lived in didn’t have a bookshop at all. What began as a personal love of reading gradually became a calling—to fill a community gap, and to build a way of life that felt more intentional.

From a Pause to a Bookshop: How Dionysus Books Began

Dionysus Books has a story that feels very Hong Kong—not starting because everything was ready, but because uncertainty opened a new path. The founder shares that they never intended to build a “brand” or run a bookshop. But when the world hit pause, that empty space in the neighborhood became a question: Why isn’t there a bookshop here?

Opening the shop wasn’t only entrepreneurship—it was a response. A response to a chaotic present, to the blank spots in daily life, and to a community that needed a place where people could gather around ideas. The soft opening stretched on, and only last November did the shop officially announce its full opening. The space even doubled in size and began carrying English titles as well. Many Sai Kung locals only then realized a bookshop had been quietly growing in the lane all along.

Curating History Like an Exhibition: A Shop That Doesn’t Chase Bestsellers

Step inside and you’ll notice something rare: a sense of order and intention. Books aren’t stacked randomly—they’re classified and arranged with care, almost like an exhibition that guides you deeper into stories. The heart of it is the history section. The founder loves history reading because it expands perspective and helps us understand present change through a longer timeline.

The reality, of course, is that history books aren’t always top sellers. But Dionysus Books continues to keep the section rich and thoughtfully presented—because that commitment is their answer to the times we live in. It isn’t stubbornness; it’s a gentle conviction: in a city that rewards speed and instant gratification, there should still be a place where people can read slowly—and think deeply.

Sai Kung’s Book Culture Returns: People and Connection at the Center

The most precious thing about Dionysus Books might not be a particular title, but the way it brings people back into the act of reading. Located in a narrow Old Town lane and on the ground floor, the shop naturally attracts passersby—many of whom rarely visit bookshops and may not even understand the idea of an independent bookstore. Yet these first-time visitors are exactly what makes the founder feel, again and again, that this is what they’re meant to do.

They describe their most rewarding moments as watching someone become curious about a topic, put their phone away, and give full attention to a page—sometimes even falling in love with small shops and wanting to understand how independent bookstores survive. And then there are the words that stay with them: locals, especially expats, who say thank you because “Sai Kung finally has a bookshop again.” That gratitude isn’t just for the store—it’s for a lifestyle that values presence and connection.

A Hong Kong Hidden Gem Worth Slowing Down For

Sai Kung has its own rhythm—sea air, narrow lanes, and everyday life moving at a gentler pace. Dionysus Books is one of the quietest but most steadfast beats within it. It’s an independent bookshop, and also a community’s regained bookish warmth. Its curated history shelves remind us that even in fast-changing times, we can choose to stretch time, deepen thought, and stay human.

If you’re planning your next Sai Kung stroll, add this Hong Kong Hidden Gem bookshop to your route. Step inside, turn a page, and you’ll understand: some places exist simply to bring us back to the present—and back to ourselves.