Martin Wan was born and grew up in Hong Kong, but he is now calling Taiwan home.
TAIPEI: Martin Wan was born and bred in Hong Kong, but now calls Taiwan home. The 25-year-old emigrated there last year to realise his dream of starting his own business.
He is now an owner of an eyewear store in Taoyuan City in northern Taiwan – something that would not have been possible if he had stayed in Hong Kong, where operating costs are about three times that of Taiwan, he said.
“Compared to Taiwan, Hong Kong’s operating costs are too high. With the same amount of capital invested, you can take more time to build your business and brand in Taiwan,” he told Channel NewsAsia.
Hong Kong’s high cost of living and property prices have also made the lives of many young people like Martin very difficult. “Our generation of Hong Kongers can’t envision our future. Maybe our salary is higher, but after deducting rent and living expenses, we can’t save much money,” he said.
Hong Kong’s changing political climate in recent years is another factor behind Martin’s decision to leave the city to make Taiwan – one of Asia’s most vibrant democracies – his permanent home.
In Hong Kong, voters do not get to select the city’s leader through a direct poll. Instead, the post of Hong Kong Chief Executive is elected by a secret ballot of 1,200 election committee members.
The standoff between student leaders with Beijing-backed city officials, during mass protests over political reforms in 2014, left many young people in Hong Kong even more disillusioned, Martin pointed out.
