In Memoriam: Dr Lam Shan Muk, Founder of the Hong Kong Economic Journal

Dr Lam Shan Muk, the formidable journalist and founder of the Hong Kong Economic Journal (HKEJ) whose incisive economic and political commentary shaped public discourse in the city for over half a century, passed away earlier this month. He was 88.

Known to legions of readers by his primary pen name, Lam Hang Chi, his words – tens of millions collected into over 100 books, by his own count – earned him a devoted following in Hong Kong and a reputation as “Hong Kong’s Foremost Pen” (香江第一健筆) .

In recognition of his achievements and contributions to the city, HKU awarded him an honorary Doctor of Social Sciences degree in 2009.

Dr Lam’s life was a testament to resilience. Born in Shantou in 1938, he made the perilous journey to Hong Kong as a teenager, travelling by small boat via Macau.

After arriving in the city, he worked a series of low-paying factory jobs before finding his calling as a research clerk for Ming Pao in the early 1960s.

Determined to advance his education, Dr Lam attended night school to learn English and eventually travelled to the UK to study economics at the Cambridgeshire College of Arts and Technology. Earning his keep by tutoring, he developed a rigorous professional discipline before returning to Hong Kong in 1969 to serve as an editor for Ming Pao and help launch the Ming Pao Evening News.

In 1973, alongside his wife, the pioneering TV reporter Sally Lok Yau-mui, he co-founded the Hong Kong Economic Journal. Choosing the Chinese character for “trust” for the paper’s name, Dr Lam spent the next several decades building a reputation for objective, rational analysis.

During that time, Dr Lam penned a daily column for HKEJ, translating complex economic theories — from Adam Smith to Paul Krugman — into accessible prose. His writings were essential reading for generations of Hong Kong’s intelligentsia, civil servants, and even some mainland leaders; a former Vice-Mayor of Shenzhen once reportedly credited him as one of three individuals from Hong Kong who had the most profound impact on Shenzhen’s transition to a market economy.

In 1997, he transitioned to writing “Lam Hang Chi’s Column” under his pen name. By 2009, when he received his honorary degree from HKU, he estimated he had written over 20 million words.

He would spend the next 12 years adding to that total, retiring only in July 2021.