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Reportage

Kai Loeffelbein

Photographer

Kai Loeffelbein

A hidden world in Hong Kong

With a population of more than 7 mill., Hong Kong is one of
the planet’s most densely packed metropolitan areas, with
25,900 people living in every square km of the territory. Unscrupulous landlords are charging around US$200 a month for a cage, which is packed 20 to a room. Other residents live in small wooden cubicles. This is a story about the housing situation in HK. Hong Kong’s poor people are struggling day in and day out to keep their heads above water. It is most scornful to see economic development bringing social inequality.
These deprived people cannot enjoy their economic
success. These people have been snubbed and have fallen
into oblivion. Standing in the line of dejection are caged lodgers,
tenants with financial difficulties and living in appalling
conditions, aged singletons, street-sleepers, mothers with no
one-way permit to live in Hong Kong, families made up of new
immigrants and boat dwellers, etc.

Kai Loeffelbein

Kai Löffelbein is a documentary photographer based in Hannover and Berlin, Germany. He studied political science in Berlin and photojournalism and documentary photography 
at University of Applied Sciences and Arts in Hannover. His work reflects his interest in the ways political and economic structures shape modern society. He divides his time between client work and personal projects. Kai worked in various countries in South America, Asia, Africa and Eastern Europe. 
His work has been exhibited internationally in numerous shows and festivals and has received awards from Magnum Emergency Fund, UNICEF POY, Days Japan, Henri Nannen Award, PDN Photo. He welcomes assignments local and overseas and is always interested in collaborating with freelance journalists and writers on projects. Find his pictures at laif photo agency.