To our readers,

Happy Lunar New Year.

As we enter a new year, we are not merely celebrating a tradition — we are stepping into another chapter. Over the past year, many societies have experienced tension, uncertainty, and change. Some have felt anxious, some fatigued, and others have chosen silence. The new year offers a rare moment to pause and reconsider what kind of future we wish to see.

For Tkong, a new year is not primarily about expansion or achievement. What matters more is whether society becomes more capable of open discussion, whether public spaces remain rational and inclusive of different voices, and whether individuals can express their views without being reduced to labels.

We believe freedom is not an abstract word. It is the ability to speak, to question, and to think without fear.
Democracy is not merely procedural — it requires both institutions and culture to tolerate scrutiny and difference.
Respect is not symbolic — it is the acknowledgment of dignity even in disagreement.

In the year ahead, we hope to see greater transparency, more reasoned dialogue, and fewer simplistic divisions. We also hope that each of you, wherever you are — in Hong Kong, elsewhere in Asia, or around the world — will retain clarity of thought and the courage to think independently.

May the new year bring you health, stability, and renewed strength.

Warm wishes for the Lunar New Year.

— Bruce
On behalf of Tkong

致各位讀者：

農曆新年快樂。

新的一年到來之際，我們不只是迎接一個節日，也在面對一個新的階段。過去一年，世界各地都出現不同程度的變化與張力。有人感到不安，有人感到疲倦，也有人選擇沉默。在這樣的環境裡，新年提醒我們，可以暫時停下來，重新整理自己對未來的想像。

對 Tkong 而言，新的一年並不只是「更大」或「更成功」。我們更在意的是，社會是否能夠更自由地討論問題，公共空間是否能夠更理性地容納不同聲音，個人是否能夠在不被過度標籤的情況下表達觀點。

我們相信，自由不是抽象概念，而是人可以說話、可以懷疑、可以思考而不必恐懼；
民主不是形式，而是制度與文化都願意接受監督與差異；
尊重不是姿態，而是在意見衝突時仍然承認彼此的基本尊嚴。

新的一年，我們希望看到更多透明、更多理性、更多對話，而不是對立與簡化。我們也希望，每一位讀者都能在快速變動的環境中，保有判斷力與獨立思考的能力。

無論你身在香港、亞洲，或世界其他城市，願這一年帶來健康與平安，也帶來更多清晰與勇氣。

新春安好。

— Bruce
代表 Tkong