A paradox surrounds news about Lamma Island, a near-paradise in Hong Kong. Despite lavishly dishing out publicity, the proprietor of Lamma.com.hk, the island’s popular website, is media-shy.

Known as Lamma-Gung (meaning Lamma grandfather), this European-born cyberspace-man thrives on everything Lamma-related. By posting daily news and photos, he chronicles the lives, pleasures and worries of Lamma’s residents.

“The site serves as a meeting place, a portal for residents, visitors and friends of Lamma, better informing them, letting them know what’s happening,” Lamma-Gung said.

“Many people work hard in town five or six days a week and treat Lamma a bit like a suburb. The site becomes their daily publication for news, updates and photos. It helps charities, supports artists and activists, highlights positive angles, promotes events and creates a sense of community, I hope.”

Much of what the Internet world knows about Lamma comes from the website. Not just a publisher, Lamma-Gung’s also the chief reporter, food critic, music writer, photographer, designer, Web specialist and ad salesman. Together with news, the site offers Chinese and English discussion forums, an events calendar, photo galleries, classified ads, local links, ferry schedules, even Yellow Pages. It attracts thousands of readers per week and more than two million hits per month.

Yet the modest Lamma-Gung brushes off praise and scampers away from the barrel-ends of camera lenses. Capturing his image requires sneaky stealth from behind.

“Many people help me with stories and photos,” Lamma-Gung said. “It’s a community website, not just my own. I don’t need a soapbox or the limelight. Who’d care about my personal opinions? Often I might disagree with contributions, but publish them anyway to represent community views, and there are many local voices. I like to look at Lamma closely, notice things and collect submissions, making them look attractive, adding photos, editing and conveying the information clearly and nicely.

“The site stays focused on Lamma, appealing to locals and interested people worldwide. Ex-Lamma residents make some of the most loyal readers. People also email questions before moving to Lamma. They need to find movers or check property. I have stock replies, including about restaurants, holiday resorts and activities.”

Near the skyscrapers, congestion and noise on Hong Kong Island, Lamma has just 6,000 residents and lacks motor vehicles (except tiny delivery carts) and buildings taller than three storeys.

“We enjoy a nice, relaxed, green lifestyle in a multi-national community of interesting people,” Lamma-Gung said. “The different nationalities, races and religions live together peacefully. Interesting things happen all the time. You just need to keep your eyes open.

“Nowhere else in Hong Kong has such a community feeling, plus great living quality and modest rents. Like many people, I arrived as a rent-refugee, a dot-com dropout. But now I love the place, and it’s become home. Even Lamma-Por, my Hong Kong-Chinese wife, who’d never lived outside the big city, enjoys herself and has found many new friends.”

Lamma-Gung started on the Website four years ago. “I noticed an ad on a wall that the site existed, only the forum at first, so I leaped in and registered as member 13,” he said. When the founder, nicknamed Webdog, moved to Europe, Lamma-Gung filled the void. So far, he’s published more than 1,000 Lamma stories and 3,300 messages.

Will he ever leave the site? “Probably someday, or it might close if the few Lamma advertisers pull out. But I’d try to find a replacement for myself first,” he said.

Meanwhile, the coy Lamma-Gung looms large among Lamma’s “unique, fascinating inhabitants”, as he calls them, being one of them himself.

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Lamma-Gung's camera misses little.


Cyber-photog rides a Lamma-bound ferry.

In a secluded restaurant, Lamma-Gung (left) probes for a news story.