Today, John Tsang announced a ‘surprise’ budget surplus of HK$40billion – suspiciously far from the predicted HK$3.4billion deficit predicted.

As the government gormlessly ponders how to squander it, we take a timely look at New Zealand photographer Jonathan Van Smit. His first set below is entitled ‘Real Lives’, documenting the grim conditions of the ‘cage dwelling’ poor in Kowloon. Cage homes remain a shameful scar upon HK’s reputation and something our city can well afford to bring an end to…

‘Kowloon Ink’ continues Van Smit’s gritty ‘Song of Unending Sorrow’ series. Click here for an interview with the photographer, who has been living in HK since 2008…

This final set, dealing with prostitution, is called ‘Looking for Love’…

A series from Van Smit was previously featured on the blog last year.

More of Hong Kong’s less-glamorous side…