Instagrammers are becoming a nuisance in Hong Kong

A man jumps for a photo above a sign asking people not to take photos without permission from residents at a popular Instagram spot in Hong Kong. Photos: AFP/Isaac Lawrence

For smartphone-wielding hordes of tourists, Hong Kong boasts a host of must-have Instagram locations – but crowds of snap-happy travellers are testing local patience and transforming once quaint pockets of the bustling metropolis.

Tony Hui recalls how elderly residents always used to play cards in a courtyard in the middle of the densely packed housing block where he owns a dry cleaning store.