Beijing's avid reader collective can relish the fact that China's capital today is home to many a modern bookstore marvel. And with online celebrities turning these updated shops into hashtags, young residents, too, are tempted to pick up a physical book—something many haven't done since graduation.

Some of these bibliophile havens are perfectly nestled inside historic buildings across the capital's old districts; others feature new-age architecture that truly makes for a unique book-browsing experience. There is, for example, the site of the former residence of a Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) official standing quietly in Xicheng District, which was transformed into the Model Bookstore Plus Poem Space. The shop welcomed its first customers in 2019 and its Gothic-like façade soon caught the eye of online celebs—the space is great for taking photos.

Bookstore chains like Sisyphe, too, have seen market shares go up. Operating in shopping malls with huge customer flow, they also serve coffee and sell cultural and creative products, forging a newfangled business model that caters to the younger palate.

The rapid rise of e-reading in recent years has propelled many physical bookstores to seek development, and avoid going out of business, through innovative methods. But the COVID-19 pandemic didn't help matters, leading to major revenue loss and an almost-broken funding chain.

In April 2021, the city's government then extended preferential policies to nearly 300 of these shops, covering rent, activity subsidies and even rewards for providing the public with high-quality services. Thanks to this support, the number of bookstores in Beijing, fortunately, has remained stable. Beijing had over 2,000 physical bookstores as of November 2021—roughly one bookstore per 10,752 people. 

(Text and photos by Wei Yao)

Copyedited by Elsbeth van Paridon

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