Zhongshuge Zhongguancun Rongke store
Plaque with gold letters on a black background
Peking Opera masks, antique screens, bookshelves, dreamy mirrored roofs, and winding spiral staircases
……
Stepping into Zhongshuge, located in Zhongguancun Rongke Information Center, is like entering a "Beijing flavor" intertwined with fantasy
A magical space where tradition and modernity meet
Climb the scarlet staircase
Delve into the mirrors, chandeliers, and dome of this huge library
...... The bookshelves on both sides seem to extend deeper and farther with the overlapping of virtual and real, light and shadow, and every step you take sees a completely different scene, and when you climb the end of the stairs and look back, the whole person is like being in a sea of books, and it is as if you have fallen into the magical world
A "Beijing flavor" reading space for book lovers
It is said that bookstores are a haven for the soul, where everyone can find their own peace and tranquility. As the first store opened in Beijing by Zhongshuge, which is known as the "most beautiful bookstore", Zhongguancun Rongke Store attracts book lovers to check in with its amazing "appearance", and at the same time, the unique reading experience brought by Zhongshuge is also its charm.
Reader Xiao Li told reporters that her company is nearby, and as a lover of mystery books, she will come to Zhongshuge to see what new books have been on the shelves recently whenever she has spare time. She also carefully reads the label "Zhongshuge Little Scholar Recommendation" attached to the books, and sometimes when she sees something she is interested in, she will buy two copies and take them back to exchange with friends.
Mr. Wang, a freelancer, often comes with a computer and looks for a few biographies after quickly finishing some menial work. Mr. Wang said: "The books recommended by Zhong Shuge are all classics and worth reading. I also particularly like the environment here, the readers and staff are real book lovers, everyone reads, picks up and protects books quietly, and you can enjoy reading here. ”
Grab a book and order a cup of tea
In Zhongshuge
You can explore the vast and profound cultural world
You can also enjoy a leisurely and quiet reading time
It's so cosy and comfortable
Let countless book lovers linger in the meantime
Start one
A spiritual and cultural journey between the pages of a book
Walking through the Zhongshuge Pavilion, you can see the books in the store are sorted and displayed according to the theme, "Endless Growth - Constant as New Every Day, A Guide to Self-Renewal for Young People", "The Fulfillment of Literature - Walking in the Place of the Birth of Great Stories", "When the Stars Shine - The Hour of Human Stars", "Walking with the Future: Intelligence is Changing the World, How Will We Respond", "The Invitation of Literature - Reading is to Reduce Loneliness and Enhance Ourselves"...... Each section has a small theme, and a line of small words as a simple explanation, which is simple and straightforward, but leaves a lot of room for the reader to think.
According to the person in charge of Xiang Aiqun, Zhongshuge currently has nearly 40 branches across the country, including 3 in Beijing, namely Zhongguancun Rongke store, Xidan Galeries Lafayette store and Kirin Xintiandi store. Zhongguancun Rongke Store covers an area of about 660 square meters, with a collection of nearly 60,000 books on literature, social science, art, economics, and parenting. In addition to the regular themes, Zhongshuge will also combine the characteristics of each store to design special areas during festivals such as Father's Day, Women's Day, and Mother's Day to recommend relevant books to readers.
At the entrance on the second floor, the reporter saw that there were two bookshelves displaying books that were on Zhongshuge's annual best-selling list, and many books were also pasted with short recommendations next to them. Xiang Aiqun told reporters: "These two bookshelves are our bestsellers in the past two years, which are the most popular and hotly discussed books at present, and they are also the choice of the majority of readers. Placing them in the most prominent position in the store is not only more convenient for customers who come here to find and buy quickly, but also to make a recommendation for readers who do not have a clear goal to choose a book, hoping that they can find the book they are interested in here. ”
The stillness and movement of the "most beautiful" bookstore
Accompanied by soft and soothing music
Wander around every corner of the store
It's like walking through a book
Every book
It's all a door to a different world
Rows of screened bookshelves cleverly turned in front of him, and as they guided, the reporter came to a quiet table with several books that had been read by the previous reader, and a QR code for checking books in the store was posted on the side. According to Xiang Aiqun, readers can scan this code to query the books they want at any time in the nearly 40 stores of Zhongshuge, and can display information such as price and inventory.
As an important part of the city's culture
A brick-and-mortar bookstore is more than just a place to sell books
It is also a space for cultural exchange and experience
As part of the book experience, Zhongshuge has a set of mature rules for picking up and reading: unopened books cannot be opened without permission, but any book with more than three books in stock in the store can contact the store staff to pick up a sample book. The staff will put a protective cover on the unsealed sample book, and readers will also read it carefully and lovingly.
This kind of immersion and love of books is an atmosphere of flipping through sample books
It is not available for online book purchases
For some readers, sometimes coming to the bookstore is not just to buy books, they have regarded the bookstore as an old friend of their own, and "coming to the bookstore to see" has also become an exclusive tacit understanding and connection between book lovers and bookstores. Whether it is free tea and reading glasses for readers, or regularly organized reading activities, exchanges and sharing, etc., it can give book lovers more happiness in reading.
"At present, there are about 1,000 people in the store on weekends, and the readers are about 18-45 years old, and literary books are more popular. Xiang Aiqun told reporters, "Taking the 'World Book Day' as an opportunity, we also planned a 'Longyou Zhongshuge, lighting up the most beautiful bookstore' check-in and answering activities, with the help of stamps, lucky draws and other ways to drive more citizens into the bookstore and join the reading team." ”
"Wow! We have answered all the questions, and we have successfully clocked in!" Before the reporter left the bookstore, another parent came to check in with his child. The child excitedly ran to the store staff and excitedly flashed the prompt on his mobile phone, and the parents on the side also smiled proudly. The joy and happiness of reading is passed on in this way......
Reporter's Notes
Regain the habit of deep reading in a sense of ritual
In the fast-paced life, the transformation of media and the popularization of mobile devices have made in-depth reading often deconstructed by faster and more convenient ways to obtain information, and going to physical bookstores to read books has gradually evolved into a ritual sense of in-depth reading. However, physical bookstores are not only places that carry people's sense of reading ritual, they are the spiritual landmarks of the city, as well as the transmission point and cohesion of culture.
Today, there are still a number of such brick-and-mortar bookstores, which insist on holding various cultural activities such as writers' book signings, lectures, salons, etc., to create a platform for exchanging ideas and sharing reading experiences, and cultivating people's thinking ability, aesthetic taste and cultural literacy. At the same time, through various activities, it also promotes reading for all, encourages in-depth reading, and promotes the inheritance of reading culture and reading spirit.
Borrowing the "four beauties" concept of "beautiful environment, beautiful book quality, beautiful service, and beautiful activities" and the "four haves" characteristics of "appearance, brand, content, and operation" of Zhongshuge, I hope that more and more physical bookstores can rethink how to create high-quality reading spaces that readers really need, and also hope that more book lovers can enter bookstores and libraries, actively participate in various reading activities, regain in-depth reading habits in a sense of ritual, and improve the quality of reading.
Longyou Zhongshuge activities
Zhongshuge Rongke store
Specific address:
No. 2, South Road, Academy of Sciences, Haidian District
B2, Block B, Rongke Information Center
Business hours:
10：00-21：00
Transportation:
Subway:
Line 4 - Zhongguancun Metro Station
Line 10 - Zhichunli Metro Station
Public transit:
No. 549 / 579 / 400 Inner Ring / 26 / 392 / 601
Reporter: Guan Jiaping