As a national cultural center, Beijing is vigorously promoting the construction of a scholarly capital and creating a strong atmosphere of loving reading, reading good books, and being good at reading. Since 2016, Beijing has issued a number of policies to escort the development of brick-and-mortar bookstores. In the inclusive and multicultural bookstore, reading for all is truly integrated into the lives of the public.
Explore the history and culture of the capital
Beijing is a famous historical and cultural city, and the central axis is an outstanding representative of China's urban culture and spatial form. Throughout the central axis of Beijing, Beijing's humanities, history and culture have been precipitated in different periods. In recent years, the inscription of the Beijing Central Axis on the World Heritage List has become an important task for the protection and inheritance of Beijing's history and culture.
Chinese bookstore Yanyilou store Image source: Qianlong.com
China Bookstore Yanyinlou Branch is located at No. 1 Di'anmen Nei Street, on the central axis. Since its opening in 2015, Yanyi Building's antique brick and wood structure architectural style blends with the reading culture atmosphere of Chinese bookstores, and has been a beautiful "business card" of Scholarly Beijing.
On April 20, 2022, China Bookstore Yanyinlou officially opened the Central Axis Cultural Reading Space on the second floor of the bookstore, leading readers to explore the profound and long history of Beijing through various activities such as ancient book exhibitions, cultural lectures, reading clubs, and online live broadcasts featuring the theme of "Central Axis Culture".
Interior view of the Chinese bookstore Yanyilou Store Image source: Qianlong.com
In the display and sales area on the first floor of the west side, the book categories cover ancient books, literature and history, art, social sciences, traditional Chinese studies, etc.; The business projects involve the four treasures of the study, handicrafts, etc.; At the same time, it provides services such as the restoration of ancient books and the collection and sale of old books unique to Chinese bookstores.
600 years ago, the Yanyi Tower guarded the imperial city of Beijing; Today, the Wild Goose Wing Tower guards the spiritual home of contemporary urbanites. Zhang Dongxiao, Chairman of China Bookstore, has a clear goal for the future development of China Bookstore: "As a public welfare reading project to promote the construction of 'Scholarly Beijing' and 'Scholarly West City', in the future, we will better combine cultural inheritance with the needs of readers, so that cultural activities can be carried out in a more diversified, in-depth and detailed manner." ”
Protect cultural relics and monuments with reading
At the east entrance of the brick tower alley in Xicheng District, under the Wansong Old Man Tower, a quaint courtyard with blue bricks and gray tiles is located here. The courtyard-style building, with two study houses in the south and one in the north, has been accompanied by a brick tower with a history of more than 800 years. A signboard with gold letters on a black background introduces this courtyard: Zhengyang Bookstore.
Zhengyang Bookstore (photo by Sun Hu) Image source: Beijing News Network
From its inception to its relocation, from Langfang Ertiao to Xisi, Zhengyang Bookstore finally chose to be accompanied by Wansong Old Man Tower, and "guarding cultural relics and monuments with reading, and inheriting the cultural context of Beijing with publishing" has always been its constant pursuit.
"Running such a bookstore has fulfilled my original intention as a Beijinger to inherit and protect Beijing's history and culture." Cui Yong, the founder of the bookstore, said, "I want to participate in the preservation of Beijing's history and culture through reading, and use culture as the core driving force to promote the healthy development of urban rejuvenation and neighborhood renewal." Today, Zhengyang Bookstore, as an important achievement in the revitalization and reuse of cultural relics in Beijing, has been successfully selected into the book "Guide to the Open Use of Cultural Relics Buildings".
Interior view of Zhengyang Bookstore Image source: Window of the capital
An Liming, from France, is a regular visitor here. "There's an introduction to the present, but also some historical treasures." An Liming shared his feelings, "I like the atmosphere here, both the content of the books and the architecture are very distinctive. ”
As the only bookstore in Beijing that only deals in Beijing's historical documents, in addition to more than 70,000 kinds of books, the bookstore also has a large number of maps, old photos, historical documents and other materials, restoring the style of old Beijing for readers to the greatest extent.
If Zhengyang Bookstore has witnessed and recorded the long years of Beijing, then Viguantang Bookstore retains the most innocent and simple memories for Beijingers.
Exterior of Viguantang Bookstore Image source: Beijing Daily client
Turning around the bustling commercial street, looking in the alley of Dashilar, the inner hall is "hidden" in the Tieshu Xiejie. The bookstore is filled with old books and objects, and from the moment you step inside, you feel like you've stepped back in time to your childhood.
As soon as you enter the bookstore, you can hear the old-fashioned Haiyan brand radio playing nostalgic songs, tin toys, old photos, food books, red books, ...... Objects that carry childhood memories appear in all corners of the bookstore, making it look more like a small private museum. Not only that, but here you can see all kinds of old books, most of which are donated by relatives and friends, there is no specific type, but the content is rich: history, humanities and social sciences, philosophy, novels, magazines, textbooks, comic books, and a large number of old books in foreign languages, almost filling this bookstore.
Vintage radio in the Neiguantang bookstore Image source: Beijing Daily client
"I don't have the idea of making a lot of money, being happy is the most important thing." For Yao Bin, the person in charge of the bookstore, the significance of the Viguantang bookstore has long gone beyond the books themselves: "Opening a bookstore in this location allows you to chat and say hello to your neighbors, and this kind of intimacy can only be found in hutongs." ”
Attract young people to check in
In the quiet hutongs, there are many bookstores with their unique personality and temperament to attract more and more young people to check in, and gradually form a new trend of characteristic bookstores.
Walking on Dongsi North Street in Beijing's Dongcheng District, you will notice a gray rectangular box-like building that almost blends in with the surroundings, facing the road is a few floor-to-ceiling windows, above which is written "Shanhai Sihe", which is Shanhai Sihe Bookstore.
Shanhai Sihe Bookstore Image source: Beijing Dongcheng officially released the WeChat public account
Design, poetry collections, fashion ...... Carefully selected readings from all over the world are gathered here, attracting different groups of people to pick them up. The books on display here are open to all ages, so children can find their artistic interests here, and adults can find innocence in children's picture books.
The mountains and seas in the "Mountains and Seas Quadrangle" represent the world, and the Quadrangle has the meaning of coming from all directions, and everyone comes from all over the world, encounters here unexpectedly, and embarks on a "world inspiration journey" through books. "There are not only selected Chinese books in the store, but also many original books and magazines in foreign languages, and some foreigners will come to buy." The person in charge, Pan Chong, told us.
Interior view of Shanhai Sihe Bookstore Image source: Beijing Dongcheng officially released the WeChat public account
It is not uncommon to see foreign readers stopping by the store, ordering a cup of coffee, sitting in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows, reading or working. By creating such a bookstore space, we will create a richer and more diverse reading atmosphere for city residents and international people.
Because it is located on the edge of the alley, the bookstore is very closely connected to the community. In November 2023, a book sharing session on "Birdsong Season" was held here, which promoted the books and spread the knowledge and awareness of bird conservation, which won unanimous praise from the community.
Embracing the world and full of "international style", there is also a Shizhi bookstore, which is located at No. 51 Ganmian Hutong, Dongcheng District, in the courtyard of the World Knowledge Publishing House. It was founded in 1986 as the World Knowledge Bookstore, one of the few bookstores at the time where you could buy books and periodicals on China's diplomatic field.
Shizhi Bookstore Image source: China Financier Magazine's WeChat public account
Shizhi Bookstore specializes in books in the field of international politics, international relations and other diplomatic fields. From academic works such as international studies and international political observations, to literary works such as tracing world history and biographies of diplomats; From global cultural travel, local scenery atlases, to world classic translations, and multilingual tool books, every book displayed on the bookshelf has been carefully screened and carefully selected.
Combined with the cultural characteristics of all over the world, with the theme of "world peace" and the layout of the style of "five continents", arts and crafts from all over the world can be seen everywhere in the bookstore, and behind every detail there is a story of friendly exchanges between China and the world.
There is also a special "coffee house" in the bookstore, where coffee beans are not only from Yunnan Province on the mainland, but also coffee beans from Kenya, Ethiopia, Vietnam, Brazil and other high-quality coffee producing areas in the world, and even you can drink special coffees such as Jamaican Blue Mountain and Indonesian cat poop.
Coffee and books go hand in hand, culture and diplomacy go hand in hand, Shizhi Bookstore is not only a quiet and comfortable spiritual home, but also a cultural link between China and the world.
There is also a special bookstore in the north Luoguxiang of Beijing's Dongcheng. Under the shade of flowers, trees and bamboos, there is an antique wooden signboard with four large characters written on it - "A certain bookstore".
Certain Book House Image source: Certain Book House WeChat public account
Stepping into the bookstore, it is a completely different world. The quaint bookshelves are filled with books of different old and new types, and there are unique ornaments on the shelves and tea tables. The poetic bookstore atmosphere in the hutongs is another microcosm of the "scholarly capital".
"The house has a complete list of books, and as soon as you enter the door, you will have the desire to sink down and read, but this place does not sell books, but simply provides readers with an excellent environment and atmosphere, and better immerses themselves in the inner spiritual world." A customer said.
For Qiu Libin, the store manager, in the era of increasing popularity of online shopping, the significance of selling books offline is not very large, and a quiet reading space can make people calm down and read books, and such a physical space is more valuable. "Let's continue the dialogue with the book together." Qiu Libin said.
Create a comprehensive reading space
The characteristic bookstores in the hutongs have become the window of Beijing's urban renewal, which is not only an important reading space in the city, but also a cultural living room for the residents of the hutongs.
At No. 49 Qianchou Mein Hutong in Dongcheng District, the gray wall reads "There may be a book". As the name suggests, this is not only a bookstore, but also a comprehensive reading space with exhibitions, a steamed bun shop, a café, a screening room, and a study room.
There may be a comprehensive reading space for books Image source: Beijing Dongcheng official WeChat public account
Turn left at the door to the exhibition area, the walls are mostly bare red bricks, which is quite quaint. The interior of the store is so peaceful that you can't help but slow down. Walking up to the second floor, there is a quiet study room and terrace with lush greenery where people can enjoy the tranquility and sunshine.
"There may be books, not only reading, but the ideal community life that starts with books" is the business philosophy of possible books. In the design of the bookstore, the area of a wing room is specially given as a 24-hour leisure garden in the block, providing a space for nearby residents and readers to communicate; On the left side of the door is a steamed bun shop, and when you walk to the door, you can smell the aroma inside.
Based on the design concept of "Symbiosis House", the principle of "not disturbing residents" is implemented in all business activities. The entire bookstore is L-shaped, releasing the space of the exhibition hall, steamed bun shop and leisure garden facing the street to the community residents, integrating itself into the community life and expanding the richness and possibility of life in the hutong area.
From integrating multiple functions, creating a community cultural space, to creating a comfortable reading environment, this bookstore brings a new cultural life experience to Hutong residents, and is a vivid portrayal of Beijing's urban renewal and scholarly construction.
Xuannan Bookstore Image source: Beijing Xicheng WeChat public account
The Xuannan area is the place where Beijing was founded and the capital was built, and the culture of this area is known as the source of Beijing's culture. Today, in Xiao'anlanying Hutong, Dashilan Street, Xicheng District, a Xuannan bookstore with an elegant old style is located in the "winding path to the secluded place" near Liulichang and Qianmen.
"I think the hutongs have the feeling of old Beijing. With the changes in society, there are fewer and fewer alleys that carry memories, but we have always wanted to uphold the characteristics of the old Xuannan culture and let more people understand the local culture", Li Nan, one of the founders of Xuannan Bookstore, explained to the author the reason for the original location.
Interior view of Xuannan Bookstore Image source: Beijing Xicheng WeChat public account
In October 2023, Xuannan Bookstore officially opened. The store displays a collection of books that introduce Beijing's folklore and culture, but it does much more than just read. What makes Xuannan Bookstore even more lively are the various activities held here: characteristic research, intangible cultural heritage kite making, blue and white porcelain enamel, flower arrangement, paper-cutting...... The content is extensive and interesting; The regular cultural performances allow the surrounding residents to hear authentic cross talk and see vivid opera performances.
"When I passed by before, I thought it was a private house, but when I walked in, I found that there was a cave, not only to take pictures, but also to enrich the books, and I felt that the strong atmosphere of old Beijing was precipitated here, which is really a good place to go in my spare time!" Ms. Wang, who lives near Dashilar, often comes here to sit down, and for her, Xuannan Bookstore is a great place to create a relaxed atmosphere in the fast-paced life, allowing people to let go of their fatigue and enjoy their own moments of comfort.
(Source: People's Daily Overseas Edition, May 3, 2024, page 5; Authors: Yan Bing, Hu Xiaoxiao, Li Xinran, Yang Linna, Fang Ziyan)