After a months-long renovation, Sanlitun Bar Street came back to public attention with a brand new look. Newly laid pavements and extended green space have refreshed the former “dirty street” into a welcoming neighborhood. Businesses like Aperitivo and LaPizza have also reopened in wake of the renovation.
A new bookstore located at Sanlitun West Street is being renovated, taking the place of bars, and injecting a welcome addition to Sanlitun’s already vibrant cultural scene. The bookstore is now in soft opening and is scheduled to open to the public at the end of this month, according to one of the bookstore workers.
The exterior of the City Bookstore.
The bookstore, covering an area of about 260 square meters, is a two-floor white building with a French window on one side, leaving the room bathed with good light for reading.
Both English and Chinese books can be found on the bookshelves decorating the first and second floors, which are categorized into economy, history, culture, art, literature, et cetera. Tables and chairs next to the French window are available for readers to enjoy a pleasant reading experience there.
A selection of translations of Chinese classic literature
What may differentiate the bookstore from its counterparts is the book corner piled high with President Xi Jinping’s new series The Governance of China, which is quite a hit at overseas book markets.
The book corner piled with Xi Jinping’s book series.
Additionally, a 24-hour bookstore with an area of 700 square meters will also be built next to the city bookstore, with the sponsorship of Joint Publishing. Cultural activities and lectures are expected to be hosted at the bookstore on a regular basis.
Joint Publishing Library next to the City Bookstore.
Photos: Huang Chenkuang, Summer Zhang
