The Beauty of Bookstores
Librairie Avant-Garde
Founded in 1996, Librairie Avant-Garde is a privately-owned chain of bookstores focusing primarily on the sale of academic texts. Hosting regular literary salons, readings, lectures and other events, it now has ten branches across the country and is a cultural landmark of Nanjing. It has been praised as "one of the world's ten greatest bookstores," "one of the world's twelve most beautiful bookstores," "the world's coolest bookstore" and "the most beautiful Chinese bookstore of the year."
24-Hour Bookstore: Phoenix Cloud Bookstore
The Phoenix Cloud Bookstore, a reading space open to the general public 24 hours a day, was built by Phoenix Publishing & Media Inc. to promote citywide reading and support Nanjing's application for the UNESCO "World Book Capital" and Creative Cities Network “City of Literature" titles. The bookstore has been designated as a "City Literature Hall" by the Nanjing Publicity Department and boasts a collection of more than 20,000 books. Its knowledgeable and passionate staff are on hand 24/7 to offer assistance and cultural services to city residents.
Popular Bookmall
Popular Bookmall's flagship store in Nanjing has already become the number one retail bookstore for Nanjing citizens. The shop boasts more than one million registered members purchasing an average of 14.8 books per year, far above the national average.
Literacy Cafe
Literacy Cafe is a new retail bookstore where such invaluable events as book exhibits, book readings and cultural salons are regularly held. It has been praised as Nanjing's "Reader's Choice Bookstore."
