Reading Beijing

by Yang Junkang

Beijings antique book trade has become a profound cultural heritage and remains one of the citys unique landscapes. Every day， ancient books move between various dealers and online stores operating throughout the city. The antiquarian book trade testifies to Beijings prosperous cultural market and represents a microcosm of Chinas publishing culture. By visiting well-known Beijing antiquarian bookstores， people can feel what reading has meant to the city.

Old Books， New Looks

China Bookstore is a comprehensive cultural enterprise integrating multiple business formats such as the acquisition， restoration， and circulation of antiquarian books， production of reprints， and auction of old books and periodicals. As Chinas first state-owned antiquarian bookstore， China Bookstore has made important contributions to the rescue， protection，and cultural development of antiquarian books since its establishment in 1952.

Liu Yichen， manager of China Bookstore Liulichang branch， has divided target customers of antiquarian books into four categories： public museums， experts and scholars， private collectors， and aficionados of traditional culture. In 2023， Liu reported， sales of antiquarian books in China Bookstore increased by nearly 40 percent over 2022.

Thanks to a history of more than 70 years， China Bookstore already has a stable group of royal readers. To attract more young customers and motivate them to join the next generation of cultural inheritors， China Bookstore has invested considerable effort into the integrated development of offline and online second-hand book transactions. It planned and launched themed exhibitions such as “Chinese Medical Classics” and “Chinese Opera Novels” to meet the online book-hunting needs of readers in Beijing and across the country and provide opportunities to get close to rare antiquarian books.

Communication Platform for Book Lovers

“This cabinet is actually a book stall，” said Zhang Yue， deputy general manager of Beijing Panjiayuan Second-Hand Goods Market Co.， Ltd. “On Saturdays and Sundays， the cabinets become small islands as readers flock to them like rising tides.” Every weekend， the Panjiayuan book market is packed with buyers.“Its all about who gets up early，”Zhang explained. “If you come late， you miss the first wave of book hunting. The book fair is even crowded in the dead of winter.”

An icon in Beijings antiquarian book market， Panjiayuan is popular for its bustling local atmosphere and wide range of books. Vendors and shops in the market sell second-hand books， antiquarian books， old books and periodicals， celebrity letters， and comics. The market is an important platform for Beijings antiquarian book industry. According to statistics， Panjiayuans annual sales volume exceeds 10 million copies.

Hunting for books is great fun for those visiting the Panjiayuan book market. Zhang stressed that only reading ones preferred genre of books results in confinement and limited cultural exchange， which runs contrary to the cultural nature and social value of books. “People find the books they need in our market， but more importantly， they also see many books that they may not need. These books have a precise function of broadening horizons and preventing confinement to the information cocoon of ‘what I care about. Panjiayuan provides a big cultural exchange platform for book lovers and also serves as an important channel for staying abreast of the latest developments in the book market.”

Breaking Geographical Restrictions

Alongside embracing the changes of the internet era and opening new channels for both online and offline sales， the antiquarian book industry is also spearheading new initiatives and innovations.

Kongfz.com is a large online trading platform for antiquarian books and second-hand commodities in China. Hundreds of millions of antiquarian books change hands through the website.

Kongfz.com has broken down geographical restrictions on circulation of antiquarian books. The platform empowers users to assume the roles of seller and buyer at the same time. Used books mainly come from businesses， families， and individuals. Some are rescued from recycling stations. Through the online trading platform， many old books have found new shelves and regained value.“Kongfz.com is expanding channels for ordinary people to buy good books at a lower price and helping precious books and documents be discovered， sorted， protected， and passed on more efficiently，” said Sun Yutian， general manager of the website.

Thanks to continuous promotion and support， Beijings antiquarian book industry has essentially formed a trading system featuring strong business channels and a complete circulation system covering the entire city and radiating across the whole country. With the growing public demand for traditional culture， Beijings antiquarian book industry will certainly welcome even greater room for development.