Do you love reading books while sipping a cup of coffee in a bookstore? There are many bookstores in Beijing and we have carefully selected nine cyber celebrity bookstores among them.
The list includes a 24-hour bookstore with books of various categories, a bookshop with modern interior design and a reading area for children, and one with fantastic views out its windows. I’m sure you’ll find your favorite one where you can talk to the authors of the books and enjoy a relaxing afternoon in a comfortable and quiet place. Let’s click the links below to learn more about them!
1 Lu Xun Books x Coffee, Beijing
Address: 19 Gongmenkouer’tiao, Fuchengmennei Street, Xicheng district, Beijing
Opening hours: 9:30am-6:30pmTel: (+86-10) 66188842
Lu Xun (1881-1936) was an acclaimed Chinese writer and a leading figure of modern Chinese literature. Cofounded by the Central China Publish Media Group and the Lu Xun Museum, Lu Xun Books x Coffee opened its doors in 2018 in the Lu Xun Museum, offering tourists and readers a quiet place to learn about Lu Xun and read his great literary works.
Lu Xun Books x Coffee, along with the Luxu Museum, was the site of the former residence of Lu Xun in Beijing. His profile is printed on the window of this bookstore. In a showcase of the bookstore, 51 yellowing books collected by the museum are displayed, including Lu's renowned novels Call to Arms (Na han) and Wandering (Pang huang). The books related to Lu are also stacked neatly according to the author and time.
The bookstore has a cafe area with a retro-style interior decor in which readers can not only read books sitting by the window while sipping a drink and appreciating the scenery of the museum’s courtyard but can also chat with friends.
The bookstore also sells books about humanities and social sciences, and literature and art, and regularly holds lectures, forums, and other reading and cultural activities.
2 Dayou Bookstore, Beijing
Address: 100 Dayouzhuang, Haidian district, Beijing
Opening hours: 9:00am-9:00pm
Located in the Party School of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and covering 2,000 square meters, the Dayou Bookstore is home to about 50,000 books and 2,000 audio and video products covering social science, economy, and biography. The most characteristic products of the bookstore are those related to the Communist Party of China. Its architectural style exudes dignified charm and combines the beauty of books with the arts.
The bookstore has two floors. The first floor provides readers with a large space to read, and the second floor is used for holding reading and cultural salons. At the entrance of the bookstore, you can see an amazing six-meter book wall that showcases more than 3,000 books, including encyclopedias, world-famous masterpieces, and classic historical books.
Why worth visiting
Featuring "red" books and based on the strength of the Publishing Group of the Party School of the Central Committee of CPC, the Dayou Bookstore displays the latest and most authoritative books related to the Communist Party of China in the most conspicuous manner. In addition, the bookstore also boasts a reading area for children, where it sells picture books and children’s storybooks. In this spacious area, children can enjoy reading with their parents. What’s more, the Dayou Bookstore also offers rattan cushions to readers, enabling them to have a good rest while reading.
3 Beijing Zhongshuge Bookstore (Xidan Galeries Lafayette), Beijing
Address: B1 Floor of Galeries Lafayette, 110 Xidan North Street, Xicheng district, Beijing
Opening hours: 10:00 am-10:00 pm
Tel: (+86-10) 66037997
Covering more than 1,000 square meters, Beijing Zhongshuge Bookstore (Xidan Galeries Lafayette) is home to over 60,000 books and is a conversation between fashion and classics.
Why it is special
The exterior of the bookstore combines traditional Beijing architectural styles, and resembles an old quadrangle dwelling.
The designers of the bookstore adopted the technique of varying sceneries with changing view-points in Chinese classical gardens to combine the classical garden motif with reading spaces. In addition, they provided novel and unique arch-shaped resting places for readers and utilized simple lines and graphics, streamers, and globes to describe the ancient buildings of Beijing in the bookstore’s children’s library.
The city’s history and memory are presented in this limited space to make readers feel the charm of Beijing. Beijing Zhongshuge Bookstore is now one of the most beautiful bookstores in Beijing, and draws many people for photo ops.
4 Beijing Yanjiyou Bookshop (Wangfujing), Beijing
Address: F1 WF Central, 269 Wangfujing Street, Dongcheng district, Beijing
Opening hours: 10 am-10 pm
Tel: (+86-10) 65255808
Adjacent to the Palace Museum, Beijing Yanjiyou Bookshop (Wangfujing) is home to 43,250 books and is a palace for arts and design. With a yellow wooden structure and natural light and shadow, the industrial loft style of the bookstore creates a dreamy atmosphere.
Why it’s worth visiting
On the first floor, you can not only read imported exhibition catalogues and art-centered literature but also enjoy the aesthetic delight brought by the cultural and creative products and art derivatives. In addition, on this floor, a space is reserved for exhibiting books telling stories of Beijing and disseminating traditional local culture.
Other types of books, such as those on humanities and social sciences, and books for children, can be found on the second floor. What’s more, there is a reading space for children, with lots of children’s books and creative toys.
In Beijing Yanjiyou Bookshop (Wangfujing), you can not only read various books and find fun cultural creative products but also drink a cup of coffee while reading and watch exhibitions and artistic performances. Every visitor can find their preferred lifestyle in this bookstore.
5 PageOne (Beijing Fun), Beijing
Address: F1-F3 No 1 Building, 13 Langfang Toutidao Compound, Xicheng district, Beijing
Opening hours: 10 am- 10 pm
Tel: (+86-10) 63183761
Covering 2,500 square meters and opposite Tian’anmen Square, PageOne (Beijing Fun) is the biggest bookstore in downtown Beijing. With a rooftop observation platform, this three-floor Baroque building is a replica of Beijing Fun dating back to 100 years ago. It boasts an industrial interior design.
Why it's popular
The first floor of the bookstore exudes exotic charm, and you can find in it world-famous masterpieces and the world’s latest books in literature, humanities, arts, and science. The second floor is a paradise for children, with a large number of classic picture books in Chinese and English, and children's literature and periodicals.
It’s also worth mentioning that PageOne has coated exposed surfaces with sponges to prevent children from bumping into the bookcases and getting injured, which is very considerate. What’s more, there is a plant corner on the south of the second floor, where you can see bunches of dried flowers and leaf specimens in various shapes. A cafe, an art library, and a vinyl record listening area are located on the third floor, where you can have a fantastic view of the heritage structures lying in the central axis of Beijing. Attracted by the bookstore's ambience and modern interior design, many young people flock there for photo ops.
6 Sanlian Taofen Bookstore (Headquarters), Beijing
Address: 22 Art Museum East Street (East of National Art Museum of China), Dongcheng district, BeijingOpening hours: 7/24
Established in 1996, the Sanlian Taofen Bookstore was named after Zou Taofen (1895-1944), a famous Chinese journalist, media entrepreneur and the founder of Sanlian Bookstore. It is home to about 60,000 books of more than 200 types.
Why it’s distinctive
As a non-commercial bookstore with various types of books, Sanlian Taofen Bookstore (Headquarters) in Beijing offers a quiet place for readers and is one of the "must-visit" bookstores in the city. For many years, it has been committed to meticulous management, exquisite varieties, and a unique brand culture to bring benefits to the society and the economy.
In addition to the assorted books, the listening area of the Sanlian Taofen Bookstore (Headquarters) boasts a variety of vinyl records, attracting local music lovers. Thanks to the novel decoration and pleasant atmosphere, the bookstore’s cafe has also become a gathering place for local intellectuals. And the academic and cultural salons held there have become a cultural landscape in Beijing.
What’s more, the bookstore is the first 24-hour bookstore in Beijing, providing readers with around-the-clock service.
7 Sisyphe Bookstore (Capital Mall in Xizhimen), Beijing
Address: F3 Capital Mall, 1 Xizhimenwai Street, Xicheng district, Beijing
Opening hours: 10 am-10 pm
Tel: (+86-10) 58301548, (+86-10) 58301498
The Sisyphe Bookstore was named after the Greek mythical figure Sisyphus. Covering almost 750 square meters, with a loft and simple European style, the bookstore adopts the business mode of book and coffee and boasts nearly 50,000 books of various categories, such as literature, arts, social science, and daily life.
Why worth visiting
In the bookstore, people can quickly navigate to the books they would like to read according to a book classification system. Besides, readers enjoy easy access to the books displayed on the top of the bookshelves without stretching their arms too much thanks to the shelves’ considerate design.
The showcases of the bookstore have integrated elements of local iconic buildings and folk customs, which is one of its most appealing features.
In contrast with traditional bookstores, the Sisyphe Bookstore has set aside an area called "Booartlife" in which classic cultural and creative products are sold. The reading area for children, named "7&12 Reading Call", is a favorite place for children and their parents. It is more like a library than a children's bookstore. Abundant books are selected for children at different ages to read, and the area is equipped with a book classification navigation system as well, aiming to enlighten the children with knowledge, simulate their reading interest, and help to develop their reading habits.
The Sisyphe Bookstore also holds various targeted activities to build its own brand and enhance readers’ cultural literacy.
8 Kubrick Bookstore (MOMA), Beijing
Address: Grand MOMA, Tower 2, 1 Xiangheyuan Road, Dongcheng dirstrict, Beijing
Opening hours: 11 am-10 pm
Tel: (+86-10) 84388381
Located next to Beiing’s first Broadway Cinemathque, the Kubrick Bookstore (MOMA) was named after the American film master Stanley Kubrick and adopts the business mode of book and coffee. Covering 400 square meters, it is home to more than 20,000 carefully selected books in various categories, primarily publications about film, literature, arts, and design.
Why it’s special
In the bookstore, there is a special display area for books on various topics associated with film from shooting and production to content. Taking the books related to film directors as an example, the bookstore has classified those books according to the nationalities of the directors. Of course, the books about Stanley Kubrick are in a particular area.
As it is located next to the Broadway Cinemathque, you can also find original film posters and precious film products there. The bookstore holds regular film exhibitions according to the activities of the Broadway Cinemathque.
At present, the Kubrick Bookstore (MOMA) has cooperated with many art institutions and held more than 100 exhibitions, lectures, and meetings to provide excellent cultural resources and draw more people to produce artworks and share their experience. It has also launched an online bookstore to help people from other cities access its resources and order books.
9 All Sages Bookstore, Beijing
Address: 59-1 Chengfu Road, Haidian district, Beijing
Opening hours: 10 am-10 pm
Tel: (+86-10) 62768748
All Sages Bookstore (Wansheng Bookstore) in Beijing was formerly named after Halloween (Wansheng Jie), so its logo was based on a Halloween ghost mask. As the Chinese word "Wansheng" also means a myriad of sages, and it was believed in earlier days that the authors of books are sages to readers, the bookstore changed its English name from the "Halloween Bookstore" to the "All Sages Bookstore".
Covering more than 600 square meters, the bookstore is home to 45,000 books of various categories, including humanities, social sciences, art, literature, audio and video products, and business management.
Why it’s special
All Sages Bookstore in Beijing not only sells books but also spreads culture and academic thoughts to help readers pay attention to the social issues in China and have a critical eye on culture. In the bookstore, there is a particular area for intellectuals, where books related to recent social topics, including taxes and reform, are on display.
In Beijing, the All Sages Bookstore is a "cultural landmark". With its Thinker’s Cafe Bar, it has now become a popular place for book lovers.
