The Pagoda of Monk Wansong or Pagoda of the Old Man of Wansong is the only remaining brick pagoda in Beijing, originally built during the mid 13th-century. The nine-storey octagonal pagoda was built to house the remains of Wansong Xingxiu (1166–1246), a famous Chan Buddhist monk in the Jin Dynasty and Mongol Empire. He called himself the Old Man of Wansong ("ten thousand pine trees"), referring to the Ten Thousand Pine Trees studio where he once lived.

Now the pagoda has seen its new use - Zhengyang bookstore. This quadrangle dwelling is piled up with a great collection of old books and some old stuff like gate piers, door planks, tables and chairs that cannot be found in a lot of libraries or archives.

It requires a certain amount of investigative spirit to dig up the good stuff of Beijing’s fascinating history records, earning it a unique name as “a bookstore with Beijing flavor”.

Adjacent to Zhengyang bookstore is Zhuanta Hutong, Beijing's earliest recorded alley. Renowned Chinese writer Lu Xun lived at No 84 from 1923-24, which is why the hutong is the best preserved. The bookstore is an ideal spot to sit back and relax with a cup of tea and some old books.

If you go:

No. 43 South Street, Xisi, Xicheng District, Beijing. 010-66116311