Bookstore with Jiangnan flavor opens to public

A new bookstore with a distinct Jiangnan (regions in the south of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River) flavor opened on February 4 at 420 Gongyuan Road.

Spanning about 1,100 square meters, this bookstore, the third of its kind under Xinhua Media, features three floors offering books, cultural and creative products, stationery, and dining areas.

It features a cozy reading environment with a uniquely designed reading space. Here, customers can discover items showcasing Qingpu characteristics and cultural products celebrating the Year of the Dragon.

The bookstore is expected to become a new cultural landmark in the district.

About 12,000 different books are available, covering literature, art, children’s books and educational volumes, and there are about 2,000 types of cultural and creative products and stationery. The catering area serves coffee, pizza and pasta.

A multi-function area comprises conference and study rooms where large cultural activities can be held.

The design introduces Jiangnan-style windows and ingeniously combines a tranquil indoor space with the flourishing scene outside, injecting vitality into the bookstore.

The facade of the bookstore features typical Jiangnan aesthetics, such as whitewashed walls and grey tiles, revealing a strong watertown flavor.

The bookstore is named “Jiangnan Bookstore • Origin of Qingxi” (referring to Qingpu in a poetic manner).

“The name, design and operation of the bookstore all integrate many Qingpu elements,” said Tao Shuting with Xinhua Media. “For example, its triangle and round designs drew inspiration from the hollowed pottery pots of the Songze Culture.”

In the future, agricultural and sideline products of Qingpu will be available at the bookstore, and it will host reading activities in cooperation with the Qingpu Library to promote the district to the public.

The bookstore is pet-friendly.

Xinhua Media is developing flagship bookstores in Shanghai’s “Five New Cities” that match their cultural genes to promote “Jiangnan culture.”