Paperback owls

A surge in round-the-clock bookstores across China is helping lovers of traditional books read more, without hampering their day jobs

All-night bookstores across China are now offering people an alternative to either partying or watching TV at home. While the stores allow readers to purchase books at any time, visitors are also encouraged to sit down to read.

In July, owners of some 11 round-the-clock bookstores from all over the country gathered in Beijing announcing their alliance to better serve booklovers and to promote reading, at a time when traditional bookstores are closing due to the rise of e-books and online retailors.

Qi Fei, 30, a Beijing resident who works for an international consultancy, is among those who find the extra hours very useful.

He loves the feel of paper in books, walking around a store, looking through the many sections of books. Earlier, Qi seldom had the luxury to turn a few pages at a bookstore or library because work kept him on his toes for most of the day, even on weekends.

But with the new trend in late night bookstores, he no longer needs to miss out on his passion.

"With the opening of a 24-hour bookstore in Beijing, I can finally enjoy books and reading like I used to," Qi says.

The bookstore Qi likes to visit is Sanlian Taofen Bookstore, an 18-year-old shop near the eastern corner of the National Arts Museum of China in downtown Beijing. Named after famous Chinese scholar Zou Taofen (1895-1944), the store is famous for having many complete collections of books on social sciences.

Earlier this year, the bookstore decided to open 24 hours to meet the needs of booklovers, especially with an eye on the World Reading Day (April 23), according to Zhang Zuozhen, the store's general manager.

"We hope to provide a cozy, friendly and free environment for booklovers, and welcome everyone who wants to read," Zhang says.

During the 10-day trial run, prior to the official kickoff on April 18, the bookstore had an average revenue of around 28,000 yuan ($4,520) per night, and daytime revenues shot up by about 55 percent. Even Premier Li Keqiang sent a message, calling the bookstore a "spiritual landmark" that will empower readers.

To date, the two-story bookstore has spent about 800,000 yuan on buying lamps, tables, chairs and sitting mats, as well as updating computers and air conditioning units. It also provides free Wi-Fi. At night, the store is packed with readers mostly in their 20s and 30s.

On its busiest night, there were about 900 people at the store. There are more than 300 customers on an average night, bringing in more than 20,000 yuan per night.

In the past four months, the bookstore made a revenue of more than 63,000 yuan a day, doubling its daily income last year.

Although the first 24-hour bookstore on the mainland appeared in southern China's Shenzhen in 2006, Sanlian Taofen Bookstore has managed to attract more headlines in the national media.

More 24/7 bookstores are now opening in Zhejiang, Shandong, Shaanxi, Shanxi and Guangdong provinces. In addition to books, these shops also sell plants, handicrafts, films, music and clothes. They hold book-launch events and invite authors, scholars and artists to speak.

The Yue Lan Shu Bookstore in Hangzhou is not only the first 24-hour bookstore in Zhejiang province but also distinguishes itself in other ways. It offers readers thousands of books that can be easily accessed and provides a tranquil view of the lush greenery through its floor-to-ceiling windows.

Additionally, it brings in professional chefs to cook at its cafe.

"There are always customers at night since we started to keep the store open for 24 hours," says store manager Xu Yue. "We are happy that readers also put down their suggestions on our customer logs."

The bookstore aims to be a place to satisfy people's quest for knowledge and encourage them to be curious about reading, particularly when most Chinese fiddle with their smartphones instead of reading paper books, while waiting for public transport, according to Shen Yi, co-founder of the bookstore in Hangzhou.

Zhang, the manager of the Sanlian bookstore in Beijing, says that it is a good thing to have round-the-clock bookstores because Chinese people still love reading paper books.

liuzhihua@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily European Weekly 09/12/2014 page26)