Lose yourself in a bookstore

With the rise of e-books and online retailers, many booksellers are struggling to stay afloat. But as Xu Jingxi reports in Guangzhou, many brick-and-mortar stores are fighting back, providing customers with added extras.

Reading in the cafe at Fang Suo Commune is the best antidote to the stress and fatigue of a long day at work for Lu Xiaofei.

The PR specialist at a foreign consulate in Guangzhou enjoys her one-hour "mental spa" at the city's new hot spot for bookworms. She orders a cup of her favorite herbal tea and loses herself in Notes from a Small Island, a humorous book by US travel writer Bill Bryson. Wi-Fi is unavailable in the bookstore, allowing her to switch off from the outside world.