Bookshops are back in business

The Beijing municipal government is breathing life back into the brick-and-mortar bookstore industry as it faces pressure from the booming e-commerce sector, soaring rents and the growing popularity of digital books.

Since the emergence of e-commerce and digital reading materials, their convenience and cheaper prices have presented a challenge for physical bookstores. Despite Ernest Hemingway's belief that "There is no friend as loyal as a book", it is now easier to find a coffee shop in Beijing than a bookstore.

Thus, the Beijing government in July announced a plan to support bookstores by providing 50 million yuan ($7.33 million) per year to help establish more than 150 bookstores over the next few years.