Independent bookstore provides oasis for book lovers
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E-mail Xinhua, April 23, 2014
An oasis, but just for few
A survey conducted by the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce shows that in the past decade, around half of China's privately run bookstores have faced financial problems. Those in Taiyuan are no exception.
"With the emergence of e-commerce, a growing number of people are turning to online bookstores or e-books. What's more, it seems that people's demand for reading is also decreasing," said Guo Wenli, who works with the Press and Publication Bureau of Shanxi Province.
Books on the Internet are often sold at a discount. National People's Congress (NPC) representative Zhang Kangkang even suggested in 2013 that the government should control discounts offered by online book suppliers, otherwise brick-and-mortar bookstores, which face increasing rents, won't be able to compete.
"The situations of the three most popular bookstores in Taiyuan are all gloomy. The biggest one, 21 Century Bookstore, is now bankrupt. Wanxiang Bookstore, which first introduced a membership system in the city, has now transformed into a gallery. The only one still there is Erya Bookstore, but it has shrunk to just a third of its original size," Guo said.
Sha, the cafe owner, admitted his business is not easy to pull off. He pays 5,000 yuan (around 800 U.S. dollars) a month for rent, while the books do not even make him money. He has to feed the book business with his earnings from coffee.
However, his idealism keeps him going.
"I think organizations like Oasis Library should exist, not just for me, but for society as a whole."
"You can offer readers the books you love, and you can get to know people who share your interest," he said. "You can't shape the world the way you like it, but you can build your own little climate."
In the past few months, he has received guests from other provinces who choose to visit after hearing about Oasis Library, which makes him excited.
"We need a cultural landmark in our city, but we still have a long way to go before we can call ourselves one," Shi said.
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