Book shopping in China
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Xinhua Bookstore
Sells a range of books at affordable prices. Located opposite the southeast corner of Drum Tower.
reviewed
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A
Cathay Bookshop
There are two branches of the Cathay Bookshop on Liulichang. This branch (Gǔjí Shūdiàn), on the south side of Liulichang Xijie opposite Róngbǎozhāi, is worth checking out for its wide variety of colour art books on Chinese painting, ceramics and furniture, and its books on religion (most books are in Chinese). Upstairs has more art books, stone rubbings and antiquarian books. The store takes MasterCard and Visa. There’s another, smaller branch close by on Liulichang.
reviewed
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B
Xidan Bookshop
The titles at this absolutely vast bookshop (Běijīng's largest) are largely Chinese, but the basement is home to what might be the city's best selection of English-language titles. There are all the classics, Austen, Dickens, Hemingway, Twain et al, but there are also books on China that have slipped past the beady eye of the censor, as well as an expanding range of new fiction. You can pick up Lonely Planet guides and maps of Běijīng here too.
reviewed
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C
Foreign Languages Bookstore
The days when the selection of titles at these government-sponsored bookstores ran from Dickens to Sherlock Holmes are long gone. There’s now an ever-expanding range of fiction and nonfiction upstairs, as well as an impressive selection of Lonely Planet guides on the ground floor (though they sometimes refuse to stock the China guide). It’s a good place to come for titles and maps on Shànghǎi.
reviewed
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D
Joint Publishing
This primarily Chinese-language bookshop has a good range of English-language books about China, and CDs and DVDs for studying the language. It’s also strong on local maps and maps of China. Most English-language titles are on the mezzanine floor. There are 15 other JP outlets, many in MTR stations, including a branch in Wan Chai (158 Hennessy Rd).
reviewed
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Cathay Bookshop
There are two branches of the Cathay Bookshop on Liulichang. This branch sells paper cuts and bookmarks, some of which feature photographs of the old Qing imperial household, including snapshots of Reginald Johnson (last emperor Henry Puyi’s English tutor), Puyi practising shadow boxing, eunuchs and Cixi dressed as Avalokiteshvara (Guanyin).
reviewed
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E
Tai Yip Art Book Centre
Tai Yip has a terrific selection of books about anything that is Chinese and artsy: calligraphy, jade, bronze, costumes, architecture, symbolism. This is a good place to look deeper if you’re planning on buying art in Hong Kong. There are outlets in several of Hong Kong’s museums, including the Hong Kong Museum of Art.
reviewed
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F
Page One
A chain, yes, but one with attitude. Page One has Hong Kong's best selection of art and design magazines and books; it's also strong on photography, literature, film and children's books. There's also a smaller branch in Tsim Sha Tsui (2730 6080; Shop 3202, 3rd fl, Gateway Arcade, Harbour City, 25-27 Canton Rd).
reviewed
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G
Travellers' Home
This one-stop shop has become something of a meeting place for travellers in Tsim Sha Tsui. It sells both new and used travel books (roughly 30-percent and 70-percent, respectively), schedules travel talks and hosts photo exhibitions. It has a small café corner and a message board.
reviewed
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Popular Bookmall
Popular Bookmall has English and Chinese maps in its travel section on the third floor. You'll also find versions of local maps at newspaper kiosks and street hawkers around Nánjīng. (Some of the upscale hotels give out free English-language maps of the city.)
reviewed
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H
Chongqing Book City/Xinhua Bookstore
Six stories of printed matter and DVDs that will actually pass customs. A modest foreign-language collection (including English-Chinese novels straight off your high-school reading list) is on the 4th floor. Check out the treasure-trove of Chinese art prints on the5th.
reviewed
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I
Kelly & Walsh
This smart shop has a good selection of art, design and culinary books, and the staff know the stock well. Books for children are shelved in a handy kids' reading lounge. There's also a Central branch (2810 5128; Shop 305, 3rd fl, Exchange Square Tower I).
reviewed
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J
Chaterhouse Booktrader
Excellent kids section and great range of new fiction, even if prices are high.
reviewed
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K
Flow Organic Bookshop
Quite what makes this secondhand and exchange bookshop 'organic' is anyone's guess, but it does have a focus on spiritual and New Age literature. On the 2nd floor are Chinese-language books and relaxation tapes and CDs. Enter from Cochrane St.
reviewed
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L
Foreign Languages Bookstore
Third floor for strong children's, fiction and nonfiction sections plus a smattering of travel guides and seats for tired legs.
reviewed
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M
Indosiam
Hong Kong’s first (and only) truly antiquarian bookshop deals in rare titles relating to Asian countries. It’s particularly strong on Thailand, China and the former French colonies (ie Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos).
reviewed
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N
Bloomsbury Books
The delightful bookshop carries a tremendous selection of business, legal and other professional titles but, in deference to its name, leans on the literary side as well. There's a brilliant children's section.
reviewed
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O
Shanghai Book Traders
Small, slim but handy branch of the English bookshop firm backing onto the historical redbrick Xuhui Middle School. Not worth a special trip, but there's a decent range of literature if you're in the area.
reviewed
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P
Timezone 8
This place has Beijing’s best selection of books (in all languages) on Chinese contemporary art and artists, as well as titles and magazines on world art, architecture, cinema and design.
reviewed
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Q
Daofeng Bookshop
Located next to Little Italian, this smart bookstore has a decent range of books, movies and music. Some English titles are in the travel section where a good selection of maps can be found.
reviewed
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R
Chaterhouse
Bookworms greeted the arrival of this chain with a cheer. There’s a good range of new Western fiction and nonfiction, and it also has a strong selection of children’s books and magazines.
reviewed
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S
Chaterhouse
Bookworms greeted the arrival of this chain with a cheer. There’s a good range of new Western fiction and nonfiction, and it also has a strong selection of children’s books and magazines.
reviewed
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T
Mandarin Books & CDs
For guidebooks, novels, magazines and a selection of travel writing in English and other languages.
reviewed
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U
Foreign Languages Bookshop
Has a selection of city maps and it's grooming its English collection quite nicely with up-to-date titles: everything from Sex in the City to Malcolm Gladwell's Blink.
reviewed
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V
Dragon Creature Comics
Collectables here include T-shirts, mugs, action figures and stuffed animals, all boasting the images of Asian animation icons. Japanese, Chinese and Korean comics line the shelves.
reviewed
