Let’s start with Librairie Avant-Garde. I had heard so much about it but never had the chance to visit until now. The bookstore was converted from an underground parking garage.
The space is far larger than I imagined; it is truly rare to see a privately-owned bookstore of this scale in China.
Founded in 1996 by Qian Xiaohua, a graduate of Nanjing University’s Creative Writing Program, Librairie Avant-Garde
has gained considerable influence in Nanjing due to its unique style, even earning the playful nickname “Nanjing University’s Second Library.”
It has been selected by numerous media outlets as one of the most beautiful bookstores in China.
Over the past 17 years, Librairie Avant-Garde has pioneered a business model for cultural and creative brand bookstores centered around themes such as “academia, cultural salons, film, music, creativity, and lifestyle.”
“The significance of Librairie Avant-Garde lies not only in selling books, but more importantly in building an open platform for readers to engage in discussion and sharing.”
Qian Xiaohua hopes that readers will treat this place as a public library where they can share a spiritual feast together.
At a time when many private bookstores face survival challenges, Librairie Avant-Garde’s unique philosophy and operational approach have successfully retained its readership.
Today, Librairie Avant-Garde has grown from a tiny 17-square-meter shop into the nearly 4,000-square-meter Wutaishan flagship store, along with several branch locations.
In addition to hosting author book signings, Librairie Avant-Garde also organizes cultural lectures and exhibitions, and even invites bands to perform, attracting many visitors.
The bookstore provides complimentary tea, sofas, and benches, creating an elegant and comfortable environment where book lovers can read to their heart’s content.
In addition to books, the store features an independent Avant-Garde Creative Gallery, offering creative merchandise and distinctive accessories.
The Avant-Garde Art Café serves beverages, snacks, and more.
I originally planned to visit the famous Yu Siji, but unfortunately, there were no seats available… so I had to choose another place.
Gotenyama Hachikichi is a small Japanese restaurant located behind Golden Eagle International Shopping Center in Xinjiekou, which happens to be right behind our hotel.
Just take a turn after exiting, and you’ll find it on the first floor of Sunshine Mansion; you need to walk inside to see the storefront.
The owner is Japanese, and the restaurant offers both open seating and private rooms.
The sashimi is quite fresh, though not thick-cut, and the Teppanyaki tastes good as well.
As for the rest of the dishes, they are neither particularly impressive nor disappointing—nothing stands out as exceptionally amazing.
Photos in this post taken with a SONY NEX-5R + 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 lens, post-processed in Lightroom.
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