READZONE
4 min readIn a real sense, bookstores bring people together in this “melting pot’-they serve as a nurturing hub for print-hungry individuals in this “immigrant city” and those many who come in as strangers and walk out as friends with something in common.
READZONE HUAFA MALL
A LABYRINTHINE ALADDIN’S CAVE
Bands of sunlight filter through the foliage of trees and flood in through the gigantic oval canopy of the city’s chicest mall, home to the city’s greatest “reading salon”. Covering an area of some 1,798 square meters, the crown jewel in Zhuhai’s “Cave of Wonders” ranks among the best in China’s growing legions of first-tier bookstores.
This impressive flagship store is the brainchild of eminent Hong Kong designer, Kenneth Ko. As soon as you set foot into this expansive world of books, you feel elevated to a plateau of modern elegance and free-spirited simplicity as the main hallway tapers down to create a serene and solemn space for one to get into the right mood for reading. The store’s charming “Literature” section is a decidedly peaceful space (even when teeming with avid readers, including whole families), innovatively laid out with stylish, cozy nooks that encourage you to unwind and lose yourself in literature.
Surrounded by the fragrance of tea and coffee, the welcoming, unpretentious atmosphere and attractively illuminated shelves lure both young and old to dive into a book, all gathering obliviously to spend quality time here by browsing the store’s astounding selection of titles in comfort. Every customer’s’ needs and wishes are attended to by the all-knowing store assistants, who silently buzz around the place assuring a problem-free environment. Every cup of coffee is crafted by master baristas from Taiwan, whose magic skills make sure everyone walks out feeling satisfied and wanting to come back for a refill.
READZONE SHISHAN
MAKE READING PART OF EVERYONE’ EVERYDAY LIFE
By 11 A.M. on any Saturday morning, most of the seats in the store-the first community branch run by READZONE-are occupied by parents and children, husbands and wives, students and friends huddled over their book of choice, reading intently by themselves or sharing their thoughts in hushed voices. The bookstore quickly became an integral part of the community, with residents showing no hesitation to call it their own and taking full advantage of the opportunity to be whisked away to far-away, fairytale land or educated on fascinating topics. The attentive and professional staff treat every small detail with care, making all patrons feel very much at home, as indeed they should in their “community bookstore”.
READZONE HUITONG VILLAGE
AN ENCOUNTER WITH HISTORY
In Zhuhai, the country road not only takes you home, but to a bookstore.
The launch of READZONE in the ancient village of Huitong at the tail end of Chinese Lunar Year, 2017 brought both a first-class collection of reading materials and the bookstore’s signature “Southeast Asia Coffee” into the historical village, dubbed “the Cambridge of Zhuhai”. Beautifully adapted to the oldfashioned atmosphere of a hundred-year-old ancestral hall, the bookstore lends a surprising final touch to the overall cultural magnificence of the village with its unique combination of pastoral setting and academic atmosphere created by the development of two vibrant university campuses nearby. The bookstore is rated by the city’s book lovers as “the most beautiful country bookstore”.
READZONE WAILINGDINGN ISLAND
“BOOKSTORE ON THE ISLAND”
The “bookstore on the island”, together with its cozy cafe space, housed in a well-appointed corner, greatly enriches the lives of those on the island, linking it in one swoop to all the culture and knowledge that lies beyond its shores.
Brilliantly illustrating what a bookstore can do beyond selling books, it serves as a sanctuary to bring minds and souls together as well as transport the individual at will, adding cultural luster to the wavebeaten facade of the islet. Just like Gabrielle Zevin’s phenomenal novel The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry, the bookstore is a love letter to the joys of reading, offering sweet therapy for people to combat the sufferings of modern life. Whether the day is sunny or stormy, the nostalgic ambience and pleasant services of the store assistants make it a nice place to curl up with a book and read for hours on end The “bookstore on the island” greatly enriches the lives of those on the island, linking it in one swoop to all the culture and knowledge that lies beyond its shores.
WENHUA BOOKSTORE YOUNG MIX
HERITAGE AND INNOVATION
Unveiled in the Gongbei Port neighborhood in 1993 as one of China’s first privately-operated bookstores, Wenhua Bookstore now runs a dozen locations across the country. Since it was born, the chain has been taking the lead in the country’s bookstore innovation, treating guests with quality coffee and offering a full-service venue for a variety of cultural events throughou the year. Over the past two decades, the brand has grown into a lifestyle innovator, against the decreased visibility in print publications. The current 800sqm space on the fourth floor of the Young Mix in downtown Zhuhai offers an oasis of serenity for bookloving people in Zhuhai to enjoy the joy of reading.
