Hutong keeps books alive
Independent bookstores in historic hutong foster reading, community engagement, and cultural heritage, offering spaces where literature, creativity, and human connection thrive.
According to the People's Government of Beijing Municipality, the city had fewer than 1,000 physical bookstores before 2016. By 2022, that number had risen to over 2,000, with more than 0.94 bookstores per 10,000 residents — the highest density in China.
From 2016 to 2020, Beijing invested over 286 million yuan ($40.14 million) to support local bookstores. In 2021, the city refined its policy, providing rent subsidies to 148 bookstores and funding 2,151 reading and cultural events organized by 142 of them. Many of these stores are nestled in hutong, including Xuannan Bookstore in Lanman Hutong, Zhengyang Bookstore in Zhuanta Hutong, and Xiaozhong Bookstore in Houyuanensi Hutong.
Among Beijing's many independent bookstores, Wang Hechen, a finance professional at a leading state-owned bank, has a favorite — Wansheng. Founded in 1993 near Tsinghua University, it has long been a haven for serious readers.
