As early as the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression period, Shapingba District was already a household name as a famous cultural district and the gathering place for culture, art and education elites. The culture that has developed and flourished along the Jialing River became the best ever gift to the District. Many years have passed, yet a cultural and scholarly atmosphere hangs over Shapingba. Since April 23 is the World Reading Day, let us get immersed in the poetic atmosphere of Shapingba and experience book fragrance in Chongqing.

A Lingering Book Fragrance—Chongqing Library

Chongqing Library

Chongqing Library was formerly the National Roosevelt Library founded in 1947. It was then one of the only five national libraries in China and the first library in China named after a foreign head of state. In June 2007, the new Chongqing Library, with a feel of the times and glass-stone exterior walls, was officially opened. The library consists of three parts—the public areas where the south gate and the north gate are located and the private area for collection. Chongqing Library currently has over 4.6 million books. It holds the most complete, extensive and integral collection of publications during the War of Resistance, is the library with the largest and the best collection of thread-bound ancient books in southwest China, and is one of the first two libraries in China to which UN documents were consigned.

Time: 14:00-20:00 Monday; 09:00-20:00 Tuesday through Sunday

Addr: 106 Fengtian Avenue

Tel: 023-65210822/65210833

A University without Walls—Shapingba Library

Shapingba Library

Shapingba Library was founded in 1986. It is an open, multifunctional and modern comprehensive public library that serves society for free.

The library offers free services in 15 rooms/areas — e-reading room, newspaper reading room, book-borrowing room, children’s reading room, etc. In 1994, it was rated as a “First-class Library” by the Ministry of Culture, and bears the titles “China Civilized Library” and “Chinese Readers’ Favorite Library.”

Shapingba Library currently has a collection of 900,000 paper books. It offers a diversity of free reading events and related services like lectures, exhibitions, trainings, and storytelling, among which the Sunday Lecture, with a history of over 30 years, is the most famous.

Besides, the library provides special services, such as Miaomiao House Parent-Child Reading Club and German Data Area, established in cooperation with Goethe-Institut Peking.

Time: 09:00-21:00 Monday through Sunday (by appointment only during the epidemic prevention and control period)

Addr: 222 Yubei Road

Tel: 023-65469148

Chongqing Shapingba Book City (Xinhua Bookstore Shapingba)

Chongqing Shapingba Book City

After four months of closure and renovation, Shapingba Book City emerged as Chongqing’s first experience store of Xinhua Bookstore on August 29, 2015. It covers an operating area of 6,000 square meters and is a comprehensive book mall that develops the management concept of “culture, warmth and experience.” Its second floor is occupied by the Gediao Bookstore, which sells books concerning humanities & social sciences, Chinese Studies, and natural science. The diversified business model featuring coffee sets, stationery, and the “scholar’s four jewels” has enriched the reading experience. The Culture and Education Bookstore on the third floor sells textbooks and reference books, books for tests, as well as e-teaching supplies and education training products to meet the one-stop shopping needs of students and their parents. The Children’s Bookstore on the fourth floor sells children’s books, and at

Shapingba Book City pools high-quality resources to hold all-purpose culture-themed events such as Shangxuetang Reading Party, Interview about Thought, Lecture on Wisdom, Chat with Talent and Life of Toys so the public can choose books over other forms of entertainment and help promote reading in Shapingba and Chongqing.

Time: 09:30—20:30 Monday through Sunday

Addr: 1-4F, Hengxin Mansion, 85 Xiaoxin Street

Tel: 023-65479556

Sisyphe Bookstore

Sisyphe Bookstore

Sisyphe Bookstore is one of the cultural landmarks of Shapingba favored by students and literature lovers.

Addr: B1, Huanghua New Era Shopping Plaza, Three Gorges Plaza

Time: 10:00—21:00 Monday through Sunday

Dongchuan Bookstore

Dongchuan Bookstore

Dongchuan Bookstore is opposite Chongqing Nankai Secondary School. The books, pens, notebooks, and lovely gadgets here all speak to the vigor of the young customers. Famous quotations are scribbled on the wall at the entrance to the bookstore. The light in the store is soft, the display is neat, and the reading space is spacious. Dongchuan Bookstore is not so much a bookstore as an open study in the city for people who like reading.

Addr: 16 Shapingba South Street

Time: 9:00-22:00