Editor's Note: On July 25, the 33rd National Book Expo opened in Chongqing. The event is hosted by the National Press and Publication Administration and organized by the Chongqing Municipal People’s Government. More than one million titles are showcased both online and offline, including around 100,000 new releases. Under the theme “Scholarly China: The Beauty of Reading,” the expo highlights the vitality of China’s reading culture. On this occasion, Bridging News conducted a special interview with the Chairman and CEO of Sisyphe Group, discussing how brick-and-mortar bookstore chains are navigating digital transformation in an era shaped by short videos and artificial intelligence. The conversation also explores how bookstores can expand new development space while continuing to promote reading and bring renewed cultural and intellectual vitality to urban life.
Chongqing – When Jin Weizhu took over a struggling street-side bookstore in Guizhou, few could have imagined it would one day become a national cultural landmark. As Chairman and CEO of Xifu Cultural Communication Group, Jin transformed SiSYPHE into one of China’s largest and most influential bookstore chains—now with nearly 500 locations embedded in the heart of the country’s busiest shopping malls.
By embracing big data and advanced algorithms, SiSYPHE expertly manages book inventory and in-store placement to optimize sales and respond to market trends. While books remain the core of its cultural mission, the chain also integrates coffee shops and cultural products, ensuring profitability and sustainable growth.
Jin positions SiSYPHE as the cultural foundation—the “base of the pyramid”—dedicated to inviting more people into the world of reading and enriching local communities’ spiritual lives. In an era dominated by digital distractions, SiSYPHE stands out by blending culture with retail strategy, evolving into a multifaceted, culture-driven platform that shapes China’s cultural landscape.
(Huan Ran and Li Yanfeng, as interns, also contributed to the report)