Central Axis-related book fair draws antique enthusiasts

Photo: VCG

A book fair, featuring old books related to Beijing's Central Axis, was held in the Chinese capital recently, gathering tens of thousands of old books and a wide array of cultural products and drawing book enthusiasts to explore and make purchases.

Ten stores, including the Liulichang branch of the China Bookstore, showcased various old books, such as rare Beijing classics, foreign literature series, vintage comic books and ancient stone inscriptions.

"Old books, as vital carriers of traditional culture, document the significant evolution of civilization," Zhang Dongxiao, chairman of the China Bookstore, told Global Times on Tuesday.

To further advance the promotion, protection, and exchange of old books, the China Bookstore participates in book expos, and holds book fairs, book culture salons, community events, and auctions. It has also established centers for the exchange and trade of old books. At this year's Ditan Book Fair held in September, the China Bookstore sold more than 30,000 books, generating sales of nearly 2 million yuan, according to Zhang.

Restoring damaged old books is also part of the efforts the China Bookstore is making to protect old books. They have trained a group of professional restoration experts who not only restore old books from their collection but also offer paid book restoration services to customers. 

For valuable books, the bookstore charges only for labor and materials, emphasizing the immense value of these relics, said Liu Yichen, the manager of the Liulichang branch of the China Bookstore, on Tuesday.

Apart from bookstores, old book markets, represented by the Panjiayuan Antique Market, have long been a favorite place of old books enthusiasts. There are nearly 350 old book merchants dealing year-round in rare editions, old publications, and miniature books, with an annual sales volume exceeding 5 million yuan.

A staff member at the market, surnamed Zhang, said that the trade of old books began around 1992, when the market for old goods was established. Every weekend, more than 200 book stalls gather in a designated area in the market to trade old books.

A merchant who has been engaged in selling books for more than seven years told the Global Times that they also get customers in their 20s and early 30s. Some foreign customers also come to his store to purchase both Chinese and English books.

According to the owner of a bookstore which has several thousand old books that range in price from a few hundred yuan to tens of thousands of yuan, the store's monthly revenue can reach tens of thousands of yuan, with both physical and online sales through online book trading platform Kongfz.com.

As China's largest online book trading platform, Kongfz.com boasts over 400,000 bookstores, with more than 19 million registered users and annual revenues exceeding 50 million yuan.

Founded in 2002, Kongfz.com aggregates a myriad of old books, including history books, data archives, inscriptions, old photographs and comic books.

A large number of books have been collected and rescued from becoming waste paper or from garbage piles by Kongfz.com. In order to promote precious literature resources, it has also established a public welfare library, which enables better preservation and utilization of ancient books and literature.