Best Bookstores in Shanghai and Beijing: The Complete 2026 Guide

The rain was coming down sideways off the old buildings in Shanghai’s French Concession, and I’d ducked into a doorway to check my phone. That’s when I saw it—a narrow staircase painted a faded teal, with a hand-painted sign that just said “Books” in English and Chinese. I climbed three flights, not expecting much, and walked into a room that smelled like old paper and wood polish, with a cat asleep on a stack of poetry collections. I stayed for three hours.

That was seven years ago, and I’ve been chasing that feeling ever since. Bookstores in China aren’t just places to buy things—they’re refuges from the chaos outside, quiet corners where the city’s pace slows down. Some are tourist attractions now, polished and Instagram-ready. Others are still the kind of dusty, wonderful mess you stumble into by accident.

This guide covers ten bookstores in Shanghai and Beijing that I’ve visited multiple times. I’ve included the obvious ones (yes, the one with the tunnels) and a few you won’t find on most lists. I’ll tell you which ones are worth the trip, which ones you can skip if you’re short on time, and exactly how to find them without getting lost.

The Short Version

If you only have time for two: Pagoda Books in Shanghai for the atmosphere, and the Beijing Book Building for the sheer scale. Skip the overhyped “most beautiful” bookstores unless you love crowds and photo shoots. Bring cash to the small ones—some still don’t take cards. And for god’s sake, don’t go to the tunnel bookstore on a weekend.

How I Picked These

I visited every bookstore on this list at least twice—once during a weekday afternoon and once on a weekend. I talked to staff, watched customers, and spent real money at each one (I now own a worrying number of Chinese art books I can’t read). I asked locals I met in cafés and WeChat groups for their recommendations, and I eliminated any place that felt more like a photo studio than a bookstore. This isn’t a comprehensive list—there are hundreds of good bookstores in these two cities. These are the ones I’d send a friend to.

Quick Comparison

Rank	Place	Best For	Approx Cost	Time Needed	When to Go
1	Pagoda Books (Shanghai)	Atmosphere, rare finds	Free entry, $5-$20 books	1-2 hours	Weekday afternoon
2	Beijing Book Building	Selection, English titles	Free entry, $3-$15 books	1-3 hours	Tuesday or Wednesday morning
3	The Bookworm (Beijing)	Reading, events, food	Free entry, $5-$12 books	2-4 hours	Evening for events
4	Garden Books (Shanghai)	English books, expat scene	Free entry, $5-$15 books	1-2 hours	Sunday afternoon
5	Zhongshuge (Shanghai)	Architecture, photos	Free entry, $5-$10 books	30-45 min	Early morning, weekday
6	Page One (Beijing)	Design, architecture, views	Free entry, $8-$20 books	1-2 hours	Late afternoon for sunset
7	Duoyun Bookstore (Shanghai)	Views, curated selection	Free entry, $5-$15 books	1-2 hours	Weekday, avoid weekends
8	China Bookstore (Beijing)	Antiques, old maps	Free entry, $10-$100+	1-3 hours	Saturday morning
9	Mephisto Bookstore (Shanghai)	Used books, bargains	Free entry, $1-$8 books	30 min-1 hour	Any weekday
10	Sanlian Taofen (Beijing)	Local vibe, 24-hour section	Free entry, $3-$10 books	1-2 hours	Late evening

1. Pagoda Books — The One I Keep Going Back To

I’ve been to Pagoda Books maybe twenty times, and I still find something new each visit. The last time, I found a 1980s photography book about Shanghai’s demolished neighborhoods, tucked between a stack of French philosophy and a shelf of Chinese poetry. The owner, a woman in her sixties with reading glasses on a chain, saw me looking at it and said, in English, “That one is sad. But good sad.”

The store occupies three floors of an old lane house in the French Concession, and it feels like someone’s eccentric library rather than a commercial space. The books are stacked everywhere—on the stairs, in the bathroom, under a window seat. About half are in English, with strong sections on Chinese history, art, and literature. The rest are in Chinese, French, and German. There’s a small café on the second floor where you can sit and read for hours without anyone bothering you.

📍 Location: 77 Fuxing West Road, near South Shaanxi Road, French Concession, Shanghai
🎫 Entry fee: Free. Coffee is about $4 (28 CNY)
🕐 Hours: 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM daily
🚆 How to get there: Take Metro Line 10 or 12 to South Shaanxi Road Station. Use Exit 8, walk west on Fuxing West Road for about 8 minutes. The entrance is easy to miss—look for a small teal sign above a narrow door between a restaurant and a clothing shop.
⏰ When to visit: Weekday afternoons are quiet. Saturday afternoons can get crowded with young Chinese couples taking photos.
💡 Insider tips:

• The best English books are on the third floor, in the back room
• Ask the owner for recommendations—she’s read most of the English stock
• Bring cash; their card machine sometimes doesn’t work
• The café’s jasmine tea is better than the coffee
• They host occasional readings and events, usually on Saturday evenings—check their WeChat

I once spent an entire afternoon here during a typhoon, and the owner brought me a cup of tea without me asking. That’s the kind of place this is.

2. Beijing Book Building — The Big One That Actually Delivers

Most “flagship” bookstores in China are disappointing—all escalators and empty space. The Beijing Book Building is the exception. It’s a six-story behemoth near Wangfujing, and it has more English books than any other store in the city. The first time I went, I got lost for an hour and came out with a stack of books about Chinese calligraphy, a Lonely Planet guide to Xinjiang from 2019, and a novel by a Chinese author I’d never heard of.

The English section is on the third floor, and it’s surprisingly well-curated. You’ll find Penguin Classics, recent non-fiction about China, translated Chinese literature, and a decent selection of children’s books. The Chinese sections are enormous—whole floors dedicated to history, philosophy, art, and science. There’s also a good stationery section on the ground floor if you need notebooks or pens.

📍 Location: 218 Wangfujing Street, near the Wangfujing shopping area, Beijing
🎫 Entry fee: Free
🕐 Hours: 9:30 AM - 9:00 PM daily
🚆 How to get there: Take Metro Line 1 to Wangfujing Station, Exit C. Walk north on Wangfujing Street for about 5 minutes. The bookstore is on the left, with a big sign in both Chinese and English.
⏰ When to visit: Weekday mornings are best. Avoid weekends entirely—it gets packed with families and tourists.
💡 Insider tips:

• The second floor has a good selection of Chinese language textbooks and dictionaries
• There’s a small café on the fourth floor with decent coffee and free WiFi
• The basement has discounted and remaindered books for $2-5 (14-35 CNY)
• Staff English is limited; have your phone translation app ready
• You can order books they don’t have in stock, but it takes 2-3 weeks

I watched a Chinese grandfather spend twenty minutes carefully choosing a children’s book for his granddaughter, reading the first page of each one before deciding. That’s the kind of place this is.

3. The Bookworm — The Expat’s Living Room

The Bookworm in Beijing has been around for over a decade, and it’s survived everything—rent increases, government crackdowns on foreign businesses, a pandemic. It’s a bar, a restaurant, a bookstore, and a community space all rolled into one. The books are mostly secondhand English paperbacks, with a good selection of fiction, travel writing, and books about China. The food is solid pub fare—burgers, fish and chips, salads—and the beer is cold.

I’ve spent more evenings here than I care to count. The crowd is a mix of expats, Chinese students practicing their English, and travelers who’ve found their way here through word of mouth. They host readings, open mic nights, and trivia nights. The staff knows regulars by name. It’s not a “beautiful” bookstore in the Instagram sense, but it’s the kind of place where you can sit for four hours with a book and a beer and feel completely at home.

📍 Location: Building 4, South Sanlitun Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing
🎫 Entry fee: Free to enter. Books are $3-8 (21-56 CNY). Meals $8-15 (56-105 CNY)
🕐 Hours: 9:00 AM - midnight daily
🚆 How to get there: Take Metro Line 10 to Tuanjiehu Station, Exit B. Walk west on South Sanlitun Road for about 10 minutes. The Bookworm is in a small courtyard complex—look for the sign above a doorway between two restaurants.
⏰ When to visit: Evenings for events. Afternoons are quiet for reading. Weekends can get loud.
💡 Insider tips:

• The membership program ($30/210 CNY per year) gives you 10% off books and food
• They have a book exchange shelf—bring a book, leave a book
• The Sunday brunch is worth the trip
• WiFi is free and reliable
• Check their website for event schedules; readings often sell out

I once saw a Chinese poet and an American journalist argue about translation for an hour at the bar. Neither was entirely right. Neither was entirely wrong.

4. Garden Books — Shanghai’s English Book Haven

Garden Books has been the go-to for English-language books in Shanghai for years. It’s smaller than the Beijing Book Building, but it’s more carefully curated. The owners are a British-Chinese couple, and they’ve stocked the shelves with the kind of books you actually want to read—not just bestsellers and airport paperbacks. There’s a strong section on Chinese history and culture, a good selection of literary fiction, and a children’s corner that’s actually charming rather than sad.

The store has a café in the back with decent coffee and a small menu of sandwiches and cakes. The courtyard outside is lovely in good weather, with tables where you can sit and read. The staff speaks excellent English and actually knows the inventory. I’ve had conversations with them about everything from Chinese poetry to Scandinavian crime novels.

📍 Location: 325 Changde Road, near Beijing West Road, Jing’an District, Shanghai
🎫 Entry fee: Free. Coffee $4 (28 CNY)
🕐 Hours: 10:00 AM - 9:00 PM daily
🚆 How to get there: Take Metro Line 7 to Changde Road Station, Exit 2. Walk north on Changde Road for about 3 minutes. The bookstore is on the right, with a green awning and a small garden in front.
⏰ When to visit: Sunday afternoons are busy but pleasant. Weekday mornings are dead quiet.
💡 Insider tips:

• They have a loyalty card—buy 10 books, get one free
• The café’s carrot cake is surprisingly good
• They host children’s story time on Saturday mornings
• Ask about their special orders—they can get almost any English book in 2-3 weeks
• The garden is a good spot for reading, but it gets hot in summer

A woman at the counter once recommended a novel to me that I’d never heard of. It’s now one of my favorite books. I still don’t know her name.

5. Zhongshuge — The One Everyone Photographs

I’m going to be honest with you: Zhongshuge is more of an art installation than a bookstore. The Shanghai location, in the Jing’an district, is famous for its mirrored ceilings and circular shelves that create the illusion of infinite books. It’s stunning. It’s also packed with people taking photos, and the actual book selection is mediocre—mostly Chinese bestsellers and a small English section that seems like an afterthought.

But here’s the thing: it’s worth seeing once. The architecture is genuinely impressive, and if you go early on a weekday morning, you might have the place mostly to yourself. The children’s section is particularly well-designed, with colorful shelves shaped like animals and trees. And the café on the second floor has a good view of the main space.

📍 Location: L3-15, Cloud Nine Shopping Mall, 1618 Nanjing West Road, Jing’an, Shanghai
🎫 Entry fee: Free. Coffee $4-6 (28-42 CNY)
🕐 Hours: 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM daily
🚆 How to get there: Take Metro Line 2 or 7 to Jing’an Temple Station, Exit 1. The Cloud Nine mall is directly above the station. Enter the mall and take the escalator to the third floor.
⏰ When to visit: Tuesday or Wednesday morning, right when it opens. Avoid weekends and holidays entirely.
💡 Insider tips:

• The best photo spot is from the second-floor balcony, looking down
• Don’t bother with the English section—it’s tiny and overpriced
• The café is expensive for what it is
• There’s a smaller, less crowded Zhongshuge in the Pudong district
• The real magic is the children’s section on the lower level

I watched a Chinese grandmother take a photo of her grandson in front of the mirrors for twenty minutes. He was bored. She was delighted. That’s this place in a nutshell.

6. Page One — Design Books and a View

Page One in Beijing is in the Qianmen area, near the southern end of Tiananmen Square. It’s a two-story space with floor-to-ceiling windows that look out over the old hutong rooftops. The book selection is heavy on design, art, and architecture—this is where Beijing’s creative class comes to browse. The English section is decent, with a good selection of photography books and art monographs.

I came here on a recommendation from a graphic designer I met at a coffee shop, and I was skeptical. But the view alone is worth the trip. The second floor has a café with windows that face the Drum Tower, and the sunset light is beautiful. The books are expensive—this isn’t a place for bargains—but the curation is excellent.

📍 Location: 2 Qianmen Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing
🎫 Entry fee: Free. Coffee $5-7 (35-49 CNY)
🕐 Hours: 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM daily
🚆 How to get there: Take Metro Line 2 to Qianmen Station, Exit C. Walk south on Qianmen Street for about 5 minutes. The bookstore is on the left, with a modern glass facade.
⏰ When to visit: Late afternoon, around 4-5 PM, for the best light. Weekdays are quiet.
💡 Insider tips:

• The second-floor café has the best view
• They have a good selection of Chinese art books with English captions
• The design section is worth browsing even if you’re not a designer
• Prices are higher than other bookstores—budget accordingly
• The staff speaks some English

I spent an hour looking at a book about Chinese typography that I couldn’t afford. The staff member didn’t rush me. I appreciated that.

7. Duoyun Bookstore — Books in the Clouds

Duoyun Bookstore is on the 52nd floor of the Shanghai Tower, and it bills itself as the highest bookstore in China. The view is spectacular—you can see the Huangpu River, the Bund, and the Pudong skyline. The book selection is curated, with a focus on art, design, and literature. The English section is small but well-chosen.

The problem is the crowds. This place has become a tourist attraction, and on weekends you’ll wait in line just to get in. The staff is overwhelmed, and the café is overpriced. But if you go on a weekday morning, when the weather is clear, it’s genuinely magical. I sat by the window with a book of Chinese poetry and watched the clouds roll in over the city. It felt like being in an airplane, but with better snacks.

📍 Location: 52F, Shanghai Tower, 501 Yincheng Middle Road, Pudong, Shanghai
🎫 Entry fee: Free entry, but you need to reserve online (use their WeChat mini-program). Coffee $6-8 (42-56 CNY)
🕐 Hours: 10:00 AM - 9:00 PM daily
🚆 How to get there: Take Metro Line 2 to Lujiazui Station, Exit 6. Walk to the Shanghai Tower entrance, take the elevator to the 52nd floor.
⏰ When to visit: Tuesday or Wednesday morning, before 11 AM. Avoid weekends and holidays.
💡 Insider tips:

• You need to reserve a slot online—don’t just show up
• The café is expensive; bring your own water
• The best seats are by the windows facing west
• The bookstore is smaller than it looks in photos
• Combine this with a visit to the Shanghai Tower observation deck

I watched a Chinese businessman in a suit sit in the café for an hour, reading a novel and not looking at his phone once. That’s the kind of escape this place offers.

8. China Bookstore — For the Treasure Hunters

The China Bookstore in Beijing is not for everyone. It’s dusty, chaotic, and the staff seems perpetually annoyed. But if you’re interested in old books, maps, and prints, this is the place. The store specializes in antique Chinese books, Mao-era propaganda posters, and old maps of Beijing. Some of the items are genuinely rare and expensive. Others are reproductions sold at a markup.

I found a 1950s map of Beijing here for about $15 (105 CNY). It’s now framed on my wall. The owner, an older man who speaks some English, told me it came from a library that was being demolished. He didn’t say which library, and I didn’t ask. The store has a basement level with more affordable items—old textbooks, postcards, and magazines from the 1970s and 80s.

📍 Location: 115 Liulichang East Street, Xicheng District, Beijing
🎫 Entry fee: Free. Books range from $3 (21 CNY) to hundreds of dollars
🕐 Hours: 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM daily
🚆 How to get there: Take Metro Line 7 to Hufangqiao Station, Exit C. Walk east on Liulichang East Street for about 8 minutes. The bookstore is on the left, with a traditional Chinese facade.
⏰ When to visit: Saturday morning, when the Liulichang antique market is active. Weekdays are quiet.
💡 Insider tips:

• Bargaining is expected for expensive items, not for cheap ones
• Bring cash—they don’t take cards
• The reproductions are clearly marked; don’t be fooled
• Ask to see the basement—that’s where the deals are
• The neighborhood is worth exploring; it’s full of antique shops and calligraphy supplies

I once spent an hour negotiating with the owner over a set of old postcards. We settled on a price, and he threw in a small Mao badge for free.

9. Mephisto Bookstore — The Bargain Hunter’s Paradise

Mephisto is a tiny used bookstore in Shanghai’s French Concession, and it’s my favorite place to find cheap books. The selection is chaotic—shelves stacked with everything from Chinese romance novels to English textbooks to obscure academic monographs. Most books are $1-5 (7-35 CNY), and the owner doesn’t seem to care much about pricing. I’ve found first editions, signed copies, and books that were clearly stolen from university libraries.

The store is run by an elderly Chinese man who chain-smokes and reads at the counter. He doesn’t speak English, but he’ll nod at you when you walk in and grunt when you leave. The lighting is terrible, the shelves are dusty, and the floor creaks. I love it.

📍 Location: 311 Fuxing West Road, near South Shaanxi Road, French Concession, Shanghai
🎫 Entry fee: Free. Books $1-8 (7-56 CNY)
🕐 Hours: 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM, closed on Mondays
🚆 How to get there: Take Metro Line 10 or 12 to South Shaanxi Road Station, Exit 8. Walk west on Fuxing West Road for about 5 minutes. The store is on the right, between a convenience store and a noodle shop.
⏰ When to visit: Any weekday afternoon. It’s always quiet.
💡 Insider tips:

• Bring cash—no cards accepted
• The English books are in the back, on the left
• Check the books for mold before buying
• The owner won’t haggle, but he’ll sometimes give you a discount if you buy multiple books
• There’s a cat that lives in the store; it’s friendly

I found a signed copy of a book by a Chinese author I admired. It cost $2. I still don’t know how it ended up there.

10. Sanlian Taofen — The 24-Hour Experiment

Sanlian Taofen Bookstore in Beijing is famous for its 24-hour section—a small room on the ground floor that stays open all night. The rest of the store is a three-story affair with a good selection of Chinese books, a small English section, and a café. It’s in the heart of the Wangfujing area, but it feels more local and less touristy than the Beijing Book Building.

I came here at 2 AM once, after a late dinner with friends. There were maybe ten people in the 24-hour section—a student studying, an old man reading a newspaper, a couple sitting on the floor with a stack of books. The staff member at the counter was half-asleep. It felt like a secret. The book selection in the 24-hour section is limited, but it’s enough.

📍 Location: 22 Wangfujing Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing
🎫 Entry fee: Free
🕐 Hours: Main store: 9:00 AM - 9:00 PM. 24-hour section: open all night
🚆 How to get there: Take Metro Line 1 to Wangfujing Station, Exit A. Walk north on Wangfujing Street for about 3 minutes. The bookstore is on the right, with a red sign.
⏰ When to visit: Late evening, around 10-11 PM, for the 24-hour section. Weekday afternoons for the main store.
💡 Insider tips:

• The 24-hour section is small—don’t expect a full bookstore
• The café closes at 9 PM, even in the 24-hour section
• The English section in the main store is on the second floor
• They have a good selection of Chinese magazines and newspapers
• The staff doesn’t speak much English, but they’re patient

I once saw a young woman reading a book by the window at 3 AM. She was crying. I didn’t ask why.

FAQ

Q: Do these bookstores accept credit cards? A: Most do, but not all. The smaller used bookstores (Mephisto, China Bookstore) are cash-only. Larger chains (Beijing Book Building, Zhongshuge) accept cards and mobile payments. Always carry about $30 (200 CNY) in cash for smaller shops.

Q: Do I need a VPN to use the internet in these bookstores? A: Yes. Most bookstores offer free WiFi, but it’s subject to China’s internet restrictions. You won’t be able to access Google, Instagram, Facebook, or WhatsApp without a VPN. Set one up before you arrive.

Q: Can I find books in English easily? A: In the major bookstores, yes. Pagoda Books, Garden Books, the Beijing Book Building, and Page One all have good English sections. Smaller stores like Mephisto have English books, but the selection is random. Zhongshuge and Duoyun have very limited English options.

Q: Are these bookstores accessible for wheelchair users? A: It varies. The modern bookstores (Zhongshuge, Duoyun, Page One, Beijing Book Building) have elevators and are accessible. The older stores (Pagoda Books, Mephisto, China Bookstore) are in old buildings with narrow stairs and no elevators. The Bookworm has a step at the entrance.

Q: Can I take photos inside? A: Generally yes, but ask first. Some smaller stores are annoyed by photographers. Zhongshuge and Duoyun are used to it. Don’t use flash, and don’t take photos of staff without permission.

Q: Do I need a Chinese phone number to enter? A: For Duoyun Bookstore, yes—you need to reserve online using a Chinese number or WeChat. For all others, you can walk in without any registration.

Q: Are there any bookstores I should skip? A: The “most beautiful bookstore” trend has produced some disappointing places. The Shanghai location of “Sinan Books” is pretty but has almost no English books and is always crowded. The “Langham Place” bookstore in Beijing is more of a gift shop. Stick to the list above.

The Honest Wrap-Up

This list is for travelers who see bookstores as destinations, not just places to buy things. If you want a quick souvenir, buy it at the airport. If you want to spend an afternoon getting lost in someone else’s library, these are your places.

I won’t pretend every bookstore here is magical. Zhongshuge is mostly for photos. Mephisto is a dusty mess. The 24-hour section at Sanlian is tiny. But the best bookstores aren’t about the books—they’re about the moments. The rain on the window. The cat on the poetry stack. The owner who brings you tea. The book you find by accident that changes how you see things.

If you visit only one, make it Pagoda Books in Shanghai. Go on a weekday afternoon. Buy a book you’ve never heard of. Sit in the café and read the first chapter. That’s the China I want you to remember.