The rain did not stop people from coming to Shanghai Book City. There is a procession snaking in front of the cash register, and the umbrellas in the corners are neatly stored... Late at night in the cooling Shencheng, the Shanghai Book City at No. 465 Fuzhou Road is brightly lit and warm, and the last business day before the closure of the store is nearing the end.
Just now, a song "Tomorrow will be better" triggered a chorus on and off the stage, a huge birthday cake, a champagne glass passed, reflecting the smiling faces of everyone, and a warm blessing permeated the vision and confidence of the book city. The familiar closed music , "Homecoming" played by Sachs , sounded, and the gates of the book city slowly closed, officially entering the closed store for renovation and expected to reopen in 2023.
Since the announcement of the closure of the store and the re-repair of the book city on October 18, it has generated a great response among readers. On October 23 alone, the sales code of book city reached 2.3 million yuan, setting a record high in the 23 years since the opening of book city. During the month from November 11 to December 11, the sales volume was more than 8 million yuan, and the average passenger flow was 2500 person-times per day.
People not only come to "sweep goods" and "hoard books", but also relive the memories of the former book city. Today for the 23rd birthday of the book city, designed an unprecedented "luxury birthday menu" - a full 6 hours of book activities, with the theme of "thanks to the 23 years of books as a companion, meet in 2023 we reunite" as the theme of the relay held, book buyers, book sellers and book writers gathered together, a joint voice: Shanghai Book City, there will be a period later!
Empty bookshelves, warm hearts
"I hope that Shanghai Book City will reopen soon!" Definitely better than now. On the first day of the reopening of book city next year, I will definitely come. "Retired Mr. Zhang is fast and fast, which is also the common wish of many old readers. Early this morning, there are enthusiastic readers, waiting in the rain at 9:30 a.m. to participate in the book city, which is a very ritualistic day.
Many readers posted a book purchase receipt in the circle of friends, and the date on it was "2021-12-12" like a joint code, "This is a souvenir!" See you in Shanghai Book City! Many uncles and aunts took a group photo in front of the exhibition board, and some novice parents brought toddlers to find the bookshelf where they had stopped. Uncle Pan, 65, who braved the rain from Nanhui in Pudong New Area, wanted to buy a book on agriculture, but now such more professional books have been sold out. Zhao Feng, general manager of Shanghai Book City, and his colleagues have taken the method of registering missing books to leave the reader's mobile phone number, address and other information, so that other stores of Xinhua Chain Company can continue to serve readers.
"The blessings of the readers are really touching, sending thousands of miles to the king, and finally having to say goodbye." Although there are all kinds of reluctance, but more is a beautiful expectation after the return of Shanghai Book City. After 23 years of opening, we have reached the transformation and upgrading period, we must adapt to the development of the times, take the initiative to seek changes, embrace the diversified needs of society and readers, and let the citizens continue to feel the rich bookish atmosphere of the city. Zhao Feng said.
For more than a month, the endless stream of readers almost emptied the rows of shelves in the book city. The bookstore "replenished" in time, and by 8:30 tonight, there were still many readers wandering in the book city, or sitting quietly reading, or punching in to take souvenirs, "Yesterday I also came and rushed over to 'sweep the goods'." Mr. Liao, who works near the book city, expects that the upgraded 2.0 version of the book city will have more eye-catching modern elements, "more fashionable, younger."
Why is the book city so nostalgic? In the interview session of the writer's representative, the best-selling author "Brother Mixed Son" said on the stage, "Reading has allowed me to find myself, increase my self-confidence, understand the world, and dare to participate in the world." He laughed and said that Shanghai Book City accepted him who was "penniless" a few years ago. Today, he and the "Mixed Knowledge" team created the "Half-Hour Comics" series of new books, "Half-Hour Comics Party History: 1921-1949", which is at the top of the sales list of the book city.
Many readers insisted from 3 p.m. until the store closed in the evening before leaving, "the harvest is great, listening to Shen Yifei, associate professor of the School of Social Development and Public Policy of Fudan University, talking about her daughter's new book "Grandma and Her House", stringing together the growth process of three generations of women in a family, very moved. Li Qinyuan, a post-00s college student, wants to take time to call his grandmother next week and talk to her more.
Yi Yi said goodbye for a while, looking forward to the new life
Jiang Li, deputy general manager of Shanghai Xinhua Media Chain Co., Ltd., took readers to "cloud tour" almost the entire floor in front of the live camera today, and her career grew up with Shanghai Book City.
She and many old Shanghainese still remember vividly, on December 30, 1998, Shanghai Book City Fuzhou Road store opened, the limelight is no different - the business area of more than 10,000 square meters, a large seven-storey retail space, crowds around Fuzhou Road, Hubei Road, Zhejiang Road, Guangdong Road queues, even if the opening of the initial cost to spend three yuan to buy tickets, readers still rush to explore the store to taste the early. With more than 10,000 square meters of bookstore space, Shanghai book lovers have a "one-stop" place to buy all kinds of books. This "book city" has become a "gift at the turn of the century" in the minds of Shanghai citizens.
Zhao Jianping, then secretary of the Party Committee of Shanghai Book City, recalled that for five or six consecutive days, readers who bought tickets to enter the city were endless, making the opening of Shanghai Book City a sensational cultural event. For many foreign readers, Shanghai Book City is also one of the cultural landmarks that must be visited in Shanghai. He believes that no matter how the Shanghai Book City is transformed, upgraded and transformed, "it is necessary to always maintain the golden signboard of the holy land of books for readers, and to polish the golden signboard of Shanghai Book City with the book as the basis, and to create a holy place that readers will always yearn for." ”
"Books" are the protagonists of today. The three store managers of the branch showed their business skills such as modeling yard stacking and packaging on the spot, and in less than a minute, nearly a hundred books were coded into a blue three-dimensional "book" word.
What will the book city of the future look like?
The new Shanghai Book City will continue to take books as the main line, operate in a variety of varieties, pay more attention to youth, vitality, innovation, and increase cultural experience. After the closure of Shanghai Book City, the remaining part of the books will be returned to the warehouse for sorting and return, and the other part will be moved to the 1500-square-meter sunken square in 96 Square, No. 796 Dongfang Road, Pudong as a transition to continue to serve readers.
"Reading is always a beautiful thing and indispensable." In the night, readers waved goodbye to the 23-year-old "city study.".
Author: Xu Yang
Image source: Ye Chenliang, organizer
Editor: Xu Luming
Editor-in-Charge: Wang Yan
*Wenhui exclusive manuscript, please indicate the source when reprinting.