Sanlian Taofen Bookstore
“Life needs reading and knowledge.”
History
The history of the Sanlian Taofen Bookstore can be traced back to the famous Chinese cultural publishing institution, the Sanlian Bookstore. The bookstore was established in Beijing in 1948 through the merger of three well-known cultural publishing institutions in China: Life Bookstore (1932), Reading Bookstore (1936), and New Knowledge Bookstore (1935). Since its establishment, Sanlian Bookstore has always focused on publishing in the fields of humanities and social sciences, philosophy, history, and literature. It is committed to promoting knowledge dissemination and cultural exchange.
Mission and Values
Sanlian Taofen Bookstore envisions itself not merely as a place to sell books, but as a vibrant public cultural space rooted in knowledge and built on the power of reading and dialogue. In addition to its curated book collections, the bookstore regularly hosts lectures, cultural salons, academic seminars, and art exhibitions, making it an important platform that connects books, ideas, and social discourse. Through this, it seeks to foster intergenerational participation, encourage critical thinking, and nurture a stronger sense of cultural identity and community belonging.
Reasons for collaborating with Sanlian Taofen Bookstore
Kuan Zhai Alley was once a social, recreational, and cultural hub for residents of Chengdu. Still, today it has been taken over by tourists, and the daily lives of the original residents have almost wholly disappeared. The presence of Sanlian Bookstore gives residents of Kuan Zhai Alley a reason to return. It can serve as an essential link connecting the past and the future, commerce and culture, local residents and the community space.
The bookstore has previously hosted activities such as Shu brocade cultural experiences, folk culture lectures, and local art exhibitions, demonstrating that it is not just a commercial institution but also an active venue for preserving and sharing local culture. This aligns closely with our project objectives. We aim to revitalize local culture through artistic practices, rather than letting it be swallowed up by commercialization.