Bookstores reopen in Shinan

Several bookstores located in Shinan district, Qingdao have recently reopened after taking a number of protective measures.

Fangsuo Bookstore is known as one of the most beautiful bookstores in Qingdao and also functions as a museum of aesthetic life. It has implemented special measures such as taking the temperatures of all visitors, registering their information, offering gloves for reading, and expanding its reading area.

Liangyou Bookstore, one of the city's most famous bookstores, offers exhibitions, cultural and creative products, and resources for studying local culture. It has rearranged its layout and is now providing limited reading space.

It is not seeking to attract a lot of visitors amid the epidemic but rather to send a message that things are returning to normal and give people confidence, which is what a bookstore ought to do, according to Leng Yan, manager of the bookstore.

During the outbreak of novel coronavirus, many cultural venues, including bookstores, libraries and museums, have been providing online services.

A series of reading activities have also been held online by local bookstores. Teachers at the district's cultural center have given over 50 online classes in total, covering calligraphy, painting, dance, cooking, tea-making, flower arranging, and more.

Around 4,000 periodicals, 300 newspapers, 30,000 popular books, and 180,000 hours of audiobooks are now available on an online platform launched by the district's library.

Liu Yan, curator of the district's library, said that there are a growing number of online readers and that total page views have increased eight-fold compared to the previous year.

In addition, a special exhibition held online by the Museum of Rickshaw Boy will be extended after it reopens, as this year marks the 10th anniversary of its establishment.