Old-fashioned bookstore attracts readers with new design

A corner of Xinhua Bookstore in Baoding of North China's Hebei province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The bookstore, now known as "Fresh Air Books Bar", changed its conservative image which only had bookshelves into one that boasts various elements, including cozy and quiet areas for reading, coffee and tea, as well as green plants.

It recently won the "Red Dot Award: Best of the Best" in Germany, one of the most sought-after quality awards for good design worldwide.

Instead of just buying books and leaving the store right after, readers can sit down in cozy chairs to read in a quiet atmosphere.

Even if they don't buy any books, they can stay as long as they want, and enjoy the peace.

"We are adapting to a modern trend where people want a comfortable reading environment," said Song Wenjuan, chairman of Baoding Guanglian Cloud-center Co Ltd, which initiated the new design and cooperated with the bookstore on the transformation.