The World’s Coolest Bookstores: Eslite Makes the List Again!

By MOOK Scenic Spots Family Travel Life Network Editorial Team
 

CNN selected 17 “world’s coolest bookstores” on the 4th, and Taipei’s Eslite Dunhua branch made the list again. In today’s era of widespread digital bookstores, many physical bookstores face the challenge of transformation. To survive, stores must rack their brains to find their own way forward. Below are the 17 coolest bookstores chosen by CNN, each with its own unique charm. Aside from Taipei’s Eslite Dunhua, the world’s first 24-hour bookstore, there’s also El Ateneo in Buenos Aires, Argentina — a stunning space that was formerly a grand cinema and has been ranked as the world’s second most beautiful bookstore. Join us on a global tour of these seventeen bookstores.

● Paris – Shakespeare and Company

Opened in 1951, Shakespeare and Company may only have a doorway a couple of feet wide, but to Parisians, this small bookstore has erected a magnificent spiritual edifice in their hearts. This invisible monument has made it a cultural landmark on the Left Bank of Paris.

● Taipei – Eslite Dunhua Branch

Taipei’s Eslite Dunhua is open 24 hours, offering night owls in this sleepless city more options. The 17,000-square-meter space houses books and magazines in multiple languages, and includes a bookstore, shopping mall, and music performance venue.

● Argentina – El Ateneo Bookstore

The building that houses El Ateneo was converted into a cinema in 1929, and then transformed once again into a beautiful and spacious bookstore in the early 2000s. The original stage and theater areas have been turned into cozy, luxurious reading spaces, allowing guests to read comfortably in this century-old building.

● China – Pioneer Bookstore
Nanjing’s Pioneer Bookstore was founded in 1996 by Qian Xiaohua, a graduate of Nanjing University’s creative writing program. Its distinctive style has had a strong influence in Nanjing. The store hosts a series of cultural lectures, exhibitions, and even invites bands to perform, attracting many visitors who come to enjoy reading and culture.
● China – 1200 Bookshop
● UK – Foyles Bookstore
● Italy – Assouline Venezia Bookstore
● Portugal – Livraria Lello

Livraria Lello is hailed as one of the most beautiful bookstores in the world. It is the flagship store of Portugal’s most important publishing house. Its entrance features neo-Gothic design, and upon entering, visitors are captivated by its lavish classical interior. The deep red, imposing staircase at the entrance, two-story-high bookshelves along the walls, the beautiful stained-glass ceiling, and even the small tracks for book carts on the floor all contribute to a dreamlike atmosphere in this classic bookstore. The second floor houses a small café where guests can enjoy coffee, port wine, and even cigars. In addition to a wide selection of Portuguese books, it also sells many English and French titles.