Beijing's old book market revived by new wave of collectors

Baoguo Temple fair offers mix of histories, modern classics and information-dense texts

While electronic devices are considered a convenient way to read a book nowadays, published books still hold sway with bibliophiles who love ink and paper.

Many of them spend their spare time browsing stores and markets of antiquarian and secondhand books in search of physical works they believe better convey a narrative or the zeitgeist of a particular era.

Baoguo Temple Old Book Market in Xicheng district, Beijing, is one such venue.

Open from 9 am to 6 pm every Saturday and Sunday from March to October, the old book market was famous during the late Ming (1368-1644) and early Qing (1644-1911) dynasties.

Beijing native Liu Yisu, 42, is a huge fan of old books and said he has a collection of more than 10,000 in his home.

He went to the Baoguo Temple Old Book Market fair the second day it opened in March this year, and purchased seven old books. They included two thread-bound collections of classical Chinese poems and essays, three featuring old Beijing, a history of how ancient Chinese books were handed down, and a book about the twilight years of the Qing Dynasty Emperor Kangxi.

"Because these kinds of thread-bound books are rare and their paper is fragile. What often happens is that once I buy one, I put it away for safekeeping," said Liu.

"Then, I find a modern or electronic version to read instead."