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

Cultural lineage

Baoguo Temple's old book market proves that even non-bestsellers are worthwhile to someone.

Sun Yutian, CEO and founder of Kongfuzi Jiushu website, said a significant number of book enthusiasts aren't scholars or professors. However, many are contributing to the documentation of cultural changes in their own way.

One market customer recently purchased an old book and found a 1987 junior high school graduation diploma inside. They posted it on the social media platform RedNote and found the person who owned the diploma. "They weren't just saying diplomas existed; they were sharing stories related to them," said Sun.

The underlying purpose of this community of book collectors is the preservation and inheritance of traditional Chinese culture, he said.

An important function of the market is the protection of historical and cultural documents, ancient texts and old books — even those from before the founding of New China, Sun said.

"Their purpose isn't necessarily for you to read them cover to cover. They exist, instead, to show that the inheritance of Chinese civilization and culture lies within these materials," said Sun. "This is because their primary value isn't their content or specific editions, but rather what they represent."

Considering China's millennia-old civilization, there's a continuous, unbroken cultural lineage that includes the nation's publishing history.

"When we look at this, just like a library, and compile these elements from various sources, these very items demonstrate that across different dynasties … they all represent a unified transmission of Chinese culture and civilization," he said.

"We believe these types of books are meant for cultural dissemination and are integral to the preservation of traditional Chinese culture. While they have also contributed to the printing industry flourishing, their purpose isn't for mass public reading."

In the more than two decades Sun has run Kongfuzi, he has observed that the online and offline book markets are closely connected.

Many book collectors trade with each other, whether online or offline. They also spend a lot of time offline discussing and "authenticating" books.

For instance, Liu, the book enthusiast, dedicates a lot of time to book hunting in different markets across Beijing and meeting friends through books.

Zhang, the seller, said when he was younger he would search for interesting books on Thursday night and early Saturday morning at Panjiayuan market in the capital's Chaoyang district.

Being surrounded by books is a haven for bibliophiles, and the friends they've made through books are an integral part of their social circle.

"What we're trying to do is to make more books available so more interested readers can see them," said Sun. "What you can buy with money isn't necessarily what you'll like; developing genuine appreciation for something takes years of dedication."