At the Third National Conference on Reading, which took place on April 24 in Kunming, Yunnan province, 53 bookstores from across the country were honored with the title of "bookstore of the year".

Xi'an, an ancient city with a rich cultural heritage, achieved remarkable success at the conference, with its renowned Bell Tower Bookstore and the trendy Fangsuo Bookstore making the list.

The city has a total of five bookstores that have been recognized as "bookstore of the year", placing it among the top three in the country, alongside Chengdu.

Locals select books at the Bell Tower Bookstore in Xi'an. [Photo/Xi'an Daily]

Bell Tower Bookstore, with its 69-year history, stands as a cultural landmark in Xi'an.

The bookstore's first floor has a lifestyle aesthetics-themed area; the second floor houses a large collection of books; the third floor features a retro blue and white-themed children's play and reading area; and the fourth floor is dedicated to students from Xinhua University, with books that are primarily focused on literature, social sciences, and economics.

The trendy Fangsuo Bookstore in Xi'an. [Photo/Xi'an Daily]

Representing emerging forces in the bookstore industry, the Fangsuo Bookstore, which has been in operation for only four years, emphasizes contemporary aesthetics.

Over the last four years, the bookstore has hosted over 200 events, featuring renowned scholars and artists from various fields such as literature, art, philosophy, animation, and design. These events included themed activities, exhibitions, book fairs, picture book readings, and parenting lectures.