First 24-hr Beijing bookstore opens

A man reads a book the Sanlian Taofen Bookstore in Beijing, capital of China, at wee hours of April 9, 2014. The Sanlian Taofen Bookstore tried to open 24 hours a day on Tuesday. The trial operation will last for 10 days before the official business. [Photo/Xinhua]

The first 24-hour bookstore in Beijing opened but did not close its doors on Tuesday, to the applause of a bookish public.

The Sanlian Taofen Bookstore, owned by China Publishing Group Corp., announced on Tuesday that 10-day trial of the 24-hour bookstore from Tuesday until April 18, and if the trial goes smoothly the store may never close again.

Manager Zhang Zuozhen said 3 million yuan (US dollars 480,000) has been invested in the operation. The news was met with a warm welcome from netizens. "Yi Ren DU" said "the bookstore has guts... in an era when people read less than four books a year." more