If you’re looking for a quiet reading space amidst the bustling city, where the aroma of books mingles with the scent of coffee, Sinan Book Club is an excellent choice.
Here, parasol trees provide shade, and the century-old garden house is elegant and refined, exuding an air of romance and literary charm.
Today, let’s step inside and feel the passionate beating of this “humanistic heart under the parasol trees.”
Part.01
Former Residence of General Feng Yuxiang
Sinan Book Club is a bookstore converted from Building No. 25 of Sinan Mansions. It is an immovable cultural relic building in Shanghai and was once the former residence of General Feng Yuxiang.
In 1951, Feng Yuxiang’s wife, Li Dequan, donated the building to the state. On the exterior wall, there is a small, inconspicuous white marble plaque full of historical traces, telling a past story of this Western-style building.
In the 1920s and 1930s, the streets near Gu’s Garden, such as Lafayette Road and Massenet Road, followed the trend of the times and built a large number of French-style garden villas and Western-style houses based on stone and brick foundations, in accordance with European customs.
In 1926, a three-story French-style garden house with an attic at 557 Lafayette Road (now 517 Fuxing Middle Road) was officially completed. At the beginning of the 1930s, Feng Yuxiang was already the owner of this place. He was often on the battlefield and wandered around. Therefore, this Western-style house was rented out.
PART.02
The Great Poet Liu Yazi Once Lived Here to Compile Books
In 1936, this place welcomed another famous new owner—the poet Liu Yazi. In 1932, Liu Yazi was hired as the curator of the Shanghai Tongzhi Museum.
At this time, Liu Yazi, who was in his middle age, had a great reputation. He was not only passionate about literary creation but also meticulous in presiding over the compilation of historical documents.
In 1936, for the convenience of work, he moved to what is now 517 Fuxing Middle Road. In the 1930s, Fuxing Middle Road and Sinan Road districts gathered a considerable number of Shanghai’s cultural celebrities at that time.
Liu Yazi also became one of the celebrities gathered in the Sinan Mansions building complex.
He read, worked, and presided over many matters of the Shanghai Tongzhi Museum and the Nanshe Memorial Association here.
In 1937, the Battle of Shanghai broke out, and the compilation work of the Shanghai Tongzhi Museum was forced to be suspended. However, Liu Yazi did not become idle because of this.
He named the 517 building where he lived “An of Being Buried Alive,” closed the door to visitors, and devoted himself to his own research interests.
He co-founded the magazine “The Crucible” with Tian Han, Xia Yan, and others; re-edited and published books such as “Manshu’s Remaining Collection” and “A Brief History of Nanshe”; and was obsessed with the study of the history of the Southern Ming Dynasty, achieving fruitful results.
Until 1940, when he left Shanghai for Hong Kong to escape the war, 517 Fuxing Middle Road had been a silent witness to his life and creations.
PART.03
Sinan Book Club Under the Shade of Parasol Trees
Time flew to 2018. On April 23, World Book Day, 517 Fuxing Middle Road stood with a brand-new look—Sinan Book Club, continuing the humanistic ties and book-fragrant stories of this garden residence.
Sinan Book Club was designed by architect Yu Ting. The bookstore has four floors, resembling different parts of the human thinking system.
The top-floor attic represents the human brain (soul and spirit), where many creative ideas and inspirations will emerge to inject more vitality into Shanghai’s culture. The third floor represents human eyes and ears, carefully arranging activities around human vision and hearing, such as the brand cultural activity “Sinan Classic Reading Session” held here.
In addition, regular public welfare cultural series exhibitions will be held, which citizens and readers can visit for free. The second floor represents the human heart and is also the main entrance of Sinan Book Club.
At the entrance, there is a list of new books from the London Review Bookshop of the month and the latest list of “Century Duoyun·Cloud Book List.” Accompanied by the aroma of coffee and comfortable seating areas, it provides a relaxing and cozy space.
The first floor represents the human subconscious. Through the columnar bookshelves, a maze of books is created. This floor also has a reading area for one person (originally Feng Yuxiang’s reading area for one person) and a reading area for two people, hoping to provide a unique and exclusive space for urban people who need tranquility.
It is particularly worth mentioning that Sinan Book Club has reached a cooperation with the famous British bookstore—London Review Bookstore, forming a “sister bookstore” relationship.
Sinan Book Club has set up a London Review Bookstore area on the first floor, designed according to the classic image of the London Review Bookstore, with the bookstore’s iconic dark green and prominent logo.
As the former residence of Liu Yazi, this place carries the epitome of Shanghai’s cultural context and historical culture.
Today, a plaque of “Liu Yazi’s Book Compiling and Reading Place” is still preserved on the third-floor balcony, as if meeting this patriotic poet again through time.
Sinan Book Club
Address: 517 Fuxing Middle Road, Huangpu District
Business Hours: 10:30-18:00 (Closed every Monday)
