35 Shanghai bookstores subsidized for improvements

Shanghai (CNS) -- Shanghai on Monday released its first list of bookstores entitled to subsidiaries from a fund of five million yuan it set up to support book retailers in their harsh struggle for survival.

Thirty-five bookstores are on the list, and each is granted a subsidiary ranging from 20,000 yuan to 500,000 yuan. Twenty-five are private bookshops, eight are state-owned ones and two joint venture stores are represented.

The list not only includes the giants with nation-wide reputations, but more importantly covers the small and micro bookshops that provide readers with professional publications.

Private bookstores, while they may not be large, have their own characteristics and appeal. As such they are an indispensible component of the city's culture. Foot traffic in the high streets and back lanes is often driven by the search for good reading materials or a leisurely browse.

Fang Shizhong, Secretary of the Shanghai Press and Publication Bureau, said the healthy operation of private book stores contributes significantly to the soundness of Shanghai's cultural environment.