Let your kids explore this multi-story treasure trove of high-quality stationary, incredible puzzles, robots, collectables, soft toys, manga merchandise, sports equipment, pianos and much more!

As you can see, there’s plenty for kids to see, if not buy. My personal favourite was the shop selling the most amazing puzzles I’ve ever seen, pure artistry!

If you urgently need a gift, be it for a child or an adult, this is the place you should come to!

Last time I was there, it looked much more like a typical bookstore but now you don’t know where to look, there is just so much stuff on each floor!

We did not buy much, neither did we go with the intension of shopping and yet it took us two hours to explore all the floors and we didn’t even visit NEW PAGE-the foreign bookshop in the basement! By the way, if you’re looking for books in English, that’s the only place you’ll find them as the lovely kids’ section upstairs only offers Chinese and bilingual books. My son was in 7th Heaven amongst all the robots, Avengers comics and Ultraman monsters. I even managed to read him some bilingual books. Sure, I can get most of the same stuff in shopping malls but there they were in a much more confined space and we found the quiet, uncrowded environment (on a Saturday afternoon!) way more pleasant.

Of course, Guangzhou Book Centre also has a lot to offer for adults, including tea sets, calligraphy brushes, CDs and vinyls, jewellery, handbags and fancy stationary. A real feast for the eyes!

Yes, that is a Studio Ghibli film playing on the screen you can see in the photo but it played without sound so that, I assume, people reading/studying on the top floor would enjoy a peaceful environment while the kids are watching.

In my opinion, this place would appeal to all kids over the age of 4, including those, who aren’t so keen on reading and especially those, who don’t feel comfortable in crowded, noisy malls.

If you find yourself peckish after all the (window) shopping, there are a couple of restaurants within the building and you’ll find more in the building right next to it, VO1, which houses UNIQLO flagship store, McDonald’s, SUPAFAMA serving Western food (has English menu) as well as a number of Chinese restaurants, fruit tea outlets and bakeries. Of course, you’ll be just a stone’s throw away from hundreds of restaurants inside Guangzhou’s major shopping malls, not to mention all the eateries located underground in Fashion Plaza!

And if you end up feeling exhausted and needing a sit-down, like I did, there is a very nice branch of Starbucks right next to the Book Centre’s entrance:) All in all, even if your child doesn’t read/understand Chinese, this place is great for a quieter yet exciting outing.

!If you’d like to see some videos of this place, head over to my Instagram. I also post on X and while my posts are about places and things to do in Guangzhou, they may not be related to kids .

I know there are other, albeit smaller, bookstores in Guangzhou, which have great reading spaces for kids and so much more. I plan to write about the few we have been to but have you got any suggestions?

Info

Address: 123 Tianhe Rd, Tianhe district

Getting there: If you’re traveling by metro, take Line 3 or Line 1 to Tiyu Xilu, exit E. Walk through Tianhe Festival Walk underground shopping passage until you reach the escalators on your left. There are signs directing to Guangzhou Book Centre so just follow them and you’ll find yourself outside the building.

Age: Minimum 3 years old

Facilities: There are escalators and lifts on each floor as well as a ramp at the main entrance. Each floor has clean toilets.