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I was sat in a cafe reading a book recently, and approached by someone wanting to know where and how to source current books in Chengdu. They were familiar with The Bookworm, as most people are, but nothing else that restocks a broad range regularly. They also told me that Amazon and the like (?) would not ship books into Mainland China.
Can anyone confirm whether or not retailers are in fact shipping into China, and/or if there are any book stores worth checking out in Chengdu. I’ve relied completely on online resources so far, but there are a few hard copy titles I’m interested in finding lately.
The book store opposite Times plaza (zongfu lu), on the 3rd floor
Same chain, other side of Chunxi lu area, opposite the Puma store
First floor is mainly electronics.
I heard they sell books at the burton (next to lazy pug). would be surprised if that were true though
You can find cheap books on Taobao too
The book store opposite Times plaza (zongfu lu), on the 3rd floor
Same chain, other side of Chunxi lu area, opposite the Puma store
First floor is mainly electronics.
I heard they sell books at the burton (next to lazy pug). would be surprised if that were true though
You can find cheap books on Taobao too
I’ve been into the book store opposite Times Plaza a few times now, and there’s almost always zero rotation of their stock. It seems as though the English section is little more than an after thought, though they do have a few decent hard back titles covering Art, Design, and Architecture.
I’ve been into the book store opposite Times Plaza a few times now, and there’s almost always zero rotation of their stock. It seems as though the English section is little more than an after thought, though they do have a few decent hard back titles covering Art, Design, and Architecture.
http://www.amazon.cn is an awesome resource for English language books, actually. I ordered three new, English bestseller books on there recently for roughly 40-50rmb each plus 5rmb for delivery within three days. It came right to my office and I paid on arrival in cash.
I’ve seen ONE of those books in the Bookworm and it was retailing for over 130rmb.
Just did a quick search and you can get something like Girl with the Dragon Tattoo for 37rmb.
If you have trouble with Chinese just get a co-worker to help you put your office address in etc. Don’t need to sign up with a credit card, bank details or anything. Super fast, cheap and convenient!
As an aside you can also buy stuff like toasters and olive oil on there.. I imagine the quality would be OK and more trustworthy than taobao.
http://www.amazon.cn is an awesome resource for English language books, actually. I ordered three new, English bestseller books on there recently for roughly 40-50rmb each plus 5rmb for delivery within three days. It came right to my office and I paid on arrival in cash.
I’ve seen ONE of those books in the Bookworm and it was retailing for over 130rmb.
Just did a quick search and you can get something like Girl with the Dragon Tattoo for 37rmb.
If you have trouble with Chinese just get a co-worker to help you put your office address in etc. Don’t need to sign up with a credit card, bank details or anything. Super fast, cheap and convenient!
As an aside you can also buy stuff like toasters and olive oil on there.. I imagine the quality would be OK and more trustworthy than taobao.
That’s awesome Danielle, thanks!
Vincent, love the new avatar. The hat especially. We need to know what it’s like to be a boyfriend for hire via Taobao… Details in a post please!!
That’s awesome Danielle, thanks!
Vincent, love the new avatar. The hat especially. We need to know what it’s like to be a boyfriend for hire via Taobao… Details in a post please!!
AbeBooks on the internet tend to be cheaper source of books than Amazon and, unlike Amazon, they have no qualms about shipping to China. They sell both new and used books from as little as 6.3 RMB for a used or slightly scuffed but new paperback. Postage varies according to the supplier and the weight of the book but expect between 30 to 60 RMB. Most arrive in two to three weeks but can take up to three months occasionally.
AbeBooks on the internet tend to be cheaper source of books than Amazon and, unlike Amazon, they have no qualms about shipping to China. They sell both new and used books from as little as 6.3 RMB for a used or slightly scuffed but new paperback. Postage varies according to the supplier and the weight of the book but expect between 30 to 60 RMB. Most arrive in two to three weeks but can take up to three months occasionally.
Quote:unlike Amazon, they have no qualms about shipping to China.Amazon.cn is a Chinese site bro, they have a shipping facility and operations center in Chengdu.
Bookworm has been the go-to local place for books but as cool as the Bookworm is, the problem is that the selection isn’t great and the prices are very high. Recently I notice that there are a lot of children’s books there in particular.
Ordering online is probably the best option, unless you have a Kindle or iPad in which case I don’t really see the point of buying physical books at all. I’ve been trying to pare down my own book collection for over a year and it’s tough to get rid of these things.
Quote:Kindle for the winThis is probably the best way. eBooks aren’t that cheap (they tend to average about $10) but you don’t accumulate clutter and you can carry a ton of books with you on one device. The advantages are so numerous. Recently I’ve been highlighting a lot of portions in books that I read on Kindle, and when I finish the book perusing the highlights in a linear list is great. Works really well for referring to the highlights as quotes.
Quote:Amazon.cn is a Chinese site bro, they have a shipping facility and operations center in Chengdu.Amazon.cn is literally inside my office building in the software park!
For the record Amazon in the US does ship books to China: Shipping to China
I recently bought a book that I couldn’t find on the Chinese version of the site, and splurged for the priority shipping. It was to my door in less than 7 days, with detailed tracking and everything. Kinda spendy, but reliable, and on schedule.
I’m hoping more publishing companies will jump on the kindle/ibooks/nook bandwagon. It’s so nice to have the same book on my laptop, tablet, and ipod.
Quote:I’m hoping more publishing companies will jump on the kindle/ibooks/nook bandwagon. It’s so nice to have the same book on my laptop, tablet, and ipod.The selection is enormous! When I’m looking for books on Kindle something like 90% of them are available. I’m sure publishers are making new books available in Kindle format since it’s just an additional source of revenue for them.
Quote:I’m hoping more publishing companies will jump on the kindle/ibooks/nook bandwagon. It’s so nice to have the same book on my laptop, tablet, and ipod.The selection is enormous! When I’m looking for books on Kindle something like 90% of them are available. I’m sure publishers are making new books available in Kindle format since it’s just an additional source of revenue for them.
I can attest that amazon.com does ship books to China, though I’m not sure if any book is ok. Over the past two years I’ve purchased a couple of books there and haven’t had major problems with it. I say major because the first book I ordered never arrived. I waited for about two months before contacting customer service. Apparently the book got lost in transit, probably due to me using the cheapest shipping option. They promptly shipped me another copy using DHL free of charge and I got it in just a few days 🙂 So my personal experience is: Amazon rocks. I highly recommend it.
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