Bookstore weaves a new village story

Rounds of investigations and discussions led to a plan to preserve the rammed-earth walls since "they belong to Baiwu village". The question was — how to see it and use it, which needed a precise decision, Liu says.

They installed a new structure made of "Wooden Bamboo" — an eco-friendly high-performance bamboo fiber-reinforced composite — inside the consolidated earthen walls.

"It might be the first time Wooden Bamboo is used to create an architectural structure, besides being used in the bookshelves and seats," he adds.

The smaller pigpen-like house was rebuilt the same way. The earthen walls were preserved and strengthened, and a new Wooden Bamboo structure was inserted to create a cafe.

However, it was not enough because "when we come here, we naturally want to look out beyond the walls," Liu says.

That is how the Poetry Garden was created. Resembling an amphitheater, the poetry garden can serve as spectator seats, where visitors can sit and watch a live music performance or book event.

Each seat is inscribed on the back with a line by a Chinese poet, such as Yu Jian, or a foreign poet like Louise Gluck from the United States. Behind each seat grow carefully selected yet rustic-looking ornamental blossoms.

Climbing up the steps reveals the bookstore's high point — a platform where, on a rainy day, visitors can look over roofs to see green rice fields under shrouds of clouds and fog enveloped by dark mountains.