A Chinese-language bookstore from Wuhan opened its first overseas store today in Singapore.
The Zall Bookstore, popular in the main city of China’s Hubei province, opened its doors to bookworms at the Wheelock Place mall on Orchard Road.
The two-story space houses a wide collection of more than 30,000 books, some of which are displayed on a revolving bookcase that leads visitors to an art gallery showcasing exhibitions by Singapore-based artists like Boo Sze Yang and Justin Lee. There is also a cafe serving pastries.
Its titles are mostly in Chinese, covering genres such as literature and history. Given that its home has become most-associated with the origin of COVID-19, it’s worth noting there is a section about the ongoing pandemic.
The bookstore’s four outlets in Hubei are open 24 hours, though the Singapore store is not. It was founded in 2013 by Chinese writer Yan Zhi, whose daughter is the first general manager of the Singapore store.
The return of a bookstore to Wheelock Place comes 10 years after American books megastore Borders moved out of the mall after 14 years as its anchor tenant.