Any good Chinese bookshop in London?

[laurenth]

I'll be in London next weekend and I was wondering: does anyone know about an interesting Chinese bookshop? I'd be looking for some contemporary literature, maybe magazines or audio books... 

 

Thanks!

[roddy]

The only ones I know of worth checking out are Guanghwa in Chinatown (scroll down, they're pushing online sales, but there is a physical London shop) and Grant and Cutler at Foyles (used to be an independent shop, got assimilated by Foyles and are now basically the foreign language section there) and... no, turns out that one's just European languages. That's all. Oh, and never been there, but maybe the shop at SOAS.

 

I might also recommend the Baozi Inn for lunch, if you're in Chinatown anyway ;-) 

[laurenth]

Thanks Roddy, I'll pay a visit to Guanghwa (and most probably the Baozi Inn while I'm there).

[mouse]

I second what Roddy says, both Foyles and Guanghwa have a few shelves of varied stuff. Foyles tends to stock a lot of translated stuff for some reason and they have far more textbooks than normal books. Guanghwa might be the best bet for literature, but they're both worth checking out and very close to each other.

 

As for the SOAS bookshop, I wouldn't bother unless you're looking for textbooks and/or works in English. I would suggest getting a day pass to the SOAS library, but its exam season at the moment and they probably won't let you in. However, you're technically allowed to, so if you go early and ask nicely you might get lucky.

[laurenth]

Thanks mouse! It so happens that I know the SOAS bookshop and what I can find there. (Went there once or twice in previous life during aborted attempt at a doctorate in linguistics -nothing to do with Chinese). I'll be sure to check Guanghwa though, as I'm more interested in buying some literature rather than yet another textbook.

[roddy]

Trying to think what else is in that area. I had a very good meal at Yang's Palace once, that's close to Foyles. Waiter was happy to chat in Chinese for a while. There's also a decent cheap (for London) noodle place on Cranbourn St, near Chinatown - it's close to the junction with Charing Cross Road, and in Google Street View the sign reads 正宗兰州拉面。  That place was fun - was paying at the till in Chinese and the girl didn't look up at all until handing me my change, at which point she yelped to see a foreigner. 

[Luxi]

I bought many books from Probsthain's shop on Great Russell Street, only a short walk from the British Museum. At the time it was more of a place for classics, perhaps still is but, in any case seems a good place to at least pop in for a visit. Perhaps before or after popping into the British Museum - their Chinese collection is fabulous.

 

http://www.china.org.cn/learning_chinese/news/2011-10/19/content_23666996.htm

 

Thanks for asking the question. You helped me discover that Probsthain's wonderful shop seems to be still open, you can't imagine how delighted I am.  And it even has a tea room!  

 

http://www.teaandtattle.com/

[Zeppa]

Yes, I agree with others - Guanghwa is a bit disappointing despite online connection with Cypress Books, but it has more than Foyles. The SOAS outpost at Probsthain's plus basement afternoon tea room is worth a look, as suggested, although more English than Chinese.

[baihua]

I've never looked in, but Westminster Chinese Library is supposed to be the largest Chinese library collection in the UK and just 5 minutes from Guanghwa.

 

I heartily approve of Baozi Inn, but this place is hands down the best Chinese I've had in the capital. But you will have to take yourself to Brick Lane. Lot of people rave about 老地方 near Liverpool street station, probably because its one of the few northern style restaurants.

[renzhe]

巴蜀人家 is good for Sichuanese food, but pricy. The cold starters are especially good. 老地方 is cheap and dependable (our regular Chinese restaurant, in fact). Their noodle soups are awesome.

Neither is the best in London, IMHO. Golden Dragon in Chinatown was better (and pricier) than either, especially for dimsum.

My favourite in the East End is Tian Tian on Mile End Road. Simple, cheap and authentic. The clientele consists almost exclusively of Chinese students and academics from nearby Queen Mary University of London.

[onebir]

"I've never looked in, but Westminster Chinese Library is supposed to be the largest Chinese library collection in the UK and just 5 minutes from Guanghwa."

 

Haven't been there in 10 years but it used to have a big collection (+ Chinese-speaking librarians, who were really friendly).

[mouse]

 

I've never looked in, but Westminster Chinese Library is supposed to be the largest Chinese library collection in the UK and just 5 minutes from Guanghwa.

 

Westminster Chinese Library has a collection of 50,000 Chinese language books. SOAS library has 200,000, plus thousands of mircrofilm, newspapers, congshu and other resources. The Chinese section of the Cambridge University Library holds around 120,000 volumes, plus newspapers etc. Westminster's is certainly a large collection, but it's far from the largest in the UK.

[laurenth]

Thanks everyone, I visited Guanghwa  (among other places - after all I was there as a tourist). I was surprised to see that the store is rather small: because London is such a big city with a large Chinese community, I had imagined there would be a big Chinese bookstore. Of course, once inside, there were more than enough publications to wet my apetite, so I started leafing through books and I'd still be there if my daughter hadn't reminded me there were more interesting (shopping) and more typically British things to do in London than browse through Chinese books. Anyway, I didn't find what I was looking for but couldn't resist buying more books: short stories by Yu Hua and Mo Yan, and a novel by Zhang Ailing.

As for the Baozi Inn, alas, the queue outside was so long and we were so hungry that we ended up in some unremarkable restaurant where we waited our dish probably for a longer time than it would have taken to eat at the Baozi Inn.

[realmayo]

My favourite in the East End is Tian Tian on Mile End Road. Simple, cheap and authentic. The clientele consists almost exclusively of Chinese students and academics from nearby Queen Mary University of London.

 

For a more central Chinese-restaurant-transplanted-to-London option there's 老常家 on 36 New Oxford St, London WC1A 1NT which I definitely recommend, lively, full of Chinese students, good* food.

 

edit: *good-but-not-great, perhaps I should try out the Sichuan Folk place. I used to like Bar Shu but haven't been there for a while. As for Chinatown, twice I've found places making food I really liked, but then after six months or so it's suddenly nothing special, presumably because the chef has moved on....

[laurenth]

 

 

twice I've found places making food I really liked, but then after six or so it's suddenly nothing special, presumably because the chef has moved on....

 

Similar experience. Must be some sort of Rule for restaurants, Chinese or otherwise, in London or elsewhere.