Chinese bookstore reopens in Washington after forced closure in Shanghai

Tsering Dhundup

DHARAMSHALA, Sept. 13: A Chinese bookstore known for titles for reform and democracy, closed under Chinese government pressure in Shanghai six years ago reopened in Washington D.C. on Sunday. 

Jifeng Bookstore, originally founded in 1997 by Yan Bofei in Shanghai, a former researcher at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, was known for its books and discussions on history, politics, and philosophy. The bookstore’s name, meaning “monsoon” in Mandarin, was chosen to represent the cultural shifts in China at the time.

Jifeng expanded into a chain of eight stores, many located in Shanghai metro stations, serving academics, students, and others. However, the bookstore faced increasing pressure from Chinese authorities in the 2010s, as censorship tightened on independent booksellers and academics. 

According to reports, seminars on sensitive topics such as the South China Sea and constitutionalism in China were cancelled due to government objections. The Chinese government raised rents which forced Jifeng to close several locations, eventually leaving only its flagship store near the Shanghai Library. In 2017, city authorities refused to renew Jifeng’s lease, and the store was forced to close in 2018 after 20 years of operation.

Jifeng Bookstore now called JF bookstore is one of several independent bookstores that Beijing has forced to close in recent years. The closure of independent bookstores in China highlights the Chinese government’s broader repression of free expression and a crackdown on anything deemed to be critical of the government.