You might expect to be surrounded by a few paperbacks and hardcovers when you visit a bookstore, but the recently completed Chongqing Zhongshuge Bookstore in China takes this to a whole new level. Inspired by the city of Chongqing's rich literary history, the space makes use of tunnels and mirrors to offer its customers for a one-of-a-kind immersive experience.
According to firm X-Living, Chongqing was quite the draw for writers and calligraphers of ancient China, and its efforts in designing a new book store for the city might inspire a few more yet.
![Lampshade inspired bookshelves inside the Chongqing Zhongshuge Bookstore](https://assets.newatlas.com/dims4/default/47a5187/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1371x1080+0+0/resize/1219x960!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnewatlas-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Farchive%2Fchongqing-zhongshuge-11.jpg)
Occupying two levels of the city's Zodi's plaza, the shop features bookshelves shaped as lampshades that emanate warm, bright lights, quiet reading spaces with ceilings lined by bookshelves, and a tunnel where the bookshelves reflect on the floor that draw visitors "deeper into space and knowledge."
![A reflective ceiling tops the huge main study inside the Chongqing Zhongshuge Bookstore](https://assets.newatlas.com/dims4/default/aacad49/2147483647/strip/true/crop/720x1080+0+0/resize/640x960!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnewatlas-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Farchive%2Fchongqing-zhongshuge-4.jpg)
But the most impressive room is the huge main study, where criss-crossing staircases double as shelves and also ladders to access books, while a reflective ceiling creates a mirror image of the stunning space for those that look upward.
There is also a children's reading room with colorful bookshelves shaped to represent Chongqing's landscape, buildings and transport, and a cafe area for visitors to relax over a cup of coffee and take it all in.
Have a flick through the gallery to see the impressive Chongqing Zhongshuge Bookstore from all angles.
Source: X-Living