Pioneer Bookstore Through My Eyes: Pioneer Tangshan Mine Pit Bookstore

Pioneer Tangshan Mine Pit Bookstore

Address: Tangshan Mine Pit Park, No. 11 Meiquan Road, Tangshan Subdistrict, Jiangning District, Nanjing

Visit: June 2021

In March 2020, I first discovered Mine Pit Park and instantly fell in love with it. On my first visit, the park was still in the phase of opening one area while building another. Even now, the park continues to develop as it operates. Back then, a 'construction progress' map used different colors to show completed projects and those underway. I spotted the icon of the upcoming Pioneer Bookstore, which delighted me. In an era of e-books, Pioneer Bookstore represents physical bookselling, selling not just paper books but a philosophy of reading. This isn't a traditional bookstore—it encompasses so much, and I was really looking forward to it.

Because I like Tangshan, a livable area, I follow a Tangshan WeChat official account, which informed me that the Pioneer Bookstore at Mine Pit Park had opened. So in June, I visited twice. The first time was after a gathering in Tangjiajia; I felt rushed and didn't fully enjoy it. A few days later, I brought my parents specifically for the bookstore, spending a whole afternoon there, and then went to the hillside's famous restaurant—Starry Sky Restaurant—for dinner.

After parking in the park's lot, you'll immediately see this tall, red-brick kiln-style bookstore. The Pioneer Bookstore is near the park entrance, adjacent to the visitor center and eco-parking lot, occupying a prominent spot in the park.

I remember on my first visit seeing two dilapidated red-brick kilns in the open wilderness. The kilns were covered with ivy and wild grass, the red and green forming a stark contrast that stood out strikingly in the mine pit site.

Now, besides the two original red-brick kilns, there's a new building next to them combining red brick and grey arches, all integrated into a carrier for the bookstore.

Back then, a staff member at the visitor center pointed at the red-brick kilns and told me, 'That will be transformed into a Pioneer Bookstore.' I've always loved Pioneer Bookstore, and just hearing that set my imagination racing. A beautiful bookstore nestled on a lush green hillside—what a scene! A spiritual home rose on the mine pit ruins, benefiting first the residents of Tangshan. I even told a friend living in Tangshan about it with great envy.

The building's exterior features an outdoor space enclosed by red bricks. Walls and steps of varying heights are all built of red brick, and they look stunning surrounded by lush greenery.

Verbena plants on the wall tops soften the hard red brick with a touch of gentleness.

Not far away in the forested hills stands a Noah's Ark-like building—the Starry Sky Restaurant. Its all-glass structure and boat shape look dreamy amid the woods.

With the mountains as a backdrop, the bookstore's panoramic glass windows on one side seamlessly connect indoors and outdoors. Outside, a shallow pond mirrors everything inside the bookstore—a dreamy, illusory scene.

The bookstore's entrance extends inward, making the doorway area feel more spacious.

In the foyer, a metal sign reading 'Pioneer Tangshan Mine Pit Bookstore' and its logo sit on a creatively laid red-brick wall. This combination is both rustic and modern.

Various shaped windows in the red-brick walls connect the inside and outside, offering different visual experiences when looking in from outdoors.

Just inside the entrance, a red mailbox greets you, with the bookstore's logo on top. A panoramic floor-to-ceiling window reveals a small garden courtyard beyond, the transparency instantly refreshing your view.

To the left of the small entry foyer, a narrow table is placed against the wall. Visitors can write letters or postcards here and mail them in the mailbox.

Upon entering, there's an introduction to Chen Yu's exhibition 'Portrait of the Soul.' This was the bookstore's inaugural exhibition when it opened in April 2021.

The small foyer leads to a more spacious transitional lobby. This area features display tables and bookshelves stocked with books. The backdrop is black steel panels, over which is the slogan of Nanjing Pioneer Bookstore—'Strangers on the Earth.' This philosophy, which Pioneer has upheld from the start, is presented here. 'Strangers on the Earth' is a line from Austrian poet Trakl, symbolizing that the human spirit is forever seeking a homeland that exists nowhere, and a good bookstore should be a spiritual home for readers, their true homeland.

Beside a concrete pillar, there's a red 'Poetry Vending Machine.'

Entering the main hall, there's a towering wall of books on one side, and in the center, eight spacious platforms face each other.

Scenery from different angles.

The hall uses a north-south oriented arched barrel-vault structure with a span of 8 meters, giving the interior a free, open feel with broad views. This space houses new book displays, the cashier, and cultural creative product sales...

Red brick walls blend with glass, offering both rustic and modern vibes. The brick walls are adorned with figure paintings in various styles, filling the air with artistic atmosphere.

One side of the cultural creative area is all floor-to-ceiling windows. Outside, a shallow pond lies.

The cultural creative products are diverse. The Tangshan- and mine-pit-themed items include stationery, toys, and souvenirs, all plentiful and full of creativity.

On the two walls surrounding the eight cultural platforms, towering bookshelves are packed with literary titles. The floor-to-ceiling effect inspires reverence; slowly browsing here, you're sure to find something that captures your interest.

Under the east-west oriented arches lies a spacious coffee area. One side also features large floor-to-ceiling windows, framing the green hillside, lawns, tall trees, and the park's mine-pit mountain scenery. Order a coffee here, gaze at the views, and daydream—it's a wonderful indulgence.

The coffee area's spacious bar counter is encircled by dark metal panels. The dark hue contrasts with the surrounding rustic red bricks—black and red blending the historical industrial remnants with a mysterious modern feel.

In this space filled with the rich aroma of coffee, you can sip a drink and chat with friends, while many others read alone. Pick a book that catches your eye, grab a coffee, find a seat by the window, read a little, and gaze at the rugged mountains, feeling time flow quietly. No matter your personality, you'll find your own way to relax here.

Behind the bar, a small staircase leads up to the second floor.

Going up the stairs, again you encounter large glass windows paired with red brick walls.

The second-floor space is dominated by large desks and full-wall bookshelves. The books here focus on art; I happily found a book on pen-and-ink drawing techniques.

Small details on the desks.

Here, you can pick a book to read deeply or flip through lightly, choosing whatever reads feel comfortable at the moment. The limitations of reading are broken here. No matter the season, you can feel the power of words and the breath of nature. Surrounded by nature, engage all your senses to experience the strength that words and nature bring.

The terrace outside the second floor further breaks spatial boundaries, offering an immersive experience in nature.

This entire wall displays Chen Yu's work '100 Nobel Prize Winners.'

Looking down from the second floor, another perspective to appreciate.

There's a large staircase here, with a full-wall bookshelf rising alongside it. The staircase design is both functional and artistic. It's divided into two sides: one side has large steps, the other smaller ones. Large rush cushions are casually placed on the big steps.

Leaning on the black railing with the book wall as a backdrop, I feel even my being is steeped in an artistic aura.

Moving from the second-floor space to the staircase, every angle reveals such beauty.

From this angle, looking back at where I just stood, the combination of black brushed metal mesh, plain concrete, and red bricks gives the whole space a deep, impactful feeling. With walls full of paintings, it perfectly interprets the fusion of industrial style and art.

Readers on the staircase.

A vast, open staircase stretches upward. On the right side of the stairs, a towering, wide book wall rises. The large steps are inlaid with brass verses from representative poets. The gray-ink color of the steps contrasts with the brass-hued poems. Light from lamps and skylights mixes, making the whole space warm and cozy.

On the book wall, classic poems and poet portraits from China and abroad are arranged neatly yet artistically. The vast number of books artfully placed on the shelves gives a stunning effect.

The bookshelves extend from floor to ceiling. As you climb the steps, touching these books still fragrant with ink, you drift in a sea of books, where a restless heart settles and calms.

I, too, feel at ease on these expansive steps. Such comfortable stairs not only connect spaces but also offer a place to 'pause.' We can rest here, which I think embodies Pioneer Bookstore's philosophy: a bookstore should be the homeland for 'strangers on the earth.'

The bookstore's space is flexibly divided by bookshelves and glass. Book area, cultural creative area, coffee area, reading activity area, exhibition area... with such rich zones, there's always something for you.

The picture book area is a favorite for children and the young at heart.

My first visit, I wandered curiously through every space. When tired, I ordered a coffee and chatted. The second time, I came specifically to take photos. With red brick walls, black frames, full-length windows, and books, every corner and space serves as a perfect backdrop. I lingered the whole afternoon, just in time for dinner, and that's when I first tried the Starry Sky Restaurant in the park. Stepping out of the bookstore, you're greeted by a grand view of rocks and forest—magnificent.

Viewing the bookstore from the outside, the park's varying elevations enrich the architectural layers. The new building's walls and the site's landscape walls use red brick as the main material, continuing the texture of the old brick kilns. The arches are cast in concrete, echoing the exposed quarry scars on the mine park's mountains. The bookstore's arched roof connects the front plaza, the grassy slope to the north, and the hill lawn behind into a unified whole. Architecture, landscape, and mountain blend together.

The bookstore's three cylindrical spaces are divided and linked according to its comprehensive functions. The 'vaulted' design of the barrel-shaped spaces not only makes the interior more open but also gives the bookstore a strong sense of history. Three spaces, three scales, combine to create a richly varied interior.

Red brick dominates, natural and rustic, paired with modern glass and steel frames, giving off a strong modern industrial vibe. The building uses large expanses of windows—full floor-to-ceiling ones and skylights—providing ample, varied lighting. You can imagine how, as time and seasons change, light pours in, creating ever-changing, mesmerizing paths indoors. Such variations will surely draw me back again and again to savor every moment of these dreamy light-and-shadow effects.

The expansive floor-to-ceiling windows also create a visual link between inside and outside.

The transparent windows and a lively pond reflect each other, embracing the surrounding beauty.

Climbing the small hill beside the bookstore, you can see the bookstore. The original red-brick kilns and the new bookstore building form an organic whole. Amid the wilderness, the entire structure rises with the mountain, combining concrete vaults and red bricks—a humanistic creation that restores the industrial relics of the mining area.

The main theme of Mine Pit Park: knife-cut, rugged rocks and green vegetation.

In June, flowers bloom in profusion, the harsh mine pit softened by all these blossoms and greenery.

Amid the green hills, a red tin house is a restaurant. The metal material suits the park's rugged industrial style.

On a lush hillside, a bright red house stands out vividly. Have you ever seen a restroom like this?

Halfway up the hill, a large, flat area serves as the park's BBQ and camping site—Banshan Campground.

The campground is spacious; you can barbecue and pitch tents here. The elevated terrain also offers a wider view.

The Starry Sky Restaurant is now also an internet-famous spot. On a small hill within the vast Mine Pit Park, it stands out prominently. On the slope, it looks like a giant ship sailing through a green forest sea. There are several routes to reach it—by car or on foot. We chose a path on the west side from the bookstore to get there.

The spacious north-side platform leads us into the restaurant; from this angle, it resembles an airplane about to take off.

I didn't rush inside; instead, I walked around the U-shaped cantilevered deck outside the restaurant from the main entrance to take in the views.

From the unobstructed deck, overlooking the park scenery, you feel surrounded by mountains, with a real sense of being immersed in it.

It's essentially a 360-degree viewing experience. The 'Mine Wilderness Fun' area halfway up the hill, the teahouse on the park's east side, and the bookstore where we spent the afternoon—all come into view from a new perspective.

Through the glass on the deck, you can see diners inside.

Inside, the restaurant is decorated in starry-sky blue and white. The dining area is also a U-shaped corridor, maximizing the view for diners.

Their menu features fusion cuisine, with some Cantonese dim sum.

Food is no longer the main focus here; it's the ambiance you savor. By the end of dinner, the park's lights were already on, making it even more enchanting.

Following the mountain terrain, the road curves gracefully. We looked back at this giant ship, marveling at the park's design.

The bookstore closes at 6 p.m. After hours, the quiet bookstore, dressed in lights, exudes even more red-brick charm.

Arriving at the parking lot at the foot of the hill, I looked back up at the Starry Sky Restaurant in the park. It's more than just a dining space; it's a place to rest and sightsee. From this high vantage point, we can gaze at the park, at Tangshan, and appreciate the beauty from every angle.