A Chinese Independent Bookstore Finds Refuge in Washington, D.C.

"No banquet lasts forever. We meet, and then we part…"

"…until we meet again!" the crowd responded in unison.

It was January 31, 2018, and Yu Miao, the general manager of the Shanghai Jifeng Bookstore, was delivering his farewell speech.

That night, around 11 p.m., the iron gates of the Shanghai Jifeng Bookstore slowly closed. After 20 years of standing tall in Shanghai—with eight branches at its peak—the independent bookstore succumbed to political pressures and ceased its operations.

At that time, Yu Miao could not have imagined that six years later, the bookstore, which had perished in China’s metropolis, would be resurrected in the U.S. capital, Washington, D.C.

On September 1, 2024, Jifeng Bookstore—the only Chinese-language bookstore in Washington—opened its doors in the northwest neighborhood, not far from the Dupont Circle Metro station. "When Shanghai Jifeng was shut down, I realized that perhaps it was because Jifeng encouraged free exchange, critical thinking, and aimed to be a public space—all of which might be seen as a cultural threat in a non-democratic country," Yu Miao remarked as he sat in a corner of the second floor of the newly opened bookstore, in an interview with Voice of America.

Reflecting on the closure of Shanghai Jifeng Bookstore, former professor of the Central Party School, Cai Xia, wiped tears from the corners of her eyes multiple times. Back in Beijing, she often spent time at the All Sages Bookstore, and whenever she had a chance to visit Shanghai, Jifeng was a must-stop.

"All Sages in the North, Jifeng in the South—these were the spiritual homes for Chinese people who pursued freedom and democracy," she said.

The reopening of Jifeng Bookstore in Washington stirred a mix of emotions for Cai Xia. She hopes it can become a salon for Chinese thinkers in America, a place where they can draw spiritual nourishment.

"The more barren the spiritual landscape, the more important it is to sow the seeds of freedom," she said.

At 11 a.m., local resident Joe Duffey walked into Jifeng Bookstore, finding the approximately 200-square-meter, two-story shop already bustling with guests.

Duffey, who runs an Irish dance studio nearby, doesn't understand Chinese but was delighted to see the opening of a Chinese bookstore. He felt it complemented the interesting and diverse culture of Dupont Circle.

Through Yu Miao, he learned about the forced closure of the Shanghai Jifeng Bookstore. On one of the bookstore's walls, he saw postcards written by people bidding farewell to the store years ago.

Before leaving, he handed a bouquet of fresh flowers he bought from the neighboring farmers market to Yu Miao's wife, Xie Fang, who stood at the bookstore's entrance, greeting visitors with a smile.

Standing before the wall of postcards, Zhou Fengsuo, Executive Director of Human Rights in China, said, "This is a window. For those living overseas, through this window, they can see the longing for freedom in Shanghai."

Zhou Fengsuo had traveled from New York to Washington the day before to attend Jifeng Bookstore's opening. In his view, the bookstore's rebirth is a milestone event for the overseas Chinese community.

He told Voice of America that Xi Jinping's retrogressive policies have forced many Chinese to flee the oppressive environment, creating a large community of readers and writers abroad.

Among the attendees at Jifeng Bookstore that day was former Chinese human rights lawyer Li Shuangde, one of the many who had fled. After being imprisoned, he escaped from Thailand to the United States last year.

He told Voice of America that he experienced the entire three years of pandemic control in China. In his residential complex, one family was deemed high-risk, and the neighborhood committee welded their door shut. When they finally opened the door more than ten days later, the entire family had starved to death.

"That event had a huge impact on me," he said. "I realized that China was beyond saving. I couldn't change China, but I knew I could escape."

After the closure of Shanghai Jifeng Bookstore, Yu Miao and his family moved to the United States. He initially just wanted a quiet place to read, but unexpected events soon altered the course of their lives.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, his wife, Xie Fang, returned to China to visit family and was temporarily barred from leaving the country. After nine months of negotiations, struggles, and waiting, the family was finally reunited.

They are now effectively exiles. China, the land that once held their passion and memories, has become a place they can no longer freely enter and leave.

"I believe every era has its awkward or even unbearable moments that affect the destinies of many people," Yu Miao said. "Sometimes it's hard to resist. You can only go with the flow."

The Washington Jifeng Bookstore, which he now runs, houses over 10,000 titles, with a selection style similar to that of Shanghai Jifeng—focusing on social sciences and humanities. What sets it apart is that the bookstore also sources many books from Taiwan and Hong Kong, as well as a small number of English-language books locally, including works on China and Asia studies, social transformation experiences, and writings by Asian American authors.

"My standard for selecting books is open and free," Yu Miao said. "So I do not accept any government interference."

In the future, he plans to host regular lectures at the bookstore and even start a Chinese-language publishing venture.

Original link：Voice of America https://www.voachinese.com/a/7767845.html