If you like the idea of spending a couple of hours getting lost among old books, Duozhuayu's latest pop-up is worth a look. Inside an unfinished building on Wuding Lu, the secondhand book platform has moved a corner of its Tianjin warehouse to Shanghai, bringing around 100,000 pre-loved books along for the ride. The result is a giant book-filled warehouse, complete with exposed concrete walls, yellow railings and rows upon rows of shelves. The building is set to become Duozhuayu's second Shanghai store in 2027, but for now, the upper floors are still very much a construction site, with little beyond bare walls and unfinished spaces.
There's no real organization to the books, so forget looking for arranged sections or a quick in-and-out visit. It's more of a treasure hunt: you never quite know what you'll find on the next shelf. Literature, art, design and plenty of other subjects are all in the mix, including some English-language books. Overall, the books are in pretty good condition, too. To check prices, you'll need to download their app and scan each book's barcode. From the few we checked, most were priced at around 20-40% of their original retail price. There are also 1,000 randomly hidden bookplates scattered among the books, if you fancy a little extra hunting.
The space has a rough-and-ready charm that feels quite different from your usual polished bookstore. Just a heads-up: the building is still unfinished, so facilities are limited, and the shelves can get pretty busy even on weekdays. No booking or admission fee is required.
Duozhuayu: Save Books from the RuinsNov 1-8, 10am-8pm975 Wuding Lu, Jing'an District (next to NOA Hotel)Free entry, no reservation required
