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A corner of the Livraria Cultura. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Fashion, food and luxuries are not the only attractions here. Among the others are the 1,700-year old Daci Temple, where the Buddhist monk, traveler and translator Xuan Zang was ordained in 622 AD, and Fang Suo Commune on the basement level of Sino-Ocean Taikoo Li offers a shopping experience that is out of the ordinary in what the website architecturaldigest.com listed last December as among the 17 most beautiful bookstores in the world.

Walking into Fang Suo Commune is like entering a cavernous subterranean world that is all but in-visible from the outside. Once you are through the small, dark entrance you are struck by the airy space, which covers 5,500 square meters and is eight meters high, and a well-lit, clean and cozy atmosphere that offers both intimate tranquility and a buzz of excitement.

In fact coming here is like being with Harry Potter on his first visit to Diagon Valley. The place is a repository not only for a huge range of books, but also goods such as clothing, tea pots, cups, accessories, jigsaws, aromatherapy oils and other cultural and creative products such as bags printed with quotes from well-known authors and notebooks. You can peruse these as pleasant background music and the hum of the assembled masses waft into your ears.

Tucked in the corners of the store are at least two cafes, which could be categorized as regular and large, where shoppers can grab a coffee and relax, read, meet friends, work or study. At one point a shop assistant gently reminds a reader that books can be taken to the cafes only after having been paid for. A cup of apple and kiwifruit juice costs 42 yuan, and a cup of coffee about 50 yuan.

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