An independent bookstore run by only one man has become a cultural landmark in Shaoxing, East China's Zhejiang province.

Qian Hua, 56, transformed an old building into a bookstore that has become a place where music shows, art exhibitions, culture salons and movie nights are held, attracting visitors every day.

Located near Bazi Bridge, the finest and best known in the "city of bridges", the bookstore is named Wasteland and Qian has been running it all by himself since last year.

Though he never went to college, Qian loves reading. "Every city should have a true bookstore. I have nothing to contribute to my hometown, except this bookstore," Xinhua News Agency quoted Qian as saying on Friday.