Published : 29/08/2025
A new cultural landmark is coming in Shenzhen! Here comes the "Eye of the Bay Area (灣區之眼)", the largest physical bookstore ever in China.
Besides its size, it is also regarded as "new-generation cultural complex", and cultural and tourism destination in the Greater Bay Area!
Located in Qianhai, covers an area of 130,000m²
The "Eye of the Bay Area" is created by the Shenzhen Publishing Group and is scheduled to open officially on 26th September.
With a construction area of 131,000 square metres, the "Eye of the Bay Area" is the largest bookstore in the country. It is located in Shenzhen's Qianhai Urban New Centre, central green axis in the central area of Bao'an District.
It is easily accessible via Baohua Station on Metro Line 5, and the airport, ferry terminals, and ports are all within a 20-minute radius, making the bookstore very easy to go.
The bookstore's architecture is divided into north and south sections, with two floors above ground and two underground. When viewed from the above, the bookstore resembles a pair of bright eyes that blend perfectly with the surrounding nature. And thus it got "Eye of the Bay Area".
3 Major themed reading spaces with 300,000 books
The "Eye of the Bay Area" features three major themed reading spaces: "Art Garden"(藝術花園), "Cultural Kaleidoscope " (人文萬象), and "Joyful META (歡樂META)".
Designed by an international pioneering art team, it brings together nearly 100,000 categories and over 300,000 books covering art and design, humanities and social sciences, as well as family and parenting.
There are also integrating various business concepts into the bookstore to create an immersive reading experience.
The bookstore is also equipped with AI to provide a number of smart services such as navigation, enquiries, information, and Q&A. Such AI services are also able to undergo in-depth exchanges with readers through deep thinking and personalized conversation.
20,000m² Rooftop garden, 24 hours open
Another feature of the "Eye of the Bay Area" is the "rooftop garden" on the top floor, which spans over 20,000 square metres.
Leisure activities such as musical performances, lifestyle markets, art salons, and fun sports will be regularly organised here to create a 24-hour cultural showplace.
Shopping, restaurants, theatres, and exhibition halls, all in one roof
In addition to cultural elements, it is also home to shops, restaurants, theatres, and exhibition halls.
This is a place for international brands and debut stores, combining various business formats such as social dining, creative retail, art curation, smart living, immersive experiences, intangible cultural heritage and China-chic, performance theatres, etc.
1800m² IP-driven learning spaces for children
It features 18,00m² interactive space for parents and children, which integrate cultural elements to create a world of learning and playground for children.
It introduces diverse IP-based cultures to create a different kind of learning space.
Currently, the "Eye of the Bay Area" has partnered with the global exclusive copyright holder of the "Three-Body Problem" (三體）IP to create Southern Chinas first "Three-Body Problem - Four-Dimensional Space"（三體-四維空間） and has also partnered with China Literature to create the nation's first offline IP experience space, "Reading Garden".
Linking to nearby attractions, a new location of culture and tourism
Each floor of the "Eye of the Bay Area" is designed with corridors that connect directly to the central green axis of Bao'an Centre, achieving 24/7 public access and attracting people from all directions.
It creates an innovative way for cultural nightlife and a nighttime leisure economy in Shenzhen.
It also initiates with the nearby attractions like UniWalk shopping mall (壹方城), OH Bay, and Bao'an District Library to facilitate cultural tourism economy.
In conclusion, the "Eye of the Bay Area", with its four major functions around Culture, "Culture + Technology", "Culture + Tourism", "Culture + Art", and "Culture + Creativity", will soon create an innovative style for arts, cultures, and social life in Qianhai, in which all people whether they are cultural youths, tourists, or families, will all have fun here.
Shenzhen Book City (Eye of the Bay Area)
Address: Haitian Road, Bao"an District, Shenzhen
Transport: Baohua Station, Shenzhen Metro Line 5
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