The Cross-Straits Book Bar, affiliated to the Cross-Straits Guoxue Center of Pingtan, opened to the public on June 11. The book bar houses a wide collection of traditional Chinese classics, and creates  a cozy reading space with a rich "Guoxue-esque" ambiance.

It is reported that the book bar is aimed at becoming a cultural icon of Pingtan.

The book bar is divided into four floors. The general public can dabble in popular books regarding Confucian classics, Chinese history, philosophy and literature on the first floor. The second floor contains a variety of thread-bound books, providing readers with an area for in-depth reading. The interaction area on the third floor includes works on Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism, as well as masterpieces by contemporary scholars across the Straits.

A series of events like Guoxue cultural salon and reading club has been planned out and will be held at the book bar on a regular basis.

In addition, the basement of the building has been designated as a cultural experience area for Han Chinese clothing. This "Hanfu culture corridor" holds pretty extensive collections ranging from traditional costumes of various Chinese dynasties.

The book bar also sets aside a reading section for kids where picture and cartoon books are available. Parents can bring their kids along to foster a good reading habit and an appreciation to the beauty of Chinese traditional culture.

You Wenjuan, head of the project team of the Cross-Straits Guoxue Center, said the book bar will transform its function from being “book-based” to “people-oriented”, from waiting for incoming readers to serving readers proactively. The center is also aimed at exploring the “library plus” mode to create a favorable environment for learning and popularizing the fine Chinese culture.