Taiwanese bookstore operator Eslite Corporation has opened its first shop in Mainland China.

The Eslite China store has opened in Suzhou in a high profile event featuring some of China’s most famous writers and artists, including Lin Hwai-min.

Eslite has opened two stores in Hong Kong, redefining the nature of the bookshop in the territory.

Featuring prominently in the store – which merges art and books with exhibitions and curated collections of gift lines, is a painting by Cai Guo-Qiang in Taipei in 2009, titled Day and Night.

The Eslite Corporation operates 43 retail bookstores in Taiwan. The Chinese store is its third overseas.

Despite the brand being new to the mainland, there is a surprisingly high level of local awareness, in part due to Chinese visiting the Hong Kong flagship stores.