Forced out of business in China, a bookseller turns the page to new beginnings in the US

Nevin Al Sukari - Sana'a - Yu Miao, owner of JF Books, poses for a portrait at his bookstore in Washington, DC, on September 6, 2024. — AFP pic

WASHINGTON, Sept 15 — From talks on social issues to topics like constitutionalism and religion, bookseller Yu Miao wanted Jifeng Bookstore in Shanghai to be a place for public discussions.

“But some topics are considered taboo and sensitive to discuss in public spaces,” he told AFP, of the store that was effectively forced out of business in China in January 2018.

Years later, Jifeng has started a new chapter as JF Books in Washington, a rare source of Chinese-language volumes in the US capital, covering everything from sociology to China studies.

The bookstore originated in China in 1997, with up to eight outlets in cosmopolitan Shanghai at its peak.

But as Beijing tightened restrictions on booksellers and academics over the past decade, the store came under heightened scrutiny.

Authorities posed obstacles to organising events on topics like feminism, constitutionalism and religion — sometimes notifying the store that certain seminars had to be canceled.

“We didn’t want to have any taboo topics or self-limitations,” Yu said, adding that subjects were chosen for their importance.

The store did not allow its decisions to be affected by concern over potential interference, added Yu, who took over the business from its founder in 2012.

He recalls being delighted that most people attending the seminars were young.

An emotional farewell

But Jifeng came under increasing pressure to cancel events, and in 2017 it had trouble renewing its lease.

“You realise that your space for survival is shrinking,” Yu said.

In those years, he added, other publications, independent media and cultural institutions also shuttered amid scrutiny.

In 2016, China shut down several online operations for independently reporting and publishing articles about potentially sensitive subjects.

Some of the freewheeling political and social news sites of Sina, Sohu, Netease and iFeng were closed, state media reported at the time.

On one of the last days of Jifeng’s Shanghai operations, people were in the store when its power was cut.

“I think the power outage was also to prevent people from gathering,” Yu recounted.

But instead of leaving, patrons lit up their mobile phones and put up battery-powered lights, casting a hazy glow over the space.

“People read poetry, sang, strummed the guitar and played the piano,” Yu said. “More readers heard the news and came to join us. It was a moving moment.”

Photos from that evening are displayed on JF Books’ brightly lit storefront in Washington, while handwritten cards from patrons of the Shanghai store remain displayed by its entrance.

‘Hard to imagine’

After Jifeng’s closure, Yu moved to the United States with his wife and their children, furthering his studies.

With the family now planning to stay in the country for longer, opening another bookstore was a natural choice for Yu.

“My desire to participate in society came together with my inner regret,” he said, referring to his wistfulness over Jifeng’s closure.

Realising it was tough to find Chinese-language books in Washington, even online, Yu figured that opening such a bookstore could fulfil the needs of readers like himself.

In addition to Chinese-language volumes, the store carries English titles with a focus on Chinese and Asian issues, alongside Asian authors’ works.

“Besides books from mainland China, we can also procure books published in Taiwan and Hong Kong,” Yu said.

“This was hard to imagine when we were running a bookstore in Shanghai.”

Many such books are not available in mainland Chinese stores due to strict controls.

Yu has faced other difficulties in recent years: after a visit to China, his wife was temporarily unable to leave, an experience he called “a nightmare.”

Now, he added, “We really cherish being able to live together freely and without fear.”

A meeting place

Like its predecessor in Shanghai, Yu wants JF Books to be a space where people come together — to buy books or attend seminars and cultural activities.

Already, three talks it is organising in September, including one with Chinese-American poet Ha Jin, are fully subscribed.

“It feels very nice to have a bookstore of Chinese books in (Washington),” said Rayna Zhang, 35, who visited the shop after reading about it on social media.

“I think it’s also a way of helping us keep up with the trends, the culture of young people back home,” added Zhang, who is Chinese.

Another patron, 36-year-old William Au, added: “I just find it fun that a place that seemed so prominent in the community out of Shanghai (is suddenly here).” — AFP