Remember the old bookstores?

Memories of the old bookstores in Quang Nam province still evoke a vibrant era of intellectual life. From Hoi An and Tam Ky to Tourane - Da Nang, these bookstores were once centers for the circulation of books and newspapers, spreading innovative ideas and nurturing a spirit of learning within the community.

The 2025 Reading Culture Festival, themed "Reading Culture - Connecting Communities," was held in Da Nang . (Photo: Archival material)

Through many historical changes, many bookstores have closed down, yet they still leave their mark on urban memory. Remembering these once-famous bookstores also raises the need to create new reading spaces that are suitable for contemporary life.

The "veteran" bookstores

The first bookstore in old Da Nang that should be mentioned is the Duc An bookstore of the Phan family on Rue du Pont Japonnais (now Tran Phu Street, Hoi An Ward), established in the late 19th century.

This was where patriotic scholars of Quang Nam province at the time could buy and read new books – not only because they were newly published, but primarily because they contained innovative and progressive ideas.

After the 1908 Central Vietnam Uprising, with Hoi An as the most volatile location, the Duc An bookstore temporarily ceased operations and switched to selling traditional Chinese medicine... Hoi An's advantage at that time - a famous trading port with bustling activity - allowed the Duc An bookstore to quickly import the latest books by sea, creating considerable appeal for readers eager for knowledge.

Besides Duc An Bookstore, there was also Truong Xuan Bookstore - at the corner of Le Loi and Tran Phu streets today - which is also considered one of the "veteran" bookstores in Hoi An's old town, established before the August Revolution.

One old bookstore in Da Nang that once attracted considerable attention from readers was the Viet Quang bookstore on Quai Courbet Street (now Bach Dang Street, Hai Chau Ward). This was a publicly operating base of the Central Committee of the Central Region in the Tourane concession during the years 1936-1940.

Due to limited financial resources, Viet Quang Bookstore had to move several times – from Quai Courbet Street to Nga Nam, then to Avenue du Musée (now Tran Phu Street, Hai Chau Ward), and finally to Verdun Street (now Nguyen Thai Hoc Street, Hai Chau Ward), changing its name to Viet Quang.

Besides selling books, Viet Quang also self-published books for sale, by applying to establish the New Thought Publishing House and printing books that propagated proletarian revolutionary ideas such as "Kon Tum Prison " (by Le Van Hien), "What is Class?" , and "Where is the French Popular Front Going?" (by Nguyen Son Tra). Le Van Hien and Nguyen Son Tra were the founders of the Viet Quang/Viet Quang bookstore.

When mentioning old bookstores in Faifo and Tourane, one cannot fail to mention a bookstore in Tam Ky – also one of the "veteran" bookstores. It is a bookstore with a name that evokes a sense of connection: Nam Ngai Bookstore, established before 1975. This bookstore is located right at a three-way intersection, and this intersection is also named after the bookstore itself: Nam Ngai Crossroads.

The owners of the Nam Ngãi bookstore were two young men from Quảng Ngãi who went to Quảng Nam to start their business. They named their bookstore in Tam Kỳ Nam Ngãi. The Nam Ngãi bookstore brand didn't just stop in Tam Kỳ; it spread further. Evidence of this is that Hội An at the time also had a Nam Ngãi bookstore on Cường Để Street (formerly Rue du Pont Japonnais, now Trần Phú Street, Hội An ward). After 1975, the Nam Ngãi bookstore in Tam Kỳ became the Nhân Dân bookstore.

The dream of a book street today.

Da Nang is closely associated with my childhood. Back then, I frequently visited three bookstores: Ngày Mai on Tran Hung Dao Street (now Nguyen Thai Hoc Street, Hai Chau Ward), Thanh Tam on Phan Chau Trinh Street, and Ngày Mới on Khai Dinh Street (now Ong Ich Khiem Street, Thanh Khe Ward). I went not only to buy books but also to visit friends, as these were also the homes of three of my classmates from Phan Chau Trinh High School.

Near the Ngày Mới bookstore was the Văn Hóa bookstore located right at the intersection of Chợ Cồn and Bến Xe; next to the Ngày Mai bookstore was the Lê Thanh Tuân bookstore, almost right next door, and two bookstores, Sông Đà and Lam Sơn, on Độc Lập street (now Trần Phú street, Hải Châu ward). The names of these bookstores, such as Sông Đà, Lam Sơn, Hoành Sơn, Bạch Đằng, etc., easily show that the people of Da Nang are not… parochial.

In the early 1980s, after leaving the Dong Nai Department of Education to work at the Quang Nam - Da Nang Department of Education, I often bought books at the Foreign Language Bookstore near Nga Nam and especially at the Nhan Dan Bookstore on Yen Bai Street - both were state-owned bookstores.

The education and training sector itself at the time had a system of bookstores specializing in selling textbooks and reference books used in general education, such as the bookstores of the School Books and Equipment Company on Bach Dang and Phan Chau Trinh streets, or the bookstore of the Education Publishing House on Nguyen Chi Thanh street. In addition, the Da Nang Publishing House also had a bookstore to promote its publications located at the corner of Bach Dang and Hung Vuong streets…

When talking about old bookstores in Da Nang, it's impossible not to mention those specializing in used books, such as those located opposite the University of Education, Da Nang University. The used books here are often still in good condition, but because they were published many years ago and haven't been reprinted, those looking for them find them difficult to find in bookstores that specialize in new books.

In Hai Chau ward, for many years, Bach Dang street – including the extended section near APEC Park – has been selling books during the city's cultural and political events. However, that alone cannot be called a book street or book district. Hopefully, by recalling the once-famous bookstores that contributed to building Da Nang's cultural brand as mentioned above, Da Nang residents in general and Da Nang readers in particular will soon be able to buy and read books on Da Nang's Book Street, not just along the Han River…

Source: https://baodanang.vn/nho-nhung-hieu-sach-xua-3332150.html