北京万聖书园作为中国文化地标性的独立书店，在网络购书冲击和行业困境中坚守纯正书店本色。[1]书籍销售占该书店全部收入约97%，成为极少数仍能主要靠卖书维持生存的书店。[1]创办人刘苏里通过专注选书质量、营造安静氛围和维持学术品味，吸引了来自全国各地及海外的读者。[1]其中来自非北京人士的销售占4成，外国人占2.5成，北京本地读者约3.5成。[1]
书店面临的经营压力不容忽视。[1]全中国在2025年上半年有1200家书店关闭，[1]而网上书价可低至5折，远低于书店进书所需的6折成本。[1]尽管处于这样的商业困境，万聖书园仍在中共审查制度下智慧地平衡政治要求与学术独立，已运营33年。[1]
刘苏里曾是中国政法大学教师，在1989年天安门运动期间是"首都各界爱国维宪联席会议"的骨干。[1]六四事件后他遭逮捕并被投入秦城监獄，1991年获释后被开除公职。[1]1993年，他创办了万聖书园。[1]读者对这家书店的主要感受是"安静、安寧"。[1]
Wansheng Bookstore in Beijing stands as a rare independent bookstore that has managed to survive primarily through book sales in an era of declining brick-and-mortar retail.[1] Founder Liu Suli has built the store's business model around rigorous curation and creating a quiet, contemplative atmosphere, allowing book sales to account for approximately 97 percent of the store's revenue.[1]
The bookstore operates in a challenging market environment. Across China, approximately 1,200 bookstores closed in the first half of 2025, reflecting the broader pressures facing independent retailers.[1] Online retailers undercut physical stores by offering books at discounts as low as 50 percent off, while bookstore wholesale costs typically run at 60 percent of retail price, squeezing margins significantly.[1] Despite these obstacles, Wansheng maintains a geographically diverse customer base, with approximately 40 percent of sales from non-Beijing visitors and 2.5 percent from foreign customers, alongside 3.5 percent from Beijing residents.[1]
Liu Suli founded Wansheng in 1993 following a turbulent personal history rooted in the 1989 pro-democracy movement.[1] He was a lecturer at China University of Political Science and Law and served as a core organizer of the Capital Joint Conference for Patriotic Constitutional Protection during that period.[1] After the June 4th crackdown, he was arrested and detained at Qin Cheng Prison, then released in 1991 and subsequently dismissed from his position.[1] Readers describe their experience at Wansheng primarily as characterized by quietness and tranquility.[1] Over its 33 years of operation, the bookstore has navigated the regulatory environment while preserving its commitment to intellectual independence and literary merit.[1]