China's first map-themed bookstore opens in Beijing (2)

China's first map-themed bookstore opens in Beijing's Shijingshan district on Dec. 23, 2019. (Photo/chinadaily.com.cn)

"A map is the main form reflecting the national territory, embodying rich content and reflecting complicated social relations," said Chen Ping, general manager of SinoMaps Press, which operates the bookstore. "And it has an important impact on the development of national territorial awareness."

Shan Zhiqiang, editor-in-chief of Chinese National Geography magazine, said a map is the image of a country that should be embedded in the mind of every citizen.

He said the bookstore will provide readers, especially the young, with a deeper understanding of China's territory and other parts of the world.