While Beijing’s rip-roaring development pace mostly favors functionality over beauty, there are still places that gladden the heart. The folks at Flavorwire clearly think so, naming not one but two of Beijing’s finest amongst the twenty most beautiful bookstores on the world. Namely, our old favorite the Bookworm, and Poplar Kid’s Republic, a futuristic kids book store in Jianwai Soho.

The Bookworm seems hard pressed to compete against some of the astonishing stores featured; I particularly like the overwhelming bookishness of the Parisian store Shakespeare and Company, with its serried ranks of high shelves, comfortable furnishings and mad-professor disorder.

All of them are a wonderful change from the sterile efficiency of Amazon! Not to diss on internet book-buying, which has certainly made my life easier, but the physical act of browsing through books, the quiet almost reverent hush, the sense of imminent discovery and surging intellectual excitement, is something that makes us adore fine bookstores.

What do you think? What bookstores from around the world would you nominate? Does Beijing hold its own, or are there better places?