12 Bookstore (十二书店)
Independent Bookstore · Publishing Curation & Cultural SalonProject Type
Independent Bookstore / Pop-up Cultural Space & Public ProgrammeTime & Location
December 2023 – January 2024
Chaozhou, Guangdong, China
Format
Pop-up Bookstore · Gallery · Workshop & Salon Space
Founder
Cai Boxuan (Boosen Tsai)
Background
12 Bookstore was initiated in December 2023 in Chaozhou as an independent bookstore and temporary cultural space. Conceived during a period of intensified reflection on publishing, locality, and cultural circulation, the project sought to create a physical site where print culture, sound, and in-person exchange could coexist.
In an era increasingly dominated by digital platforms, 12 Bookstore deliberately returned to printed matter as a medium of memory, tactility, and slow knowledge. The bookstore positioned itself not merely as a retail space, but as a curated environment for cultural encounter—bridging Southeast Asian perspectives with local Teochew culture.
Description
Operating as a pop-up bookstore, 12 Bookstore curated a selection of publications across the humanities, social sciences, and the arts, alongside independent magazines, local vinyl records, CDs, and archival sound materials. The collection included rare and small-run publications sourced from Singapore, Penang, Hong Kong, and various local bookstores, reflecting transregional cultural flows.
The space functioned simultaneously as a bookstore, gallery, workshop venue, and salon. Book displays shifted according to thematic curations, transforming the act of browsing into a form of exhibition-making. Particular attention was given to publications documenting endangered or underrepresented cultural practices, such as Teochew rituals and traditional puppetry.
Public programmes formed a core component of the project. These included reading gatherings, informal discussions, and a Teochew Iron-Branch Puppet Workshop, which translated intangible cultural heritage into embodied, hands-on experience. Through these activities, 12 Bookstore tested how small-scale spaces could host meaningful public education without institutional frameworks.
Rather than aspiring to permanence, the bookstore embraced its temporary nature, framing ephemerality as a strength—allowing experimentation, responsiveness, and focused cultural intensity.
Outcomes
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Established a pop-up independent bookstore in Chaozhou
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Curated cross-regional publications, music media, and independent magazines
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Hosted public workshops and cultural activities, including traditional puppetry
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Activated a hybrid space combining retail, exhibition, and public education
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Fostered dialogue between local audiences and Southeast Asian cultural perspectives
Significance
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Demonstrated how independent bookstores can function as cultural infrastructure
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Repositioned print and sound media as tools for local cultural research
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Provided a low-threshold platform for engaging with intangible cultural heritage
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Expanded Escape Art Club’s practice from projects into spatial experimentation
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Tested a replicable model for temporary, theme-driven cultural spaces