Argentina's first Chinese-language bookstore opens in Buenos Aires

The Great Wall Bookstore, the first Chinese-language bookstore in Argentina, opened in Buenos Aires on May 12, with an interactive exhibition on Chinese literature launched alongside the ceremony. Xie Gang, vice president of China International Communications Group (CICG); Wang Wei, Chinese ambassador to Argentina; and Liu Fangyong, president of the Chinese Culture and Education Foundation in Argentina, addressed the event.

Attendees included Mo Yan, a Nobel Prize-winning Chinese writer, young writers Sonam Tsering and Yang Zhihan, as well as nearly 100 representatives from cultural, educational, and publishing circles in China and Argentina, teachers and students from Chinese-language schools, and members of the local Chinese community. The bookstore, jointly established by CICG subsidiary China International Book Trading Corporation (CIBTC) and the Chinese Culture and Education Foundation in Argentina, is expected to serve as a new platform for cultural exchange between China and Argentina.

Xie Gang, vice president of China International Communications Group (CICG), delivers remarks at the opening ceremony of the Great Wall Bookstore in Buenos Aires, Argentina, May 12, 2026. [Photo/CICG]

In his remarks, Xie said that CIBTC, a national-level institution with more than 70 years of experience in international cultural communication, has helped to connect China with the rest of the world through books. The Great Wall Bookstore in Argentina builds on these efforts and will serve as a starting point for CIBTC to open more Chinese-language bookstores in South America and further promote Chinese culture overseas, he said.

Wang Wei, Chinese ambassador to Argentina, delivers remarks at the opening ceremony of the Great Wall Bookstore in Buenos Aires, Argentina, May 12, 2026. [Photo/CICG]

Wang said that the opening of the Great Wall Bookstore comes amid growing cultural exchanges between China and Argentina. In Buenos Aires, a city with a rich literary tradition, the bookstore will provide a new space for readers to explore Chinese books, literature and culture. He said the bookstore is expected to help narrow the distance between the two countries through reading and contribute to closer people-to-people ties between China and Argentina.

Guests unveil a bilingual plaque bearing the name of the Great Wall Bookstore in Chinese and Spanish during the opening ceremony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, May 12, 2026. [Photo/CICG]

During the ceremony, guests headlining the event unveiled a bilingual plaque bearing the name of the Great Wall Bookstore in Chinese and Spanish.

Writers and publishing professionals discuss literary exchanges between China and Argentina during a literary dialogue at the opening ceremony of the Great Wall Bookstore in Buenos Aires, Argentina, May 12, 2026. [Photo/CICG]

A dialogue was also held during the event, bringing together writers and publishing professionals to discuss literary exchanges between China and Argentina.

The Great Wall Bookstore is currently the largest Chinese-language bookstore in South America. It offers Chinese books and related cultural resources to Chinese-language learners, scholars, and readers interested in China, while also providing a space for literary and cultural exchange between China and Argentina.