Old book bouquinistes on the banks of Seine River

• Old book bouquinistes on the banks of the Seine

The "library" with about 300, 000 old (and ancient) books and thousands of longstanding print publications has become an interesting attraction for visitors from all over the world, especially those who love books or antique book collector.

Speaking of Paris, people often think of the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre museum or the magnificent Versailles Palace... But, I'm sure not many know of a Parisian, symbolic activity.

• Bouquinistes of Paris - World Cultural Heritage Site

The most well-known of the life of the people here and recognized by UNESCO as World Cultural Heritage since 1992, today I will introduce to everyone the small, humble and old bookstores along the banks of the Seine which is also known as the "bouquinistes" of Paris.

After a visit to the Lourve Museum, I decided to take the route from Quai Du Louvre street to Quai de Ville street on the right bank of Siene River and from Quai Voltaire to Quai de la Tournelle on the left.

Of the Seine River, I've seen the great river bank with hundreds of booksellers with about a thousand "green boxes" that in particular have made the world's largest library under the blue sky. The green boxes are numbered in the bookstore, and when opened it will become a pretty booth of old book sellers.

• Find out the answer

Then when I returned to the host, I asked Hoang, a Vietnamese who lived very long time in Paris. He told me that old bookstores had appeared since he came to live in Paris and he heard that they were built at the time of building the Pont Neuf - the oldest bridge in Paris and is also the first stone bridge of the city.

Over the course of history, from being labeled petty thieves to becoming merchants of "spiritual goods" (as Anatole France calls it), book sellers on the shore of the Seine River now has turned its bookstore into a lovely and romantic amidst the capital of light, a worthwhile spiritual value and preserve!

The regulations and planning of these bookstores are very clear, scientific and prudent.

Each book seller can own up to 4 green boxes and each bookstore must be open at least 4 days a week regardless of the weather. The owner of the green boxes on the banks of the Seine was largely re-inherited from grandparents and parents, since very few would ever give up their inheritance unless they left the realm. Although the profit from this business is not that much, perhaps most of them are book lovers, who have lived with literary works of poetry and want to continue the traditional family work. Of course, it is impossible to mention those who have been waiting for years to be licensed to own one or several green boxes and join the team of old book sellers on the banks of the Seine.

• Experience with quiet library along busy streets of Paris

On that day, I had seen hundreds of people passing through those bookboxes by but only a dozen people stopped to look at it and there was only some buyers. I visited a salon and look at the books.

Haizz, unfortunately, most of the books are French, but I do not understand French.

However, today, in order to increase profits, bookstores also sell more souvenirs to tourists, but the bulk of the goods must be books, so that the green boxes on the banks of the Seine still hold. Tradition holds the treasures of spiritual value, not just ordinary souvenirs, which are sold everywhere in the city.

So I choose for myself a picture, the old style, I found it beautiful and I should buy it to commemorate my walking along Seine River.

I go to the end of the bookstore line, which I think must stretch well over 3 km across the most pedestrianized area in Paris, the "library" with many old (and ancient) books in the same row. Thousands of longstanding print media are interesting attractions for visitors from all over the world, especially book lovers or antique collectors, who are likely to find these unexpectedly. An interesting item of spiritual value is far greater than the price of an item that is out of date.

Almost all the old bookstores are open from 11:30 am, closed when the sun goes down, and will open alternately all day of the week. The Paris city government tries to maintain these bouquinistes as it is a beautiful tradition and a long-standing image of Parisian cultural and spiritual life.

• In conclusion

Bye bye the bookstores, maybe I will come back here but one day not far, the day where I can find a book for me.

Oh, I just get happy with my picture!

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