A giant rainforest-themed bookstore welcomed its first visitors on Saturday inside a mega shopping mall in Ho Chi Minh City.

Operated by Phuong Nam Corp (PNC), the ‘Phuong Nam Book City’ is the second of its kind to be launched by the Vietnamese book company, aimed at creating “a unique space for books, a place where every book that a reader needs could be found,” according to PNC deputy director Ngo Le Huan.

With over one million books available inside an area of nearly 3,000 square meters at The Garden Mall in District 5, it is the largest PNC bookstore in terms of stock size.

Readers can spend the whole day ‘trekking’ along the five-kilometer pathway that snakes through the massive bookstore across sections including fiction, children’s book, stationery, souvenir and book café.

A children’s corner at the Phuong Nam Book City in District 5, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Tuoi Tre

The bookstore is a collection of books by both Vietnamese and foreign publishers, the latter including the likes of Hachette, Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, Phidal, Helen and Harper Collins.

A whole section is dedicated to Chinese-language books ranging from contemporary literature to classic works and comic books imported from Singapore.

Visitors are reminded of the book city’s theme of mimicking a tropical rainforest with swaths of greens placed around every corner, while the children’s corner is covered with wooden overhangs for added aesthetic effect.

PNC launches their first book city in June at a mega mall in southern Binh Duong city, realizing their vision of opening bookstores large enough to massive amounts of books for readers of different ages, according to Huan.

Christmas decorations inside the bookstore. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Tents are set up as a playground for children. Photo: Tuoi Tre

A section for Chinese-language book the Phuong Nam Book City in District 5, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Visitors read books at a reading table at the Phuong Nam Book City in District 5, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Plants are grown around every corner of the bookstore. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!