Founded in 1996, Librairie Avant-Garde (LAG) is a cultural icon in Nanjing, Jiangsu province. The bookstore, located in a deserted semi-underground bunker, was *dubbed by CNN in 2012 as the “most beautiful bookstore in China”. Qian Xiaohua is the man behind the cultural landmark. He sees bookstores as the carriers of a city’s spirit and has found a *sustainable way for the endangered businesses to thrive.