Two Yunxi bookshops in Shen'ao and Daijiashan villages, both in Zhejiang's Tonglu county [Photo by Yao Li/Provided to China Daily]

For example, in the ancient villages of East China's Anhui province, some details on the old houses are full of architectural clues, he adds.

The stairs connecting the ground to the second floor are divided into two parts. The first three steps are made of stone, followed by wooden steps. This is to prevent rising damp in late spring and summer.

There are many similar methods that we can borrow in traditional construction in modern design, Hua says.

For Zhang Lei, such bookstore projects in ancient villages build platforms that allow cities and the countryside to better communicate.

"Urban residents coming to the villages can see a better countryside through these projects, a different kind of nature," Zhang says. "Without these projects, visitors only experience the original village life, but with these projects, you can imagine a better future for rural areas."