A little girl watches toys at Eslite's first bookstore on the Chinese mainland on its opening day in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, at the end of 2015. [Photo/IC]

Every branch of Eslite has its own features. The Suzhou branch showcases some cultural elements of the city like Suzhou embroidery, Kunqu Opera, and nutshell-carving. Book prices tend to be 10 to 15 percent more expensive than those in Taiwan.

On either side of the landmark complex are houses and apartments that Eslite has co-developed with Mitsubishi Estate Co Ltd, Japan's second-largest real estate developer. The housing units carry a price tag of 40,000 yuan ($6,130) to 60,000 yuan per sq m.

Chai Guohui, deputy general manager at Hopefluent Real Properties, a Hong Kong-listed property agent, said: "The housing projects of Eslite are located at the Singaporean industrial park in Suzhou, where local residents have higher incomes. The flats carry very high price tags, and it's not easy to win in the market."

Eslite has reviewed some housing projects in Nanjing (Jiangsu province), Hangzhou (Zhejiang province), Shenzhen and Guangzhou (Guangdong province) as it aims to expand its bookstore network in major cities and provincial capitals on the mainland. It plans to take part in the growth of the real estate sector besides selling books.