1 Introduction

Since 2014, national reading has received government attention, and bookstores, as reading venues, have contributed to promoting a reading atmosphere through their research. Domestic research focuses more on the operation of physical bookstores, while there is less research on micro level bookstores. Language landscape research focuses on public signage, reflecting identity and ideology, but lacks attention to cultural venues such as bookstores. This study is based on geographic semiotics and uses ethnographic methods to investigate Chongqing Jingdian Bookstore, exploring how signage in the store constructs space and interacts and influences users. The research aims to answer questions about the characteristics of signage, spatial construction methods, and the impact of user interaction.

Concept, research perspective, and research object of 2-language landscape

Deeply explored the concept, research perspective, and research object of language landscape. Landry and Bourhis (1997) defined language landscape as the language on public transportation signs, billboards, street names, place names, shop signs, and government agency public signs in a specific region or urban agglomeration. Sebba (2010) expanded this definition to include dynamic signs such as protest banners and bus advertisements. The research not only focuses on the text on the signs, but also on the interaction between people and the signs. Zhang Tianwei (2020) divides language landscape research topics into two categories: explicit and implicit. Explicit topics include language conflicts, globalization, and multilingualism, while implicit topics involve identity, power, and ideology. Multilingualism and identity are the focus of research perspectives. Space exploration is also an important part of language landscape research. Researchers believe that space is a product of social construction and closely related to human practice. The significance of a sign is closely related to its placement space. The hyper linguistic space is a space created and served by hyper linguistic practice. Space is not only constructed by society, but also by the behavior of those who are situated within it. The selection of research subjects and venues usually focuses on the commercial spaces or linguistic communities of multilingual phenomena in cities. Domestic research focuses more on the language landscape of coastal cities, while there is less research on inland areas and specific public cultural spaces. This article uses ethnographic methods to conduct a case analysis of the language landscape characteristics and spatial interactions with people in bookstores.

3 Research Methods

Introduced research methods, including research background, corpus collection, and corpus analysis. The research background emphasizes the cultural characteristics of Chongqing and the importance of classic bookstores, and points out the shortcomings of language landscape research in inland cities. The corpus collection adopts a combination of online and offline methods, including photos of store signs, interviews with staff and customers, and reviews on Dianping. Corpus analysis involves counting the number, classification, and coding of signs, as well as applying geographic semiotic frameworks to analyze interview and comment content.

4 Bookstore signage features, spatial construction, and user interaction

Detailed analysis was conducted on the characteristics, spatial construction, and interaction between users and the signage of Chongqing Jingdian Bookstore. The classification display of signs, space design/concept promotion, and zoning guidelines/classification index signs dominate, reflecting the balance between creating atmosphere and practicality in bookstores. Official signs and private signs differ in language style and spatial layout. Official signs are concise and standardized, while private signs are more flexible and versatile. Signage plays an important role in the construction of bookstore space, shaping the cultural spatial characteristics of bookstores through scene based and unconventional placement. The bookstore is constructed as a multilingual, multimodal, and multisensory space, where although the multilingual space is limited, it reflects multiculturalism and inclusivity. Multimodal spaces present the multifunctional attributes of bookstores through signage, while multisensory spaces are constructed with the participation of users, involving olfactory, auditory, and tactile experiences.

5 Conclusion

This study analyzes the language landscape of Chongqing Jingdian Bookstore using ethnographic methods in the context of nationwide reading. The study revealed seven functions of in store signage, with spatial design and zoning guidance signage being the most prominent. The signage showcases the differences between official and private in design and layout. The bookstore has constructed a multilingual, multimodal, and multi sensory cultural space through signage, which influences customer identity recognition. The research extends the study of language landscape to public cultural spaces, applying the geographic semiotic framework to explore the construction of bookstore cultural spaces from a micro perspective. The research is limited to static analysis of signs, and in the future, longitudinal studies on liquidity symbols and time dimensions can be considered.