Another customer, who only gave his surname, Wang, lives 10 km away in Xuhui district, and made a special trip to the store to buy several newspapers on current affairs and sports. He said he reads newspapers because he wants to break away from the era of algorithm-driven content and engage in active reading.

Reading on a smartphone may seem convenient, but the content is controlled by algorithms that tailor push notifications to personal preferences, said Wang. Everybody ends up seeing content limited to their own understanding, which narrows their perspective, he said.

"In contrast, print publications present content from the perspective of media and journalists, allowing people to break out of the filter bubble and understand things from different viewpoints," said the 39-year-old aviation engineering designer.

Moreover, he added that print publications have a collectible value, helping to preserve memories.

"For instance, with the U23 Asian Cup of soccer, where the Chinese team reached the finals, I really want to keep the news reports from now on. In a few years, say when the team reaches the finals again, I can look back at these reports," said Wang.

"The last time the Chinese men's football team reached the finals of an Asian national team event was in 2004, and I still have that newspaper. I think it's very meaningful," he said.

Some sociologists believed that the pressure on the last newsstand should not be borne solely by individuals, and that the cultural value of newsstands may far exceed their commercial value.

"For now, the relocation of the last newsstand has reached a comedic conclusion. As cities need cultural vitality and physical cultural entities, I hope that this should not remain a unique case in the future," said Li Yizhong, a professor at the School of Media and Communication, Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

zhouwenting@chinadaily.com.cn