Although ordering books online is a common practice nowadays, some people still enjoy going to brick-and-mortar stores. While large chains such as Eslite and Kingstone offer an enormous variety of publications, small neighborhood bookstores entice customers with intimate settings and specialized services.
Wadang Bookstore is located in the rural township of Zhudong in northern Taiwan’s Hsinchu County. The establishment is named after a wadang, or eaves tile, a round tile common in traditional Chinese architecture that ensures rainwater runs smoothly off a rooftop. The owner chose this name to indicate that, just like the tiles, small bookstores serve an important function.
Books and Vegetables in Yuanshan Township, Yilan County is run by a local rice farmer. Customers can buy books with good old-fashioned cash, or they can trade part of their harvest for some mental nourishment.
Running a small neighborhood bookstore may not be a profitable venture, but it offers other rewards. While they sometimes struggle to make ends meet, the owners can gain a sense of happiness by sharing their joy of reading and providing a cozy space where fellow book lovers can escape the pressures of daily life.
Write to Jim Hwang at cyhuang03@mofa.gov.tw
Wadang Bookstore in the rural township of Zhudong in Hsinchu County. (Photo by Chang Su-ching)
Books and Vegetables allows customers to trade agricultural produce for books. (Photo by Chen Mei-ling)
Zeelandia Travel and Books is located on the second floor of an old apartment building in Taipei City. (Photo by Chen Mei-ling)
Half of the space in Books and Vegetables is taken up by produce from local farmers. (Photo by Chen Mei-ling)
The reading area in Wadang Bookstore also serves as a quiet space where neighborhood children can do their homework. (Photo by Chang Su-ching)
Room A bookstore is on the third floor of an apartment building in southern Taiwan’s Tainan City. (Photo by Chang Su-ching)
Zeelandia Travel and Books (Photo by Chen Mei-ling)
Zeelandia Travel and Books primarily sells travel-related publications and stationary. (Photo by Chen Mei-ling)