A five-minute walk from Taipei's Danshuei mass-rapid-transit station, You He Book is located one floor above the bustling promenade along the Danshuei River, offering customers and tourists alike a peaceful place to enjoy the view, books and coffee all at the same time.
"Why not?," which in Chinese sounds similar to the pronunciation of "You He Book," was co-owner Dennis Chan's answer to the question why he and his wife Enid Hsu opened a bookstore when more and more people seem to be swapping books for Internet surfing, and when they do buy a title, do so online.
"Our reason for opening a bookstore is simple--to live a life we feel worth living," Chan said Nov. 30. A copywriter with advertising companies for more than 10 years, Chan gave up the profession citing the absence of a real challenge in a business environment that does not treasure creativity as his reason for walking away. Hsu was an art designer before quitting to devote herself to the bookstore--an occupation that perfectly readied her to create the shop's interior design. You He Book opened in November 2006, two months after the couple came up with the idea of creating a bookstore.
A bookstore with a view is what Chan and Hsu wanted, and the stunning view of the Danshuei River from You He Book more than fits the bill. The couple chose the area, which, due to the combination of its historic attractions and easy accessibility in recent years, has become popular with locals. Chan said that another consideration is that there are no landmark bookstores in the north of Taipei. The bookstore's Bohemian vibe, which includes indie music playing at just the right decibel, is perfect for visitors to either chat or read. For Hsu, when she is not preparing coffee for customers, she writes poems.
Poetry is the specialty of You He Book. Renowned poets, such as Hsia Y?and Tsai Wan-shuen, put their limited editions of poem collections on display in the bookstore. "We sell only books that we feel like reading," Chan explained. Literary books and those on culture and history make up the bulk of the store's titles. A "Not-for-sale" sign designates a bookshelf of rare copies given by authors, including an English-language "Ventriloquy: Selected Poems from the Chinese of Hsia Y?" which the Jhongli-based poetry translator Steve Bradbury gifted to the couple.
Though Chan and Hsu did not start out with any great ambitions for the bookstore, You He Book soon caught the attentions of Taipei's literary community. They organized poetry-promotion activities, for example, and helped host the Taipei Poetry Festival, which is now in its eighth year. Bloggers have also contributed a lot to enhance the bookstore's profile. Both Chan and Hsu are diligent blog writers--one on cinema, the other on poetry--and have built a strong online following of like-minded "culture vultures." This helped create a ready-made clientele without any extra effort. "There are countless examples of people who we 'met' in cyberspace becoming our customers," Chan said.
It is argued that the Internet's soulless online shopping systems have been depriving bookstores of patrons everywhere around the globe. But for Chan and Hsu, the Internet draws in readers that are more than just buyers. The bookstore also organizes reading seminars and film screenings. The strategy is to broaden the store's customer base while empowering people in Taiwan who care for literature. "Perhaps this is what makes us different from our rivals," Chan said.
--Joyce Yeh is a free-lance writer based in Taipei.
Copyright 2007 by Joyce Yeh
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