Central Bookstore Introduction
In the 1920s, Taiwanese intellectuals, inspired by new-style education during the Japanese colonial period, decided to lead the people of Taiwan to break free from intellectual confinement through literature and art, driven by their love for the land, national self-determination, and social mission. This also marked the beginning of the Central Bookstore's century-long cultural enlightenment mission. In 1926, members of the Taiwan Cultural Association, including Zhuang Chui-sheng, proposed to establish the "Central Club," with shareholders such as Lin Hsien-tang, Lin Yu-chun, Zhang Shen-qie, and Lai He. Initially aiming to set up a canteen, lodging, lecture hall, and bookstore, it was decided on January 3, 1927, to establish only the Central Bookstore as a social space for the Taiwan Cultural Association, undertaking the important responsibilities of enlightening the public and passing on culture. The original site of the Central Bookstore was located at No. 15, Section 3, Baodong, Taichung City (now No. 103, Shifu Road, Central District, Taichung City). In 1949, it was relocated to the adjacent site (currently at the intersection of Shifu Road and Taiwan Boulevard). This location originally served as a dormitory and warehouse for bookstore employees during the Japanese colonial period. It is a three-story eclectic building, featuring floral decorations around the top wall, a curved design, and a lattice beam system in the interior, with radiating structures that fully reflect the era's style. It was the largest Chinese bookstore at the time and remains the only bookstore building at its original site that retains its main structure. Upon its establishment, the Central Bookstore sold "Chinese books and magazines, stationery, art supplies, sports equipment and clothing, phonographs, and Western musical instruments," and established a "Publication Committee" that issued magazines such as "Nanyin" and "Taiwan Literature." Artists like Kuo Hsueh-hu, Chen Cheng-po, and Liao Chi-chun held exhibitions there, while writers and composers frequently organized exchange meetings. Notably, the pioneer of modern Korean dance, Choi Seung-hui, was also invited to visit, making it an important venue for intellectuals to engage with the world and gain knowledge and cultural nourishment. After World War II in 1945, the Central Bookstore insisted on defending the spirit of Taiwanese literature, publishing works for many Taiwanese authors such as Wu Yongfu and Zhang Shen-qie. In 1947, during the outbreak of the February 28 Incident, Zhuang Chui-sheng and Ye Rong-zhong used the bookstore as a meeting place for discussions. In March of that year, writer Yang Kui and his friends established the "Public Opinion Survey Office" at the Central Bookstore, where they printed flyers and organized a citizens' assembly, ultimately leading to the Taichung "27th Unit" incident—one of the largest and longest-lasting armed resistance movements across Taiwan at that time. In 1956, the American Institute in Taiwan established a library on the second floor of the Central Bookstore, introducing translated and original language books, becoming the only place in central Taiwan where a large number of foreign language books were available for reading. In 2015, observing the building's deteriorating condition, cultural figures like Su Rui-bi and writer Liu Ke-xiang called for its rescue. In 2016, Ms. Chang Hsing-ju, founder of the Hsin Yi Foundation, purchased the building and became its representative, establishing the Shangshan Cultural Foundation, which began operations in 2020, making it the only century-old bookstore to reopen at its original site in the country.
First Floor Themed Desk
First Floor Selection
