Chongqing South Road Bookstore Street Introduction
● Introduction: Chongqing South Road, originally named Fuxing Street and Wenwu Street, is one of Taiwan's historically significant bookstore streets. At its peak, there were over a hundred bookstores and publishers. Many literati, intellectuals, and students enjoyed wandering here for an afternoon; for them, the bookstore street felt like their equivalent of Xinyi District or a shopping paradise, and it can be said that this bookstore street nurtured many of Taiwan’s elites. Nowadays, due to multiple factors affecting its popularity, the bookstore street is gradually declining, with most of the well-known major publishers standing firm. Nevertheless, Chongqing South Road remains the street with the highest density of bookstores in the Taipei area. ● Features and Recommendations: During the Japanese occupation, "Taiwan Book Company" was established on Chongqing South Road, specializing in printing textbooks of that time. After the recovery, it was renamed "Taiwan Bookstore." After 2003, when the textbook market was opened, the textbook business originally handled by Taiwan Bookstore was adjusted, leading to the closure of many bookstores due to policy and market changes. The literary atmosphere on Chongqing South Road has a historical context. Even now, a large number of bookstores stand tall here, where you can find books of any field or purpose you desire. Unfortunately, due to changes in the market, a decrease in readers, and the impact of online bookstores, the number of bookstores has significantly declined. However, despite this, the bookstore street still holds an important status, with many publishers and bookstores continuing to strive here to serve readers. Upon entering, one can feel the strong aroma of books. Picking up a book and reading slowly, relishing the exciting parts of your favorites, you can get immersed in the scent of books, and an afternoon passes quickly. This feeling resonates with many who visit the bookstores on Chongqing South Road, a street with a long history. The older generation recalls that at its peak, there were over a hundred bookstores and publishers! Here, many well-established bookstores exist, such as San Min Bookstore, which has a collection of nearly 150,000 titles, being the first in the country to create a "library-style" bookstore that allows visitors to immerse themselves in the vast world of knowledge while browsing. Other bookstores, such as Rulin Bookstore, World Bookstore, and Tianlong Bookstore, also number around 20-30, each with its distinct features.
