Chongqing South Road Bookstore Street Introduction
● Introduction: Chongqing South Road, originally known as Fuzh前 Street and Wenwu Street, is a historic bookstore street in Taiwan. At its peak, there were over a hundred bookstores and publishers, where many literati, intellectuals, and students enjoyed lingering for an afternoon. To them, the bookstore street was akin to their Xinyi District, their shopping paradise, and it can be said that this street fostered many of Taiwan's elites. However, due to multiple factors impacting its development, there has been a gradual decline in the number of bookstores. Most of the well-known large publishers remain steadfast, but despite this, Chongqing South Road is still the road with the highest density of bookstores in the Taipei region. ● Features and Recommendations: During the Japanese colonial period, the "Taiwan Book Company" was established on Chongqing South Road, specializing in publishing school textbooks. After the end of Japanese rule, it was renamed "Taiwan Bookstore." The literary atmosphere of Chongqing South Road has historical significance. Even now, numerous bookstores line the street, where one can find books from various fields and for various purposes. Unfortunately, due to market changes, a decrease in readers, and the impact of online bookstores, the number of bookstores here is no longer what it used to be. Nevertheless, the bookstore street still holds an important position, and many publishers and bookstores continue to strive to serve readers, making one feel the strong scent of books upon entering. Picking up a book and reading slowly, savoring the captivating parts word by word, one can easily spend an entire afternoon immersed in the literary fragrance. This feeling is shared by many who wander the bookstores of Chongqing South Road. With a long history, it is said by the older generation that there were over a hundred bookstores and publishers at its peak! There are many well-established bookstores here, such as San Min Bookstore, which houses nearly 150,000 titles and is the first in the nation to create a "library-style" bookstore, allowing visitors to be immersed in the vast world of knowledge while browsing. Other stores like Rulinh Bookstore, World Bookstore, and Tianlong Bookstore also each have their unique characteristics, contributing to a total of 20-30 noteworthy bookstores.
