Night reading in Taipei unmanned second-hand bookstore
Unmanned second-hand bookstore in Taipei, with "BOOKS SELF-SERVICE (Self-service book service)" on the doorplate. Photo by Yang Chengchen of China News Agency
On New Year's Eve in 2020, most of the shops on Xinhai Road in Daan District, Taipei City are closed for business. Only one unused second-hand bookstore is still closed. There is no countdown to the New Year, and there is no carnival all night. Only a lot of book lovers meet here, reading books in small groups, very leisurely.
This unused second-hand bookstore that has been open for less than a year has no name, and the yellow sign only says "BOOKS SELF-SERVICE" (self-service book service). The owner is Wu Yahui, who is the second-generation operator of "Old Xiangju". She and her father Wu Huikang have been in the used book business in Taipei for nearly half a century. The "Old Fragrant House" founded by her father was one of the most well-known used book stores in the Chinese world.
"I want to know how books and people interact in a bookstore without a shop owner." Wu Yahui always wanted to try an unmanned model in the bookstore. It happened that the remaining books in the "Old Fragrant House" needed a new store for distribution, and no one used it. Bookstores came into being.
Unlike most second-hand bookstores where space is scarce, Wu Yahui's storefront is spacious and bright, with desks, benches, lamps, and air-conditioning available. Bookshelves are arranged in an orderly manner, and those who have good books are not restricted to find books in front of the shelves. This book is organized neatly in different categories, and readers can browse it at will. When you encounter a favorite book, you can take it home for less than the "copper price" of NT $ 100.
"The environment here is very good, the books are diverse, and the update speed is fast." Ms. Lin checks in with friends every week at this "unmanned store". The newly launched signature product "Second-hand Book Blessing Bag" in the store makes her very happy. Fascinated. "Every weekend, I will open the lucky bag to see what books are drawn." Ms. Lin said that the well-selected various popular books in the lucky bag expose herself to many new things, and random topics and content often bring her freshness. Surprise reading experience.
On New Year's Day this year, Wu Yahui's unmanned second-hand bookstore tried for the first time not to close the day on weekends, becoming the second 24-hour bookstore in Taiwan after the Eslite Bookstore, and the first second-hand bookstore in Taiwan to close on weekends. Many literati in Taipei heard the news and rushed to the store's "New Year's Eve", which made her small shop famous.
Ms. Zhuang, who lives nearby, is a loyal fan of a second-hand bookstore. She will read here very late after work every Friday. “The work and life matters during the day are trivial, and only at night can you really meditate.” Ms. Zhuang said that night reading is her own lifestyle. This unused second-hand bookstore provided her with a quiet reading space in the bustling downtown of Taipei. I can communicate with books comfortably and comfortably at any time, "there will be security guards patrolling late at night, so there is no need to worry about security."
In addition to the adventurous readers, there are a large number of visitors to the second-hand bookstore. Visitors entering the shop, self-study students, old people strolling, dating couples ... These "accidental visitors" gave Wu Yahui new ideas about the direction of the unmanned bookstore. She plans to add more service facilities in the store, attract more people to enter the bookstore, and turn her unmanned second-hand bookstore into a public service space for humanities in the city.
"We will realize 24 hours a day operation as soon as possible on the basis of not closing on weekends." Wu Yahui said that extending the business hours is the first step of the plan. If the business results are good, the model of unmanned second-hand bookstores will be considered in the future. Promote to the field of "activating" old buildings, transforming idle old houses and empty houses scattered in the city into unmanned study houses, while facilitating readers, it can also allow more people to stop and feel the richness of humanity in Taipei wind. Our reporter Jin Chen