In recent years, as the Shuili First Public Market has launched space renovation and cultural regeneration initiatives, the market is no longer just a venue for traditional trading—it is gradually evolving into a platform for diverse exchange and community co-creation. In this context, the Shuilikeng and Jiji Commercial Districts came together with the idea of "bringing reading into everyday life" and opened a small, cozy organic bookstore on the B1 floor of the market, launching an experimental journey that blends market and culture.
The bookstore centers on the spirit of "book exchange," encouraging residents to donate and swap books. Through the circulation and sharing of books, it establishes a cycle of knowledge and stories within the community. The collection includes titles on sustainable living, local culture, picture books, and more. The space is open and relaxing—children can browse freely, and adults can pause for a moment of reading while shopping for groceries.
Over the past few weeks, children have regularly stopped by the bookstore after school or while accompanying their parents to the market. Some sit on the floor, absorbed in picture books, while others ask curiously: "May I borrow books to take home?" These heartfelt interactions have become the bookstore's most beautiful scenery, and they reinforce the commercial district team's belief that combining books with the market can open new cultural possibilities for the community.
The birth of the bookstore represents another dimension of revitalizing the Shuili traditional market—extending from stall renovation to the creation of cultural space, and further expanding from infrastructure improvement to the transformation of everyday life. In the future, the bookstore plans to collaborate with parent-child groups to host storytelling sessions, junior bookstore clerk experiences, and cultural walking tours, making the market not just a place to shop for groceries, but a community hub for intergenerational connection and the circulation of knowledge.
Bookstore contact information:
Nantou County Shuilikeng Commercial District Industry and Hakka Culture Development Association
Business hours: Weekdays 9:00–16:00
Contact phone: 049-2776058
Contact email:shuilture@gmail.com
