Bookworms find heaven with new store opening

It's 5pm on an ordinary day in the week. The MRT door opens at the Zhongxiao and Dunhua stop and countless people get off. Many of them have backpacks and some are even dressed in school uniform. To any Taipei person in the know, it wouldn't be hard to guess their destination: The Eslite bookstore on Dunhua and Renai roads.

With the opening of the new flagship Eslite in Xinyi district, all this may soon change soon. Or will it?

"The flagship store first opened to the public on 12/16," said Eslite spokesman Lin I-hui (林怡卉). "These first two weeks are like an introductory phase where we let Taipei citizens get acquainted with the new store. There are many final touches to be made, from putting more books into vacant shelves to more stores opening daily in the first floor boutiques. Officially, our first day of business is Jan. 1."

The flagship store has already received much attention from avid book shoppers. For the first week, an estimated 30,000 to 40,000 people visited per day. Once inside, it's not difficult to understand the hype. With a total of eight floors, including two basement floors that sell the latest clothing trends and the food court, it is three-and-a-half times the size of the Eslite store on Dunhua and Renai. One of its most impressive features is that the decor of every section in the book store is designed to correspond with the category of the books.

But to the younger generation who make up a pivotal and loyal core of any bookstore's target audience, does all this matter?

"I visited the flagship store along with a few classmates during the first week," said Jeanne Lin (林妍均), 21, a political science junior at National Taiwan University. "With all the publicity, my friends and I were disappointed. It didn't really feel like a bookstore, just another extravagant mall that sold more books, upscale clothing in the basement and luxury brands on the first floor. The books themselves were a bit unorganized and badly arranged, like they ran out of time. It felt a bit too flashy on the outside and they forgot that it should have been an atmospheric bookstore instead of a museum or mall."

Lin I-hui responded, "We were a bit rushed during the first few days but we've finished up now. All the books are in order and I'm sure the public will appreciate the nice details that distinguish us from other bookstores."

With its 10-year history, as well as being the first 24 hour bookstore, the old Eslite was an establishment in Taipei, an emblem of its sophistication. Will the new Eslite exert the same influence?

"Ask any student, or anyone in their 20s or 30s. Almost all of them will admit that the Dun-Nan Eslite played a vital role in their social or academic lives," said Bob (曾勤博), 24, a graduate student studying law. "By now, it's not just a bookstore. It's a social landmark that people in Taipei are proud of ... It's an unwritten rule among students that guys go there after class or during long summer afternoons to check out the girls."

When asked if he usually buys his books there, he shakes his head. Most students don't buy books in Eslite, he explains. They're higher priced. But with its aura of urban chic, it has become a playground for the younger generation.

Whether the new Xinyi Eslite can strike the same chord and eventually find its own identity among Taipei bookstores, the people of Taipei will soon decide. Yet one thing is certain: The Xinyi Eslite has arrived.