City looks to revive book market

Scenes from Taipei 40 years ago reoccurred yesterday on Kuling Street, where once over 100 vendors piled their used books until they spilled into the streets, attracting book lovers hunting for well-priced treasures.

In a bid to recall the thriving used book business on that street, the Taipei City government's Bureau of Cultural Affairs yesterday hosted an event to celebrate the market's heyday and possibly revive some of the old business. Some, however, doubted the once prosperous business on the street could ever be revitalized.

The five used bookstores that remain on the street are run-down small units filled with a distinctive musty smell. These stores are a testament to the many changes that have taken place in Taipei.

Cheng Yi-wen (鄭義文), who used to visit the used book stands during her college years and returned yesterday for the event, said the street was always packed with people. "I would start book hunting in the early morning and spend a whole day in those shabby one-floor stores or stands, because I couldn't afford new books."

Cheng said the shopping was slow but fun. "The surprise of finding books unavailable anywhere else, such as ones out of print, would make your day," Cheng recalled. "These stores were also friendlier. If what you wanted was not available in one store, the owner would always show you where to get it."

A man surnamed Chang (張), a 60-year-old regular at Kuling Street who found rare kung fu novels among piles of books crowding a store smaller than 10 pings said, "Here is the only place you can get those books that would never be republished."

Forty-year-old Chen-hui (陳蕙) squatted outside the store flipping through kung-fu novels piled on the floor with names of authors that no teenager today would recognize.

"These are all that I enjoyed when I was young. Now it's just difficult to find them anywhere else," Chen said.

Even the political atmosphere on the street has changed. Kao Fu-ching (高福清), who has been running his used bookstore there for 30 years said: "Under martial law, the police would always raid bookstores to ensure there was nothing advocating sedition. All stores got searched unless you were KMT," Kao said, recalling that once he had to avoid picking up books that advocated Taiwan independence for that reason.

"This surely doesn't happen anymore," he said.

Kao said he didn't believe attempts to revive the used book business would be successful. People have higher living standards now and won't be interested in used books, he said. In addition, he said old and precious books that would attract regular buyers are now rarer in stock. "People tended to rent houses more before, which prompted them to dump old books when moving."

Huang Wen-long (黃文龍), who participated in the event yesterday and said he perused the shops years ago, echoed Kao's doubts the market could be revived. "Such shopping now only serves the purpose of recalling those good old days," he said.