Taichung’s Central Bookstore yesterday marked its official reopening after years of renovations and a year of trial operations.
The bookstore opened on Jan. 3, 1927, during the Japanese colonial period, before moving to its current location on Taiwan Boulevard in Central District (中區) in 1948.
The store was opened by the Taiwanese Cultural Association, which used the venue to host meetings of pro-democracy advocates and to help develop a localized culture.
Photo: CNA
It was closed in 1998, with its owners citing financial difficulties.
In 2015, with the efforts of Downtown Renaissance Association chairman Su Jui-pi (蘇睿弼) and writer Liu Ka-shiang (劉克襄), the building was purchased by Hsin-Yi Foundation chairwoman Chang Hsing-ju (張杏如).
After renovations, the bookstore opened for trial operations in November last year.
Central Bookstore is not only a “cultural fortress” in Taichung, but also an important cultural landmark in the nation’s cultural development, Minister of Culture Lee Yung-te (李永得) said at the reopening.
It is a collective memory shared by many, he said, adding that he believes that under new management, the bookstore would be of great help to the development of culture in the city and beyond.
Central Bookstore was the largest bookstore when he was studying in Taichung 50 years ago, with a collection that included many academic and non-commercial books, Shang Shan Human Culture Foundation chairman Chan Hung-chih (詹宏志) said.
Chan said he hopes the bookstore would continue to serve as a center of culture in central Taiwan.
In its early days, many items such as reference books, globes and fountain pens could only be found at the bookstore, said Chang, who is a native of Taichung.
The renovation was not an easy task, she said, adding that evaluation of its structure and rehabilitation alone took nearly a year.
The bookstore yesterday opened a special exhibition that explores the wave of art and literature that influenced Taiwan during the Japanese colonial period.
It also displays descriptions and images of the works of important people in central Taiwan at the time.
It presents the context of the Meiji Restoration and the Taisho Roman era, as well as the artistic and cultural landscape of Taiwan during the Japanese colonial period.
The exhibition runs until Jan. 18 next year.
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