JAPANESE-ERA BUILDING TURNS INTO SUMMER BOOKSTORE|老屋改造夏日書店 關山小鎮很文青

In remote areas in eastern Taiwan, bookstores are hard to find. In Taitung's Guanshan Township, a man used grant money he got from the government to renovate a local old Japanese building and opened a bookstore. Books, music, history, the tiny town of Guangshan all of a sudden takes on a hipster vibe. This East Rift Valley bookstore is located in an old Japanese-style building and has a unique look both inside and out. The store mainly offers secondhand books along with local agricultural specialties and music. The owner says there are few bookstores in rural Taitung and residents are missing culture in their lives. He therefore applied for funds from the Taitung County Cultural Affairs Department and worked with the owner of the house to open the store. Apart from the items for sale, the building itself has a fascinating history. As there is not much demand for bookstores in rural areas, however, the owner only plans to keep the bookstore open for three months on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. He says he will try to get more funding to open more bookstores in the East Rift Valley and south-link area to bring culture to rural areas. TRANSLATED BY：MONICA CHUANG