In 2014, Lu Wen-jun (盧文鈞) from Taichung rented an old Hakka house with earth walls and red bricks on Shihdianzih Old Street (石店子老街) also known Zhongzheng Road, in Guanxi Township, Hsinchu County, and opened a second-hand bookstore called "Shihdianzih No. 69 Organic Bookstore (石店子69有機書店)". Lu, who became the bookstore’s manager, said this old street used to be very prosperous, but with the decline of the local tea industry, the population gradually moved out. He noticed the idle old houses in the area, which were uninhabited and neglected, and became wholeheartedly motivated to revitalize them.

(Image: FTV)

Originally, Lu wanted to completely renovate the walls and floors of the old house, but the mottled walls and wooden roof made him feel the traces of the years, so he decided to keep the original appearance of the house. Through his efforts, Lu has created a reading paradise that does not sell books, but rather promotes reading through exchanges, and replaces doing business with sharing. In addition to extending the meaning of the life of books, the bookstore also establishes a relationship between people. As the name of the store suggests, "organic" implies natural cycles, and his bookstore appeals to people to "share". He hopes that this bookstore can become the center of community revitalization on the old streets of Guanxi.

(Image: FTV)

In addition to exchanging books, the bookstore also actively connects with Guanxi’s Hakka community, inviting creators to share and talk about their ideas, and organizing various hand-on activities, such as DIY kiln-baked pizza, hand-made leather key rings, and diverse community activities, such as learning the native language of Hakka and creating Hakka poems. Through sharing on the Internet, the bookstore has attracted many tourists, and the store manager has also begun to connect with stores in other industries in Guanxi town, hoping that this place can become a new starting point to revitalize the community. The bookstore also serves up Guanxi’s local foods, including red bean cakes unique to the town, tea baked by a local tea factory, and popsicles made by a century-old ice factory.

After Lu opened the organic bookstore, he hoped that visitors could stay in Guanxi longer, so he also rented another old house next to the bookstore and transformed it into a homestay called "67 Old Street Backpacker Hostel (67老街客棧)". This ancient house retains the high-rise architectural style of century-old houses, and presents the unique features of early Hakka-style houses that were built to accommodate big families. Since the opening of the homestay, many foreign tourists have stayed at the inn to experience the nostalgia of Hakka towns. For foreign backpackers, such old homestays are a novelty.

(Image: FTV)