Get lost in a market. Find a book.
Wen Chao puts Taiwan history and independent publishing inside Nantou's market lanes.
By Look Three Small editors · Nantou City
Reading and conversation at Wen Chao
Place photograph
Reading and conversation at Wen Chao. Image: Nantou Wen Chao Independent Bookstore. Editorial use.
Editorial useView source ↗
A bookstore at the end of a market lane: Taiwan history, independent publishing and coffee.
A market is already a good place to read a town: what people eat, what they repair, what survives another generation. Nantou's Wen Chao Independent Bookstore adds books to the exercise. Its shelves lean toward Taiwan history, local stories, art and independent publishing. Coffee gives you another excuse to stay.
The bookstore opened in autumn 2025 and runs talks, exhibitions and local walks. The owner's photographs show the scale of the place: tables, books and people close enough to have a conversation. I'd choose this over another shopping-mall afternoon.
Find it through entrance 6 of the market, beside 源振發. Turn left at the first junction and keep going to the end. It is about nine minutes on foot from 南投市客運總站.
Regular hours: Thursday 13:30–21:00; Friday 13:30–18:00; Saturday–Sunday 10:00–18:00. No. 19, Lane 322, Minzu Road, Nantou City.
Get there
Public transport
From 南投市客運總站 (No. 122, Datong South Street), walk about 617 metres, nine minutes, via Sanhe 3rd Road, Fuxing Road and Minzu Road. Enter the market at entrance 6 beside 源振發, turn left at the first junction and keep going to the end.
Sources
- Wen Chao: Thursday evening opening ↗ — Thursday 13:30–21:00; Friday and weekend hours
- Wen Chao Independent Bookstore: about the bookstore ↗ — Curation, hours, address and photograph
- Nantou Culture Loft: programme ↗ — Talks, exhibitions and walks
- Wen Chao on Threads: prose-writing workshop invitation ↗ — October 10 workshop
- Wen Chao on Threads @nt_culture_loft_bookstore ↗ — Bookstore account
- LINE: contact Wen Chao ↗ — Questions and how to join
- Google Maps: Wen Chao Independent Bookstore ↗ — Exact location