Yuanli has more than fish balls. Pick up a book—and a little sea breeze

The photographs suggest a bookstore engineered to switch you straight into useless-lump mode. A rocking horse stands on that deeply Taiwanese terrazzo floor, beside picture-book shelves set at a generous height for short legs. The inviting green sofa? Sorry, the stuffed animals have claimed it. Outside, poetry fills the window; two chairs face each other across a small table. You haven't picked a book yet, and the room is already insisting: sit down, stare into space.

The Yuanli Seawind team opened this independent bookstore, 掀冊店, in 2018. They're busy making things happen around town: publishing local writing, leading walks and working with craftspeople to keep Yuanli's formidable rush-weaving tradition going. Their online shop puts the Yuanli journal alongside woven hats, fans and cushions. Ask what's currently in stock at the physical shop. You could leave the same town with a book that knows the neighbourhood and a hat somebody made by hand.

From Yuanli Station, it's roughly 500 metres or seven minutes on foot—about two songs. Don't make it your backup plan for killing time between trains. Leave room to browse, sit down and properly loaf about.