The Etude Bookstore

The Etude team is located in Xincheng Village, in northern Hualien. This village, nestled between mountains and the sea, lies adjacent to the internationally renowned Taroko Gorge and borders the vast Pacific Ocean. Due to its unique geographical location, it has served as a pivotal point for human activity, fostering a convergence of diverse ethnic groups. The Xincheng and Xiulin areas, located in northern Hualien, serve as the gateway connecting Hualien-Taitung to the outside world, and furthermore, are the starting point for exploring the natural and cultural beauty of Hualien-Taitung. The alluvial fan plain, nurtured by the mountains, sea, and great rivers, extends outward from the Taroko Gorge entrance, connecting the hundred-mile longitudinal valley of the Hualien-Taitung Plain. It bears the traces of ethnic migrations and has fostered a rich tapestry of diverse local memories. Here, one can witness the indigenous peoples' way of life in the mountains and forests, the historical remnants of gold panning culture, and the interactions between Japanese and Han Chinese who successively migrated here. However, as the region declined, these precious historical memories and everyday cultures gradually faded from people's minds. The historical chapter of the Xincheng-Xiulin region can be traced back to the Age of Discovery in the 16th century. 'Doroman: The Legendary Land of Gold' tells of a golden river in eastern Taiwan and an indigenous tribe who called themselves Turuboan. Known for their trading prowess, they were recorded in the annals by maritime adventurers during the Dutch and Spanish periods. 'Turuboan' gradually became a synonym for the Xincheng-Xiulin region, being the earliest name for this area documented in writing. Later in the 19th century, with the construction of official roads into the 'back mountains' (eastern Taiwan), Han Chinese established new homes here, naming it 'Xincheng'. Before this, the Xincheng-Xiulin region was not effectively governed Qing territory; indigenous peoples were the primary inhabitants, with only a small number of Han Chinese entering for trade. The year 1874 marked a turning point for the 'back mountains' region of the island. Large numbers of immigrants arrived, and with them, state power brought development, conflict, and oppression. During the Japanese colonial period, in 1914, the Governor-General's Office, focusing its policy on 'pacifying the aborigines', launched an attack from Xincheng, advancing along the Liwu River valley into Taroko tribal territory. This is historically known as the 'Taroko War'. To commemorate the event, the authorities renamed Xincheng to 'Yanhai' after the Governor-General who led the campaign. Xincheng thus became the center for mountain and forest governance in Eastern Taiwan. After the war, Xincheng reverted to its original name. Due to its geological conditions and national policies, it became a major hub for the cement industry. Its strategic advantage as a transportation node for the Suhua Highway and Central Cross-Island Highway also attracted a large transient population, leading to bustling economic activity. However, the construction of the bypass road completed in the 1990s diverted traffic and pedestrian flow, and Xincheng rapidly declined from prosperity thereafter. The Etude team founded The Etude Bookstore in 2017. Its original intention was for the bookstore to serve as a 'home' for children in the Xincheng, Xiulin, and Aohua areas. Initially, it was a place for young baseball players to eat and do homework after school. However, due to the bookstore's inherent cultural characteristics, it gradually became a base in the Xincheng neighborhood for fostering local consensus and conducting cultural activities, stimulating diverse artistic and cultural events. Starting with baseball, 'Etude' has taken root in the mountains and sea, dedicating itself to cultural preservation efforts such as educational companionship, spatial revitalization, and diverse curricula, aiming to awaken local energy. We hope to translate every story from the land and its people into a contemporary form, continue Etude's core belief in mutual assistance and shared prosperity, and showcase the humanistic value of Xincheng.