I spent only about 1 night and 1 morning in Tainan, but from what I saw of the city in the time I was there, I can say it has captured my heart with its laid-back, old-town charm. Yes, the city looks somewhat grubby from the outside, but this former capital needs some digging beneath its surface to discover its hidden gems. Room A bookshop is one example of such a place.

Room A is a bookshop tastefully decorated in a contemporary retro style that is so inviting for book lovers to sit and lounge around. What’s special about Room A is that the books and magazines there are not for sale, rather they are only for browsing.

The bookshop’s business model is that you pay for the amount of time you spend browsing the reading material. When you enter the shop, you’re given a card which records the time you enter. When you leave, you pay TWD 1 for every minute you spend in there, with a minimum spending of 60 minutes. Such a business model will never work in Singapore or Hong Kong where there isn’t much of a reading culture. Then again, I really doubt this is a profitable business model even with a population that enjoys reading. My friend who introduced me to this place told me that the owner is operating this book shop purely as a hobby. In his words, “只是做興趣” (literally translated: doing it for interest’s sake).

The bar greets you the moment you enter. You can order coffee, tea, juices, sandwiches and other small bites.

If you don’t want to order fancy coffee, there’s normal tea, fruit teas, and water that you can help yourself to for free. Awesome, isn’t it?

I like how they have recycled wine crates into book shelves. The books and magazines here are mostly about lifestyle, travel, design, architecture, and photography. About three-quarters are Chinese publications while one-quarter is in English.

I like how the place is fitted to make it feel like one’s own living room. You can lounge on a couch, sit on a table with a laptop or plonk yourself down in a comfortable chair. Power points are available wherever you’re seated and free WiFi is available.

The bookshop is on the third floor so you won’t be able to see it from street level. Look out for this signage and walk to the third floor. A hair salon is on the second floor so go up one more level. If you want a place to rest your legs in between stretches when you’re exploring Tainan, this is definitely one place you could head to.

Room A
台南市西門路1段607號3樓
3/F, Section 1, 607 Ximen Road
Tainan, Taiwan
Tel: +886 (0)6 22097977
Open every day: 10am – 10pm