Live life with resilience and be your own supporter: In memory of Wu Qingyou, Chairman of Eslite Group
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It is said that “the world is impermanent.” Although we know the truth clearly, when faced with the test of cruel reality, people often find it difficult to bear it.
Less than an hour ago, I suddenly saw Eslite Group Chairman [Wu Qingyou](https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/ %E5%90%B3%E6%B8%85%E5%8F%8B) passed away tonight (18th) in Beijing Medical University due to a sudden heart attack (https://news.ltn.com.tw/news/life/breakingnews/2136115), which shocked me greatly. Later, Eslite Bookstore also confirmed that Mr. Wu Qingyou passed away due to an old heart disease at the age of 68.
In late June of this year, I just listened to his speech at the AAMA Annual Conference hosted by Digital Times magazine. The words still ring in my ears, but this wise elder suddenly left us. How can we not make people sigh.
Eslite Bookstore is Taiwan’s cultural landscape
It can almost be said that there is no Taiwanese who does not know about Eslite Bookstore. To exaggerate, Eslite can be regarded as a scenery in Taiwan. But I must admit that my previous understanding of Chairman Wu was actually very limited, and I didn’t even fully agree with Eslite’s transformation; I didn’t even know that he silently endured Eslite’s losses for fifteen years before slowly turning losses into profits.
Use life to explore creative possibilities
In this era that emphasizes quick success and utilitarianism, Wu Qingyou did not choose to use a business model to view profits and losses. Of course, there is an “innocent romance” hidden in this as an entrepreneur, but also because “[he wants to see what else he can be creative with in his life] (http://www.ntutana.org.tw/?p=1373)”!
It was also because of listening to his speech in June that I learned that Chairman Wu was suffering from congenital heart disease. This made him think more actively about the meaning and issues given by life - what dreams are worth pursuing in the next life? What other missions must be completed?
Without business, Eslite cannot survive; but without culture, Eslite does not want to survive either.
Move book lovers from reading
Because he encountered life tests and career bottlenecks again and again, Chairman Wu wanted to understand life and himself through reading. This was also the origin of Eslite Bookstore, and it even touched countless book lovers along the way. In recent years, Eslite Bookstore has begun to embrace the cultural and creative industry, extending its reach to galleries, exhibitions, residences, restaurants and hotels, lifestyle cultural creation and travel, and has also developed different career peaks in Hong Kong, Suzhou and other places. However, what Chairman Wu really misses is Taiwan’s cultural industry, as well as the people and things he loves.
很遗憾地，就在中山地下书街「诚品R79」即将正式营运的前夕，就在我们即将见证另一个文化地景崛起的此刻，吴董事长却倒下了。 Although we are far away, I will never forget Chairman Wu’s contribution to Taiwan and the wonderful reading experience Eslite Bookstore brings to book lovers.
Thank you, Chairman Wu, for making me understand how important it is to live out the resilience of life and be your own biggest supporter!
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