Lai A-sheng, head of Laurel Publishing House, went missing on the 15th while hiking on the Longtan Summit Trail in Sanwan Township. After his family reported him missing, police searched for several days and found his body on the cliff between the trail and the Zhonggang River the day before yesterday. The remains were then carried down the mountain. As the deceased had a history of heart disease, the exact cause of the fatal fall is still under investigation by prosecutors and police. Lai’s sudden passing has left local residents and the cultural community in deep sorrow. His family held a memorial service for him at the Toufen Municipal Funeral Parlor on the 26th.
Lai A-sheng was a Hakka from Nanzhuang. He enjoyed hiking and reading, had excellent writing skills, and entered the publishing industry after starting his career. In 1974, he founded Laurel Book Company, translating and publishing a large number of foreign books on psychology, literature and history, and philosophy. These works became required readings for many university professors, laying the knowledge foundation for students in the humanities and social sciences. He also opened the “Laurel Bookstore” across from National Taiwan University campus.
Facing the impact of digital technology, in 2007 Laurel Publishing House relocated to Sanwan Township, Miaoli. Lai A-sheng closely collaborated with the Hakka Studies departments of National Chiao Tung University and National United University, publishing multiple books on Hakka culture. The following year, the first book on Hakka religion, “The Feast of People and Gods,” was published, documenting the Yuanjiao Festival celebrations at the Yongchang Temple, a local religious center.
Lai A-sheng usually lived alone in Sanwan. On the 15th, he went hiking on the Longtan Summit Trail by himself. When his family couldn’t reach him and neighbors hadn’t seen him, they urgently called the police for help. Police, firefighters, and rescue personnel deployed drones for several days and found his body at noon the day before yesterday on a cliff about 180 meters deep between the trail and the Zhonggang River, confirming his unfortunate death.
Lai A-sheng’s daughter, Lai Li-wen, said her father dedicated his life to publishing and culture. Upon returning to his hometown, he donated books to the Sanwan Township Public Library and gifted the family’s 2.6-hectare plot of land to National United University for teaching research, multiculturalism, and industrial promotion. She said running a publishing house in Taiwan is very tough, but her father persevered and never gave up throughout his life. She is considering finding someone with the same vision and ideals to continue the “Laurel” spirit and take over the publishing house.