Daohu Chedian is a bookstore and also a community tofu shop; opening a shop is a lifestyle attitude

"Most bookstores pair books with coffee, but we pair books with soy milk." Minhua, one of the founders of Daohu Chedian, whips soy milk into a dense foam, slowly pours it over Luye Hong Wulong tea, and serves it with salt-brined tofu pudding. You can also order a cup of watermelon soy milk, letting fruit and soybean fragrance meet naturally, while enjoying a quiet moment with books.

The secret base hidden near the rear station of Chiayi Railway Station: Daohu Chedian

After exiting the rear station of Chiayi Railway Station, stroll along Zhuwen Street for about eight minutes until you reach the intersection with Beixing Street. An old house with Tiffany blue and wooden construction comes into view. A banner reading "High price, no home" hangs on the second floor, while the first floor displays "We support non-GMO." The entire old house seems to have become an advertising wall for social ideals.

Stepping into the old house, everything is in the natural color of wood. From the beams and pillars to the tables, chairs, and cabinets, all are constructed from wood. Directly facing the entrance is a display case, half filled with books and the other half with lifestyle goods. Passing through the bookshelves and the bar counter, there is a hidden partitioned room in the back where you can sit undisturbed on a sofa or wooden chair to read.

In the public reading area painted in bright yellow, chairs and cushions are placed. You can take off your shoes and find a comfortable spot to read freely. "This used to be a friend's coffee shop. After we took over, we turned it into a bookstore." Minhua and Shihan say as they sit down at the large table.

Chedian is a bookstore; Daohu means both tofu and the call of the island

Daohu Chedian has two founders: Minhua, who makes tofu and soy milk, and Shihan, who runs the bookstore. Neither is from Chiayi. They chose to settle in Chiayi because Shihan once lived there and loved the atmosphere of life in Chiayi. The two have completely different personalities, but opening a shop was their shared dream.

Originally, Shihan wanted to open a bookstore, while Minhua wanted to open a community tofu shop. So they created "Daohu Chedian," where books and tofu coexist. "Daohu is the Taiwanese pronunciation of tofu, and chedian means bookstore. These are the two main elements of the shop."

Besides being the Taiwanese pronunciation of tofu, Daohu carries another layer of meaning: "The birth of this space comes from the call of the island." Minhua says that all kinds of things happen on this land, and people everywhere are calling out about the issues they care about. Whether it is farmland, pollution, or food production, the island calls upon those who live together to see these events, big and small, that are happening.

From the science park to the farmers' market: an engineer becomes a tofu maker

Before opening the shop, Minhua was an engineer at the Hsinchu Science Park. About eight years ago, she felt life was a bit boring. At a friend's invitation, she joined the Society of Wilderness and came into contact with agriculture, environmental, and land issues. "At the time I lived in Hsinchu and started going to the Bamboo Dragonfly Green Market on weekends."

As for how she entered the world of beans, tofu, and soy milk? Minhua says that before getting involved with the environment and agriculture, she had already gradually stopped eating meat. Over the years, soy products became an indispensable source of protein. After becoming a market partner, she also took tofu classes at the Hopu Agro-Ecology Market, progressing from apprentice, assistant, and second-in-command to master, and even served as a teaching assistant in the tofu class.

After participating in the tofu class, Minhua planted the seed of opening a tofu shop in her heart. She later interned at Dou Zhi Jia and Chuanlong Tofu Shop. "Chuanlong Tofu Shop is more like the tofu shop in my mind." She admits that the tofu shop she wants does not need to be too large; the simpler the tools and model, the better