{"id":47233,"date":"2026-04-11T20:21:29","date_gmt":"2026-04-11T12:21:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/?p=47233"},"modified":"2026-09-21T16:23:09","modified_gmt":"2026-09-21T08:23:09","slug":"market-vogue-character-01-zheng-meat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/en\/market-vogue-character-01-zheng-meat\/","title":{"rendered":"Craftsman Walks in Old Tainan | Cheng&#8217;s Butchery at Dongcaishi: a Century Curated by a Precisionist, from a Cold-Chain Revolution to Counselling Behind the Counter"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><!-- Schema Markup --><br \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">\n[\n  {\n    \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n    \"@type\": \"Article\",\n    \"headline\": \"Cheng's Butchery, Dongcaishi Market: a century-old Tainan craftsman's cold-chain revolution and knife philosophy\",\n    \"description\": \"Three generations of the Cheng family have kept to an almost obsessive standard at Dongcaishi Market in Tainan. From being first to bring in a refrigerated display case thirty years ago to the proprietor's dietary consultations behind the counter, this is not simply a butcher's shop; it is a century of the old city's composure made concrete. The first issue of Market Vogue's craftsman walks.\",\n    \"author\": { \"@type\": \"Person\", \"name\": \"Editor-in-chief, 3 Door Hotel\" },\n    \"publisher\": {\n      \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n      \"name\": \"Market Vogue Online Magazine\",\n      \"logo\": { \"@type\": \"ImageObject\", \"url\": \"https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/3logo_index.svg\" }\n    },\n    \"datePublished\": \"2026-04-01\",\n    \"mainEntityOfPage\": { \"@type\": \"WebPage\", \"@id\": \"https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/market-vogue-character-01-zheng-meat\/\" }\n  },\n  {\n    \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n    \"@type\": \"LocalBusiness\",\n    \"name\": \"3 Door Hotel\",\n    \"url\": \"https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\",\n    \"telephone\": \"+886-6-222-3088\",\n    \"address\": { \"@type\": \"PostalAddress\", \"streetAddress\": \"No. 77 Chenggong Road\", \"addressLocality\": \"West Central District, Tainan\", \"addressCountry\": \"TW\" }\n  },\n  {\n    \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n    \"@type\": \"FAQPage\",\n    \"mainEntity\": [\n      {\n        \"@type\": \"Question\",\n        \"name\": \"Why is Dongcaishi Market in Tainan called the rich people's market?\",\n        \"acceptedAnswer\": { \"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"Dongcaishi was founded in 1908 on Jiuling, the highest ground in the old city. Because it sat close to the prefectural offices of the Qing and Japanese colonial periods, it has served officials and established families since its earliest days, producing a gentry culture of no haggling and high standards. That is why people in Tainan call it the rich people's market.\" }\n      },\n      {\n        \"@type\": \"Question\",\n        \"name\": \"Why was Cheng's cold-chain technology revolutionary in a traditional market?\",\n        \"acceptedAnswer\": { \"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"Cheng's Butchery was among the very first stalls in Tainan to install a fully refrigerated stainless steel display case, using a constant 4C to stabilise the cell structure of the meat. It broke with the old habit of leaving fresh meat at ambient temperature and established a modern standard of hygiene and trust.\" }\n      },\n      {\n        \"@type\": \"Question\",\n        \"name\": \"How do you experience the consultation-style service at Cheng's?\",\n        \"acceptedAnswer\": { \"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"Tell the proprietor what you are cooking and for whom, and the family will recommend the right cut, remove the lymph nodes for you and cut along the grain. We suggest visiting between 09:00 and 11:00, when the flow of customers is steadier and you can talk at leisure.\" }\n      },\n      {\n        \"@type\": \"Question\",\n        \"name\": \"What is distinctive about Cheng's cured pork and steamed rice-powder pork?\",\n        \"acceptedAnswer\": { \"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"They use traditional red yeast paste and a five-spice blend handed down through three generations, adjusting the proportions for each batch according to the season's humidity and temperature, and letting the meat age lightly at a constant temperature so the spices awaken the depth within the fat. It is a Tainan version of charcuterie.\" }\n      },\n      {\n        \"@type\": \"Question\",\n        \"name\": \"How do I walk from 3 Door Hotel to Cheng's Butchery at Dongcaishi?\",\n        \"acceptedAnswer\": { \"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"Turn right out of 3 Door Hotel and walk straight along Chenggong Road for about 15 minutes to reach Dongcaishi Market. We suggest going between 09:00 and 11:00, when the selection is fullest and it is the best time to talk to the family.\" }\n      }\n    ]\n  },\n  {\n    \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n    \"@type\": \"BreadcrumbList\",\n    \"itemListElement\": [\n      { \"@type\": \"ListItem\", \"position\": 1, \"name\": \"3 Door Hotel\", \"item\": \"https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\" },\n      { \"@type\": \"ListItem\", \"position\": 2, \"name\": \"Market Vogue: craftsman walks in old Tainan\", \"item\": \"https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/tag\/market-vogue\/\" },\n      { \"@type\": \"ListItem\", \"position\": 3, \"name\": \"Cheng's Butchery, Character Monograph Vol.1\", \"item\": \"https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/market-vogue-character-01-zheng-meat\/\" }\n    ]\n  }\n]\n<\/script><\/p>\n<article class=\"mv-character-issue\" style=\"font-family: 'Microsoft JhengHei', 'PingFang TC', serif; line-height: 2.2; color: #1a1a1a; max-width: 950px; margin: 0 auto; background-color: #f4f1ea; border: 1px solid #d1ccc0; overflow: hidden;\"><!-- \u2550\u2550\u2550 HEADER \u2550\u2550\u2550 --><\/p>\n<header style=\"background-color: #1a1a1a; padding: 120px 10% 100px; text-align: center; color: #fff; border-bottom: 12px solid #b8860b;\">\n<div style=\"display: inline-block; border: 1px solid #b8860b; padding: 10px 32px; color: #b8860b; font-size: 0.85em; letter-spacing: 10px; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 48px; text-transform: uppercase;\">Character Monograph \u00b7 Vol.01<\/div>\n<p style=\"font-size: clamp(14px, 2.5vw, 20px); font-weight: 300; margin: 0 0 16px; color: #888; letter-spacing: 3px;\">3 Door Hotel&#8217;s craftsman walks in old Tainan<\/p>\n<h1 style=\"font-size: clamp(28px, 6vw, 60px); font-weight: 900; line-height: 1.15; margin: 0 0 32px; color: #fff; letter-spacing: -1px;\">Dongcaishi Market: Cheng&#8217;s Butchery<br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #b8860b; font-weight: 300; font-size: 0.6em; letter-spacing: 2px; line-height: 2;\">A century curated by a precisionist<\/span><\/h1>\n<h2 style=\"font-size: clamp(14px, 2.5vw, 19px); font-weight: 300; color: #a0b2c1; max-width: 700px; margin: 0 auto 48px; line-height: 1.9; letter-spacing: 1px;\">From a cold-chain revolution thirty years ago to the counselling behind the counter:<br \/>\ndecoding the highest standard of taste in the old city<\/h2>\n<div style=\"width: 100px; height: 1px; background: #b8860b; margin: 0 auto;\"><\/div>\n<p style=\"font-size: 1em; color: #666; margin-top: 40px; letter-spacing: 6px; opacity: 0.8;\">Written by the editor-in-chief, 3 Door Hotel<\/p>\n<\/header>\n<p><!-- Hero \u5c01\u9762\u5927\u5716 --><\/p>\n<div style=\"background: #1a1a1a; width: 100%; overflow: hidden; border-bottom: 4px solid #b8860b;\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-45155\" style=\"width: 100%; height: auto; display: block;\" src=\"https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/\u4eba\u7269\u8a8c1\u5c01\u9762-800x448.png\" alt=\"\u53f0\u5357\u6771\u83dc\u5e02\u912d\u5bb6\u8089\u68e7\u8077\u4eba\u6563\u6b65\u5b78\u5c01\u9762\uff0cMarket Vogue \u5e9c\u57ce\u8077\u4eba\u8a8c\u9996\u520a\" width=\"800\" height=\"448\" srcset=\"https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/\u4eba\u7269\u8a8c1\u5c01\u9762-800x448.png 800w, https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/\u4eba\u7269\u8a8c1\u5c01\u9762-1280x717.png 1280w, https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/\u4eba\u7269\u8a8c1\u5c01\u9762-768x430.png 768w, https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/\u4eba\u7269\u8a8c1\u5c01\u9762-1536x860.png 1536w, https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/\u4eba\u7269\u8a8c1\u5c01\u9762.png 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/div>\n<p><!-- \u2550\u2550\u2550 Editor's Letter \u2550\u2550\u2550 --><\/p>\n<section style=\"padding: 100px 12%; background-color: #fff; border-bottom: 1px solid #eee;\">\n<div style=\"max-width: 720px; margin: 0 auto;\">\n<h3 style=\"font-size: 1.8em; color: #1a1a1a; margin-bottom: 40px; font-weight: 900; border-bottom: 3px solid #1a1a1a; display: inline-block; padding-bottom: 8px; letter-spacing: 2px;\">Why do we write about craftspeople?<\/h3>\n<p style=\"font-size: 1.15em; color: #444; line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 28px;\">If the market is this city&#8217;s stomach, craftspeople are the flesh and blood moving through it.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-size: 1.15em; color: #444; line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 28px;\">Over the past year of Market Vogue&#8217;s urban collecting project, we have taken travellers into five traditional markets in Tainan, writing about architecture, about sound, about taste. But as we wrote, we found that the most compelling thing was rarely the fabric of the place; it was the people who have stood at the same stall for three generations &#8211; protecting not just a business but an almost obsessive commitment to a standard.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-size: 1.15em; color: #444; line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 28px;\">In 2026, an age governed by efficiency and algorithms, that obsession is extraordinarily precious and close to endangered.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-size: 1.15em; color: #444; line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 0;\">For the first issue of our craftsman series we returned to the market Tainan people call the rich people&#8217;s market and found the shop that has redefined how high a traditional butcher can aim:<strong>Cheng&#8217;s Butchery<\/strong>. This is not only a story about pork; it is a long argument about composure &#8211; about people who, in an age that has lost its patience, still choose the slowest way to do everything as well as it can be done.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><!-- \u2550\u2550\u2550 Podcast \u64ad\u653e\u5668 \u2550\u2550\u2550 --><\/p>\n<section style=\"background-color: #0d1b2a; padding: 50px 12%; border-bottom: 3px solid #b8860b;\">\n<div style=\"max-width: 720px; margin: 0 auto;\">\n<table style=\"width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; border: none !important; margin-bottom: 20px;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr style=\"border: none !important;\">\n<td style=\"border: none !important; vertical-align: middle; padding: 0 24px 0 0; width: 56px;\">\n<div style=\"width: 52px; height: 52px; background: #b8860b; border-radius: 50%; position: relative; flex-shrink: 0;\">\n<div style=\"position: absolute; top: 50%; left: 54%; transform: translate(-50%, -50%); width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 9px solid transparent; border-bottom: 9px solid transparent; border-left: 16px solid #fff;\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: none !important; vertical-align: top; padding: 0;\">\n<p style=\"font-size: 0.65em; letter-spacing: 4px; color: #b8860b; margin: 0 0 6px; text-transform: uppercase; font-weight: bold;\">Market Vogue Podcast \u00b7 Character Series Ep.01<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-size: 1.05em; color: #f4f1ea; font-weight: bold; margin: 0;\">Cheng&#8217;s Butchery: the knife that has not changed in thirty years<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<!--[if lt IE 9]><script>document.createElement('audio');<\/script><![endif]-->\n<audio class=\"wp-audio-shortcode\" id=\"audio-47233-1\" preload=\"none\" style=\"width: 100%;\" controls=\"controls\"><source type=\"audio\/mpeg\" src=\"https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/\u53f0\u5357\u912d\u5bb6\u8089\u68e7\u7684\u8077\u4eba\u5b9a\u529b-online-audio-converter.com_.mp3?_=1\" \/><a href=\"https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/\u53f0\u5357\u912d\u5bb6\u8089\u68e7\u7684\u8077\u4eba\u5b9a\u529b-online-audio-converter.com_.mp3\">https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/\u53f0\u5357\u912d\u5bb6\u8089\u68e7\u7684\u8077\u4eba\u5b9a\u529b-online-audio-converter.com_.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><!-- \u2550\u2550\u2550 VOL. I \/ \u9df2\u5dba\u7684\u5730\u7de3\u653f\u6cbb\u5b78 \u2550\u2550\u2550 --><\/p>\n<section style=\"padding: 100px 10%; background-color: #fcfbf9;\">\n<div style=\"display: inline-block; background-color: #1a1a1a; padding: 8px 28px; color: #b8860b; font-weight: bold; font-size: 1em; letter-spacing: 5px; margin-bottom: 48px;\">VOL. I \/ The geopolitics of Jiuling<\/div>\n<h3 style=\"font-size: clamp(26px, 5vw, 44px); color: #1a1a1a; margin-bottom: 40px; font-weight: 900; line-height: 1.3;\">Above Jiuling:<br \/>\nthe genes of refinement at the top of the old city<\/h3>\n<p style=\"font-size: 1.15em; color: #333; line-height: 2.5; margin-bottom: 28px;\">To understand the unquestionable precision at Cheng&#8217;s, you first have to understand Tainan&#8217;s terrain.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-size: 1.15em; color: #333; line-height: 2.5; margin-bottom: 28px;\">The old city is not flat but made of seven low hills. In the Qing period, the highest of them &#8211; closest to the centre of power &#8211; was called Jiuling, and the prefectural offices stood on its flank. The finest talent and wealth of the old city gathered on Jiuling, and in 1908 Dongcaishi Market came into being. From the first day, its customers were not ordinary people.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-size: 1.15em; color: #333; line-height: 2.5; margin-bottom: 28px;\">The first generation of the Cheng family set their family rule within that air of gentility. In such a social stratum, a piece of pork was not only food: it was the face of a dinner, and an insistence on order in an official&#8217;s household. You could not serve second-rate meat to people with standards for everything &#8211; they could taste it.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-size: 1.15em; color: #333; line-height: 2.5; margin-bottom: 60px;\">Once planted, that gene is hard to dilute. Three generations on, the Cheng standard is exactly as it was. This is not stubbornness but respect for the customer: if you have come to me, you deserve the best.<\/p>\n<p><!-- Visual Timeline --><\/p>\n<div style=\"background-color: #0d1b2a; color: #fff; padding: 60px 8%; border: 1px solid #b8860b;\">\n<h4 style=\"color: #b8860b; font-size: 1.4em; text-align: center; margin-bottom: 48px; font-weight: 900; letter-spacing: 8px;\">TIMELINE \u00b7 A century of composure<\/h4>\n<table style=\"width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; border: none !important;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr style=\"border-bottom: 1px solid rgba(184,134,11,0.3) !important;\">\n<td style=\"width: 20%; padding: 32px 16px 32px 0; text-align: right; font-weight: 900; color: #b8860b; font-size: 1.6em; border: none !important; vertical-align: top;\">1908<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 32px 0 32px 32px; color: #ccc; font-size: 1.05em; border: none !important; line-height: 2; vertical-align: top;\">Dongcaishi Market formally opens. On the high ground of Jiuling, serving senior officials of the Qing and Japanese colonial periods, it sets a gentry tone of high quality and no haggling. The most exacting people in the old city now had a fixed place to shop.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"border-bottom: 1px solid rgba(184,134,11,0.3) !important;\">\n<td style=\"width: 20%; padding: 32px 16px 32px 0; text-align: right; font-weight: 900; color: #b8860b; font-size: 1.6em; border: none !important; vertical-align: top;\">1920s<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 32px 0 32px 32px; color: #ccc; font-size: 1.05em; border: none !important; line-height: 2; vertical-align: top;\">The first generation of the Cheng family arrives. Beside the centre of power, they establish a family brand gene of never selling second-rate goods. From the first day, their stall was not a place for haggling.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"border-bottom: 1px solid rgba(184,134,11,0.3) !important;\">\n<td style=\"width: 20%; padding: 32px 16px 32px 0; text-align: right; font-weight: 900; color: #b8860b; font-size: 1.6em; border: none !important; vertical-align: top;\">1990s<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 32px 0 32px 32px; color: #ccc; font-size: 1.05em; border: none !important; line-height: 2; vertical-align: top;\">The third generation, Cheng Chih-hsien, begins the cold-chain revolution. While traditional markets across Taiwan were still in the age of ice, he installs an all-stainless refrigerated display system &#8211; regarded as an aberration by his peers and as a standard by his customers.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 20%; padding: 32px 16px 32px 0; text-align: right; font-weight: 900; color: #b8860b; font-size: 1.6em; border: none !important; vertical-align: top;\">2026<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 32px 0 32px 32px; color: #ccc; font-size: 1.05em; border: none !important; line-height: 2; vertical-align: top;\">3 Door Hotel and Cheng&#8217;s Butchery find a shared craftsman&#8217;s spirit, turning composure into a deeper kind of walk for travellers, so that more people can meet this century-old standard on a morning at Dongcaishi.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><!-- \u2550\u2550\u2550 VOL. II \/ \u51b7\u93c8\u7684\u5b64\u5bc2 \u2550\u2550\u2550 --><\/p>\n<section style=\"padding: 100px 10%; background-color: #fff;\">\n<div style=\"max-width: 780px; margin: 0 auto;\">\n<div style=\"border-left: 10px solid #8b0000; padding-left: 40px; margin-bottom: 48px;\">\n<p><span style=\"color: #8b0000; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: 6px; text-transform: uppercase; font-size: 0.85em;\">VOL. II \/ The loneliness of the cold chain<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"font-size: clamp(24px, 4.5vw, 40px); margin: 16px 0 0; font-weight: 900; line-height: 1.25;\">The traitor of thirty years ago:<br \/>\na cold revolution behind glass<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p style=\"font-size: 1.15em; line-height: 2.5; color: #333; margin-bottom: 28px;\">Thirty-odd years ago, Tainan&#8217;s traditional markets were in the grip of a faith in freshly slaughtered, room-temperature meat. In the everyday logic of the time, good pork had to be warm and had to be pressable by a customer&#8217;s fingertips. That ritual of direct contact was taken as the final confirmation of freshness.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-size: 1.15em; line-height: 2.5; color: #333; margin-bottom: 48px;\">Cheng Chih-hsien, the third-generation owner, made a commercial gamble his neighbours saw as a betrayal of tradition: he installed one of the earliest<strong>fully refrigerated stainless steel display cases<\/strong>in Tainan. Glass and cold air, in that era, were a direct challenge to market culture.<\/p>\n<p><!-- \u5716\u7247\uff1a\u912d\u4e43\u5609\u5148\u751f\u8207\u5c55\u793a\u6ac3 --><\/p>\n<div style=\"margin: 0 0 48px; overflow: hidden; border: 1px solid #e0e0e0;\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-42918 size-medium\" style=\"width: 100%; height: auto; display: block;\" src=\"https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AF1QipOtqsK0inOK1UZSHXzt6bGezpiFbXtNpUF310XTs1360-w1360-h1020-rw-800x569.webp\" alt=\"\u53f0\u5357\u6771\u83dc\u5e02\u912d\u5bb6\u8089\u68e7\u4e0d\u93fd\u92fc\u51b7\u85cf\u5c55\u793a\u6ac3\uff0c\u7b2c\u4e09\u4ee3\u5e97\u4e3b\u912d\u5fd7\u8ce2\u5148\u751f\u958b\u5275\u53f0\u5357\u50b3\u7d71\u5e02\u5834\u51b7\u93c8\u9769\u547d\" width=\"800\" height=\"569\" srcset=\"https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AF1QipOtqsK0inOK1UZSHXzt6bGezpiFbXtNpUF310XTs1360-w1360-h1020-rw-800x569.webp 800w, https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AF1QipOtqsK0inOK1UZSHXzt6bGezpiFbXtNpUF310XTs1360-w1360-h1020-rw-768x546.webp 768w, https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/AF1QipOtqsK0inOK1UZSHXzt6bGezpiFbXtNpUF310XTs1360-w1360-h1020-rw.webp 960w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<div style=\"padding: 12px 20px; background: #1a1a1a; text-align: center;\">\n<p style=\"font-size: 0.7em; color: #b8860b; letter-spacing: 2px; margin: 0; text-transform: uppercase;\">Cheng&#8217;s Butchery, Dongcaishi \u00b7 the cold-chain revolution in Tainan&#8217;s traditional markets. Image: Cheng&#8217;s Butchery, Google owner&#8217;s selected photo<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- \u5f15\u8a00\u6846 --><\/p>\n<div style=\"background-color: #f9f9f9; padding: 48px 52px; margin-bottom: 48px; border-right: 6px solid #0d1b2a;\">\n<p style=\"font-size: 1.25em; line-height: 1.9; font-style: italic; color: #1a1a1a; font-weight: 500; margin: 0 0 24px;\">&#8220;The neighbours all laughed at us behind our backs and said we were mad. If the meat is shut in a glass case, how do customers touch it? And if they can&#8217;t touch it, how will they believe it&#8217;s fresh?&#8221;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: right; color: #888; font-size: 0.9em; margin: 0;\">&#8211; Cheng Chih-hsien, from our interview<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p style=\"font-size: 1.15em; line-height: 2.5; color: #333; margin-bottom: 28px;\">But Cheng knew one thing: the moment meat leaves its ideal constant 4C, its cell structure begins to break down and its flavour begins to go. In the markets of that era, pork delivered in the morning had often begun to change quietly before midday in the southern heat &#8211; colour, smell and elasticity all telling anyone who knew that it was no longer at its best.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-size: 1.15em; line-height: 2.5; color: #333; margin-bottom: 28px;\">Cheng chose the loneliest path. Under the sceptical gaze of the whole market, he installed that stainless steel system with its cold white light. Some long-standing customers were uncomfortable at first and went next door. But time is the most honest judge: meat still red and full in the summer heat, pork chops that did not weep and discolour three hours later, eventually brought the most demanding regulars at Dongcaishi back &#8211; and they have never left since.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-size: 1.15em; line-height: 2.5; color: #333;\">That stainless space with its cold white light filtered out the dust of the market, sealed in the flavour and eventually became the most unshakeable<strong>circle of trust<\/strong>at Dongcaishi &#8211; the meat behind the glass became the highest measure of quality in the old city.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><!-- \u2550\u2550\u2550 VOL. III \/ \u8089\u54c1\u7684\u5fae\u89c0\u89e3\u5256\u5b78 \u2550\u2550\u2550 --><\/p>\n<section style=\"padding: 100px 10%; background-color: #f4f1ea;\">\n<div style=\"display: inline-block; background-color: #1a1a1a; padding: 8px 28px; color: #b8860b; font-weight: bold; font-size: 1em; letter-spacing: 5px; margin-bottom: 48px;\">VOL. III \/ A microscopic anatomy of meat<\/div>\n<h3 style=\"font-size: clamp(26px, 5vw, 48px); color: #1a1a1a; margin: 0 0 40px; font-weight: 900; line-height: 1.25;\">Every cut<br \/>\nis a precise prediction of where the cooking ends<\/h3>\n<p style=\"font-size: 1.15em; color: #333; line-height: 2.5; margin-bottom: 28px;\">At Cheng&#8217;s, every piece of meat has its own physical purpose. The craftsman&#8217;s task is to see, at the instant the knife goes in, the final form this piece will take in the pan &#8211; a precise prediction built on a deep understanding of muscle fibre, fat distribution and collagen density.<\/p>\n<p><!-- \u5716\u7247\uff1a\u8077\u4eba\u5207\u8089\u7279\u5beb --><\/p>\n<div style=\"background: #1a1a1a; margin: 0 0 48px; overflow: hidden;\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-43931\" style=\"width: 100%; height: auto; display: block; filter: brightness(0.9);\" src=\"https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/\u8521\u7389\u862d\u7b2c\u4e8c\u4ee3\u8001\u95c6\u5a18\u6b63\u5728\u5207\u5206\u8c6c\u8089\uff0c\u8a31\u591a\u8001\u5ba2\u4eba\u524d\u4f86\u5411\u5979\u8acb\u6559\u5982\u4f55\u8abf\u7406\u8c6c\u8089\u3002-800x534.jpg\" alt=\"\u53f0\u5357\u6771\u83dc\u5e02\u912d\u5bb6\u8089\u68e7\u8001\u95c6\u5a18\u7cbe\u6e96\u5207\u5206\u8c6c\u8089\uff0c\u5c55\u73fe\u767e\u5e74\u8077\u4eba\u5c0d\u5200\u5de5\u8207\u8089\u54c1\u7684\u6df1\u5ea6\u638c\u63e1\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" srcset=\"https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/\u8521\u7389\u862d\u7b2c\u4e8c\u4ee3\u8001\u95c6\u5a18\u6b63\u5728\u5207\u5206\u8c6c\u8089\uff0c\u8a31\u591a\u8001\u5ba2\u4eba\u524d\u4f86\u5411\u5979\u8acb\u6559\u5982\u4f55\u8abf\u7406\u8c6c\u8089\u3002-800x534.jpg 800w, https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/\u8521\u7389\u862d\u7b2c\u4e8c\u4ee3\u8001\u95c6\u5a18\u6b63\u5728\u5207\u5206\u8c6c\u8089\uff0c\u8a31\u591a\u8001\u5ba2\u4eba\u524d\u4f86\u5411\u5979\u8acb\u6559\u5982\u4f55\u8abf\u7406\u8c6c\u8089\u3002-768x513.jpg 768w, https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/\u8521\u7389\u862d\u7b2c\u4e8c\u4ee3\u8001\u95c6\u5a18\u6b63\u5728\u5207\u5206\u8c6c\u8089\uff0c\u8a31\u591a\u8001\u5ba2\u4eba\u524d\u4f86\u5411\u5979\u8acb\u6559\u5982\u4f55\u8abf\u7406\u8c6c\u8089\u3002.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<div style=\"padding: 28px 48px; text-align: center;\">\n<h6 style=\"font-size: 1.3em; font-style: italic; color: #b8860b; line-height: 1.8; margin: 0;\">&#8220;Every cut exists so that the ingredient can take its final place on the table.&#8221;<br \/>\n(Image source: Agriculture Media)<\/h6>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p style=\"font-size: 1.15em; color: #333; line-height: 2.5; margin-bottom: 28px;\">Take pork shoulder. To ensure the slices stay silky after just 30 seconds in a searing wok, Mr Cheng cuts according to fibre direction based on the meat&#8217;s elasticity. The fat in shoulder runs in an irregular marbling, and the direction of those veins determines how evenly heat travels &#8211; cut the wrong way and even the finest ingredient shrinks to rubber in the heat.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-size: 1.15em; color: #333; line-height: 2.5; margin-bottom: 28px;\">More striking still is how they handle cartilage ribs, the restorative cut favoured by Dongcaishi&#8217;s well-to-do customers. The Cheng family patiently remove the lymph nodes and fascia around the cartilage. That step is often skipped in traditional markets because it is slow and laborious, and because the meat weighs less afterwards, which costs the seller money. The Cheng logic is one sentence: every gram you take home should be worth what you paid.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-size: 1.15em; color: #333; line-height: 2.5;\">This obsession with purity means Cheng&#8217;s meat has already completed a visual and gustatory rehearsal before it reaches the pan. Open the packaging and you see no excess blood and no lymph left in place &#8211; only a clean, full cross-section with red and white clearly defined. That is the real measure of a craftsman: not lowering the standard where the customer cannot see.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<p><!-- \u2550\u2550\u2550 VOL. IV \/ \u6ac3\u6aaf\u5f8c\u7684\u5fc3\u7406\u8aee\u5546 \u2550\u2550\u2550 --><\/p>\n<section style=\"padding: 100px 10%; background-color: #fff;\">\n<div style=\"max-width: 780px; margin: 0 auto;\">\n<p><span style=\"color: #b8860b; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: 8px; text-transform: uppercase; font-size: 0.85em;\">VOL. IV \/ Counselling behind the counter<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"font-size: clamp(24px, 4.5vw, 42px); margin: 16px 0 48px; font-weight: 900; color: #1a1a1a; line-height: 1.25;\">The meat counsellor:<br \/>\na double diagnosis of eye and intention<\/h3>\n<p style=\"font-size: 1.15em; line-height: 2.5; color: #444; margin-bottom: 28px;\">At Cheng&#8217;s, the proprietor who talks to customers is not a cashier but something closer to a<strong>dietary adviser<\/strong>, combining nutritionist, cooking coach and counsellor. There is none of the calling-out common in traditional markets; instead there is a low voice more like a consulting room.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-size: 1.15em; line-height: 2.5; color: #444; margin-bottom: 28px;\">She does not only listen to what you want; she watches your colour, the day&#8217;s humidity, even the turning of the seasons. Say &#8220;my mother hasn&#8217;t been well, I&#8217;d like to make a restorative soup&#8221; and she does not reach for a cut. She asks first: how old is she? What is troubling her? How is her appetite? Is her digestion sensitive?<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-size: 1.15em; line-height: 2.5; color: #444; margin-bottom: 60px;\">In an age of AI that strips the person out, they have held on to one person genuinely seeing another. You carry pork home, but you also carry home the memory of being taken seriously &#8211; and that feeling often heals more than the food itself.<\/p>\n<p><!-- \u5716\u7247\uff1a\u5c55\u793a\u6ac3\u8207\u8001\u95c6\u5a18 --><\/p>\n<div style=\"margin: 0 0 60px; overflow: hidden; border: 1px solid #e0e0e0;\">\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-43901\" style=\"width: 100%; height: auto; display: block;\" src=\"https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/\u4e00\u5bb6\u4eba\u4e00\u8d77\u6253\u62fc\uff0c\u5275\u9020\u767e\u5e74\u8001\u92ea\u65b0\u98a8\u8c8c\u3002-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"\u53f0\u5357\u6771\u83dc\u5e02\u912d\u5bb6\u8089\u68e7\u4e00\u5bb6\u4eba\u5408\u5f71\uff0c\u4e09\u4ee3\u8077\u4eba\u5171\u540c\u5b88\u8b77\u5e9c\u57ce\u767e\u5e74\u8089\u8216\u7684\u54c1\u8cea\u6a19\u6e96\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/\u4e00\u5bb6\u4eba\u4e00\u8d77\u6253\u62fc\uff0c\u5275\u9020\u767e\u5e74\u8001\u92ea\u65b0\u98a8\u8c8c\u3002-800x533.jpg 800w, https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/\u4e00\u5bb6\u4eba\u4e00\u8d77\u6253\u62fc\uff0c\u5275\u9020\u767e\u5e74\u8001\u92ea\u65b0\u98a8\u8c8c\u3002-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/\u4e00\u5bb6\u4eba\u4e00\u8d77\u6253\u62fc\uff0c\u5275\u9020\u767e\u5e74\u8001\u92ea\u65b0\u98a8\u8c8c\u3002.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/p>\n<div style=\"padding: 12px 20px; background: #1a1a1a; text-align: center;\">\n<p style=\"font-size: 0.7em; color: #b8860b; letter-spacing: 2px; margin: 0; text-transform: uppercase;\">Cheng&#8217;s Butchery \u00b7 three generations of one mind, unchanged in a century (Image source: Agriculture Media)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- Ingredient Bible --><\/p>\n<div style=\"border: 6px solid #1a1a1a; padding: 56px 48px; background-color: #fcfbf9; position: relative; box-shadow: 20px 20px 0 #b8860b;\">\n<div style=\"position: absolute; top: -14px; left: 50%; transform: translateX(-50%); background: #b8860b; color: #fff; padding: 8px 32px; font-weight: 900; letter-spacing: 6px; font-size: 0.85em; white-space: nowrap;\">THE INGREDIENT BIBLE<\/div>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: center; color: #1a1a1a; font-size: 1.6em; margin: 24px 0 40px; font-weight: 900;\">The butcher&#8217;s lecture in dietary consultation<\/h4>\n<table style=\"width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; border: none !important;\">\n<thead>\n<tr style=\"border-bottom: 3px solid #b8860b !important;\">\n<th style=\"padding: 16px 12px; color: #1a1a1a; font-size: 1em; border: none !important; text-align: left;\">What you are cooking<\/th>\n<th style=\"padding: 16px 12px; color: #1a1a1a; font-size: 1em; border: none !important; text-align: left;\">Suggested cut<\/th>\n<th style=\"padding: 16px 12px; color: #1a1a1a; font-size: 1em; border: none !important; text-align: left;\">The Cheng family&#8217;s tip<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr style=\"border-bottom: 1px solid #ddd !important;\">\n<td style=\"padding: 20px 12px; font-weight: bold; font-size: 1em; border: none !important; vertical-align: top;\">A restorative broth for a child<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 20px 12px; font-size: 1em; border: none !important; vertical-align: top;\">Selected cartilage ribs<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 20px 12px; font-size: 0.9em; color: #555; border: none !important; line-height: 1.9; vertical-align: top;\">Lymph nodes and fatty membranes removed thoroughly, leaving only pure marrow essence. The broth is clear rather than heating, so children can drink it without discomfort.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"border-bottom: 1px solid #ddd !important;\">\n<td style=\"padding: 20px 12px; font-weight: bold; font-size: 1em; border: none !important; vertical-align: top;\">A quick family stir-fry<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 20px 12px; font-size: 1em; border: none !important; vertical-align: top;\">Shoulder cut across the grain<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 20px 12px; font-size: 0.9em; color: #555; border: none !important; line-height: 1.9; vertical-align: top;\">The craftsman cuts across the grain for you, breaking the tough fibres. Thirty seconds in the pan is enough for tenderness, with no toughening and no shrinkage.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"border-bottom: 1px solid #ddd !important;\">\n<td style=\"padding: 20px 12px; font-weight: bold; font-size: 1em; border: none !important; vertical-align: top;\">Nourishment for older family members<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 20px 12px; font-size: 1em; border: none !important; vertical-align: top;\">Tenderloin<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 20px 12px; font-size: 0.9em; color: #555; border: none !important; line-height: 1.9; vertical-align: top;\">The finest-textured cut on the animal, with no fat to weigh it down. Best for long, gentle simmering, giving a clear broth that never cloys.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"padding: 20px 12px; font-weight: bold; font-size: 1em; border: none !important; vertical-align: top;\">A main dish for a celebration<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 20px 12px; font-size: 1em; border: none !important; vertical-align: top;\">Pork belly<\/td>\n<td style=\"padding: 20px 12px; font-size: 0.9em; color: #555; border: none !important; line-height: 1.9; vertical-align: top;\">Cheng&#8217;s belly is chosen for the ratio of fat to lean: clearly layered and never too fatty, suited to red braising or steamed pork with preserved greens, and a credit to any table.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><!-- \u2550\u2550\u2550 VOL. V \/ \u5473\u89ba\u7684\u7149\u91d1\u8853 \u2550\u2550\u2550 --><\/p>\n<section style=\"padding: 100px 10%; background-color: #1a1a1a; color: #fff;\">\n<div style=\"max-width: 780px; margin: 0 auto;\">\n<p><span style=\"color: #b8860b; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: 8px; text-transform: uppercase; font-size: 0.85em;\">VOL. V \/ The alchemy of taste<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"font-size: clamp(24px, 4.5vw, 42px); margin: 16px 0 48px; font-weight: 900; line-height: 1.25;\">Cured pork and steamed rice-powder pork:<br \/>\nan aesthetic of time, sealed in<\/h3>\n<p style=\"font-size: 1.15em; line-height: 2.5; color: #ccc; margin-bottom: 28px;\">On the tables of the old city&#8217;s gentry, Cheng&#8217;s cured pork has never been merely a dish. Behind it lies an underrated Tainan version of <strong style=\"color: #f4f1ea;\">charcuterie<\/strong>, and the secret is the traditional red yeast paste the family insists on and a five-spice ratio handed down through three generations.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-size: 1.15em; line-height: 2.5; color: #ccc; margin-bottom: 28px;\">This is not chemical seasoning but a slow, light ageing. The proportions of the five-spice blend are adjusted for each batch according to the season&#8217;s humidity and temperature. Summer and winter in Tainan affect how quickly spices penetrate in entirely different ways: in summer the flavour goes in fast but can overshoot; in winter ageing is slower but the layers run deeper. Vacuum packing in a supermarket can never handle that detail, because what it needs is not a machine but a practised nose that smells and feels it every day.<\/p>\n<div style=\"background: rgba(184,134,11,0.1); padding: 48px; border-left: 5px solid #b8860b; margin: 48px 0;\">\n<p style=\"font-size: 1.3em; line-height: 1.9; font-style: italic; color: #b8860b; font-weight: bold; text-align: center; margin: 0;\">&#8220;Well-cured meat should not mask the smell of the meat<br \/>\nbut awaken the century of resonance sleeping in the fat.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p style=\"font-size: 1.15em; line-height: 2.5; color: #ccc; margin-bottom: 28px;\">When you pan-fry this meat, the fat that renders out carries a woody fragrance &#8211; time&#8217;s second soul given to the pork. The fat melts in the heat and meets the fermented aroma of the red yeast, forming that lightly caramelised layer in the base of the pan. That aroma is hard to find in exactly the same form anywhere but Cheng&#8217;s.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-size: 1.15em; line-height: 2.5; color: #ccc;\">The steamed rice-powder pork, meanwhile, answers the modern problem of wanting to eat well without the time to do it. The craftsman takes on all the laborious curing so that you can put something refined on the table with no apparent effort. Lift the lid of the steamer and the rice powder has drunk up the juices &#8211; soft but not collapsed, rich but not heavy.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><!-- \u2550\u2550\u2550 VOL. VI \/ \u4fe1\u4efb\u5951\u7d04 \u2550\u2550\u2550 --><\/p>\n<section style=\"padding: 100px 10%; background-color: #fff; border-bottom: 1px solid #eee;\">\n<div style=\"max-width: 780px; margin: 0 auto;\">\n<p><span style=\"color: #1a1a1a; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: 8px; text-transform: uppercase; font-size: 0.85em;\">VOL. VI \/ A contract of trust<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"font-size: clamp(24px, 4.5vw, 40px); margin: 16px 0 48px; font-weight: 900; line-height: 1.25;\">Why the name Cheng<br \/>\nis worth more than a certification mark<\/h3>\n<p style=\"font-size: 1.15em; line-height: 2.5; color: #333; margin-bottom: 28px;\">At Dongcaishi Market there is something more solid than any certification mark:<strong>the personal guarantee of an individual&#8217;s credit<\/strong>. Regulars here do not even look at the scales, because every gram is underwritten by a century of reputation. You do not need to compare three shops, study origin labels or check certificates &#8211; you only need to walk up to the glass case, say what you want today, and trust those hands.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-size: 1.15em; line-height: 2.5; color: #333; margin-bottom: 28px;\">In an age of misinformation and constant food safety worries, that kind of trust is remarkably scarce. You can buy meat that passes every certification, but you cannot buy someone willing to take responsibility for your health. What the Cheng family protect is the most basic promise between people: I choose the best for you, because your family&#8217;s wellbeing matters.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-size: 1.15em; line-height: 2.5; color: #333;\">Real luxury is an understanding between supplier and customer that needs no questioning. When you buy Cheng&#8217;s meat, what you are really buying is this city&#8217;s scarcest resource:<strong>the right to feel safe<\/strong>&#8211; because how many things in this world can you put into the mouth of someone you love without a shred of doubt?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><!-- \u2550\u2550\u2550 VOL. VII \/ Neighborhood Guide \u2550\u2550\u2550 --><\/p>\n<section style=\"padding: 100px 8%; background-color: #f4f1ea;\">\n<div style=\"text-align: center; margin-bottom: 80px;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 1em; color: #b8860b; letter-spacing: 10px; font-weight: bold; text-transform: uppercase;\">Neighborhood Guide<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"font-size: clamp(22px, 4vw, 34px); color: #1a1a1a; margin-top: 20px; font-weight: 900; line-height: 1.3;\">The elegant satellites of Dongcaishi:<br \/>\na collective evolution of standards<\/h3>\n<p style=\"font-size: 1.1em; color: #666; margin-top: 20px;\">No shop here is an island.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- \u5e97\u5bb6 1\uff1a\u963f\u7c89\u59e8 --><\/p>\n<div style=\"background-color: #fff; padding: 56px; border-left: 12px solid #8b0000; box-shadow: 16px 16px 50px rgba(0,0,0,0.07); margin-bottom: 48px;\">\n<h4 style=\"color: #8b0000; font-size: 1.6em; margin: 0 0 24px; font-weight: 900;\">\ud83d\udccd A-Fen&#8217;s drinks stall: repairing the spirit once the body is fed<\/h4>\n<p style=\"font-size: 1.1em; color: #444; line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 20px;\">Having finished the consultation about today&#8217;s constitution and ingredients at Cheng&#8217;s, a customer turns and comes to A-Fen for a bag of chrysanthemum tea with astragalus and liquorice. It is a relay of the senses: Cheng&#8217;s looks after your stomach and your strength, A-Fen looks after your energy and your calm. That complementarity forms the sensory ecosystem particular to Dongcaishi.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-size: 1.1em; color: #444; line-height: 2.4;\">Tainan&#8217;s markets hold the most honest traditional medicine there is. A-Fen&#8217;s drinks are not bubble tea; her formulas follow the season and your condition. Like the proprietor at Cheng&#8217;s, her core skill is reading people.<\/p>\n<p><!-- \u5716\u7247\uff1a\u963f\u7c89\u59e8\u6524\u4f4d --><\/p>\n<div style=\"margin-top: 32px; overflow: hidden; border: 1px solid #e0e0e0;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-43925\" style=\"width: 100%; height: auto; display: block;\" src=\"https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/\u963f\u7c89\u59e8-600x800.jpg\" alt=\"\u53f0\u5357\u6771\u83dc\u5e02\u963f\u7c89\u59e8\u98f2\u54c1\u6524\uff0c\u9ec3\u8006\u7518\u8349\u914d\u65b9\u624b\u4f5c\u990a\u751f\u83ca\u82b1\u8336\uff0c\u548c\u912d\u5bb6\u8089\u68e7\u5171\u540c\u69cb\u6210\u5e9c\u57ce\u50b3\u7d71\u5e02\u5834\u7684\u611f\u5b98\u9589\u74b0\" width=\"600\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/\u963f\u7c89\u59e8-600x800.jpg 600w, https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/\u963f\u7c89\u59e8-960x1280.jpg 960w, https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/\u963f\u7c89\u59e8-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/\u963f\u7c89\u59e8.jpg 1108w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- \u5e97\u5bb6 2\uff1a\u6c34\u679c\u6524 --><\/p>\n<div style=\"background-color: #fff; padding: 56px; border-left: 12px solid #b8860b; box-shadow: 16px 16px 50px rgba(0,0,0,0.07);\">\n<h4 style=\"color: #b8860b; font-size: 1.6em; margin: 0 0 24px; font-weight: 900;\">\ud83d\udccd A curator of first-class fruit: an understanding about quality, not price<\/h4>\n<p style=\"font-size: 1.1em; color: #444; line-height: 2.4; margin-bottom: 20px;\">Next to Cheng&#8217;s you will not see fruit piled carelessly; each piece rests on padding like a jewel. These craftspeople share an audience that will not compromise on the quality of daily life, and there is no price war between them &#8211; only a contest of honour over whose selection is more precise.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-size: 1.1em; color: #444; line-height: 2.4;\">The fruit stalls at Dongcaishi choose the best of the season, the region and the day. You cannot ask which is cheapest, because the question has no meaning here. What you can ask is which is sweetest today, and you will get a serious and precise answer. That is the atmosphere of Dongcaishi: every stall silently reinforcing everyone else&#8217;s standard.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><!-- \u2550\u2550\u2550 VOL. VIII \/ \u8077\u4eba\u7684\u5171\u632f \u2550\u2550\u2550 --><\/p>\n<section style=\"padding: 100px 10%; background-color: #fff; text-align: center;\">\n<div style=\"max-width: 720px; margin: 0 auto;\">\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 1em; color: #b8860b; letter-spacing: 10px; font-weight: bold; text-transform: uppercase;\">VOL. VIII \/ THE RESONANCE<\/span><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"font-size: clamp(26px, 5vw, 44px); color: #1a1a1a; margin: 24px 0 40px; font-weight: 900; line-height: 1.3;\">A resonance between craftspeople:<br \/>\nfrom 3 Door Hotel to Cheng&#8217;s, protecting order.<\/h3>\n<p style=\"font-size: 1.15em; line-height: 2.5; text-align: justify; color: #333; margin-bottom: 32px;\">At 3 Door Hotel we hold to the butler&#8217;s spirit &#8211; consideration expressed in the smallest details. When we walked into Cheng&#8217;s Butchery and saw Mr Cheng behind that glass case patiently removing lymph nodes and fascia from a single rib; when we heard the proprietor gently ask a customer who at home would be drinking this soup, we recognised the same soul.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-size: 1.15em; line-height: 2.5; text-align: justify; color: #333; margin-bottom: 32px;\">At the core of that soul is an imaginative capacity for the person you cannot see. As the Cheng family cut, there is a faint figure in their minds &#8211; the person who will finally eat this meat at a table. They do not know that person, but they give them everything. Our butlers preparing a room think the same way: the guest has not arrived, but everything is already in place.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-size: 1.15em; line-height: 2.5; text-align: justify; color: #333;\">In 2026 the world is running out of control. But some things a machine can never imitate &#8211; the exact pressure of the Cheng family&#8217;s knife, the certainty in the proprietor&#8217;s eyes. 3 Door Hotel and Cheng&#8217;s Butchery operate on the same frequency: both of us offer travellers a kind of composure. When you carry away a piece of Cheng&#8217;s cured pork, what you carry is three hundred years of the old city&#8217;s elegance.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><!-- \u2550\u2550\u2550 \u7530\u91ce\u7b46\u8a18 \u2550\u2550\u2550 --><\/p>\n<section style=\"padding: 60px 10%; background-color: #fff; border-top: 2px solid #0d1b2a; border-bottom: 1px solid #ddd;\">\n<div style=\"max-width: 780px; margin: 0 auto;\">\n<p style=\"font-size: 0.7em; letter-spacing: 4px; color: #b8860b; font-weight: bold; text-transform: uppercase; margin-bottom: 20px;\">Curation Credits &amp; Field Notes<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-size: 1.05em; color: #1a1a1a; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 24px;\">A note on sources for this piece:<\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; border: none !important;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr style=\"border: none !important;\">\n<td style=\"border: none !important; padding: 0 28px 24px 0; vertical-align: top; width: 50%;\">\n<p style=\"font-size: 0.95em; color: #666; line-height: 1.9; margin: 0;\"><strong style=\"color: #1a1a1a; border-bottom: 1px solid #b8860b; display: inline-block; margin-bottom: 6px;\">\ud83d\udcfa Television records<\/strong><br \/>\nWe drew on in-depth television interviews with Cheng&#8217;s Butchery for details of Cheng Nai-chia&#8217;s knife work and records of the proprietor&#8217;s consultations.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: none !important; padding: 0 0 24px 28px; vertical-align: top; width: 50%;\">\n<p style=\"font-size: 0.95em; color: #666; line-height: 1.9; margin: 0;\"><strong style=\"color: #1a1a1a; border-bottom: 1px solid #b8860b; display: inline-block; margin-bottom: 6px;\">\ud83d\udcd6 Feature journalism<\/strong><br \/>\nWe synthesised several long-running media accounts of the shop&#8217;s transformation; the business decisions behind the cold-chain revolution and the market observations here come from those.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"border: none !important;\">\n<td style=\"border: none !important; padding: 0 28px 0 0; vertical-align: top; width: 50%;\">\n<p style=\"font-size: 0.95em; color: #666; line-height: 1.9; margin: 0;\"><strong style=\"color: #1a1a1a; border-bottom: 1px solid #b8860b; display: inline-block; margin-bottom: 6px;\">\ud83d\udcdc Official historical archives<\/strong><br \/>\nDrawn from Tainan City Government historical materials and digital archive projects, allowing us to pin down the 1908 founding of Dongcaishi and the historical influence of the Jiuling terrain.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<td style=\"border: none !important; padding: 0 0 0 28px; vertical-align: top; width: 50%;\">\n<p style=\"font-size: 0.95em; color: #666; line-height: 1.9; margin: 0;\"><strong style=\"color: #1a1a1a; border-bottom: 1px solid #b8860b; display: inline-block; margin-bottom: 6px;\">\u270d\ufe0f Notes from local food experts<\/strong><br \/>\nWe combined years of on-the-ground observation by seasoned local eaters, which helped us reconstruct the unspoken trust in front of that glass case &#8211; the trust that means never checking the scales.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><!-- \u2550\u2550\u2550 CTA Footer \u2550\u2550\u2550 --><\/p>\n<footer style=\"background-color: #1a1a1a; padding: 100px 10%; color: #fff; text-align: center;\">\n<h3 style=\"color: #b8860b; font-size: clamp(22px, 4vw, 36px); font-weight: 900; margin-bottom: 48px; letter-spacing: 3px;\">A pilgrimage to recover the idea of a standard<\/h3>\n<p><a style=\"display: inline-block; background: #b8860b; color: #fff; padding: 22px 64px; text-decoration: none; font-size: 1.1em; letter-spacing: 4px; font-weight: 900; box-shadow: 0 16px 40px rgba(184,134,11,0.4);\" href=\"https:\/\/3doorhotel.ezhotel.com.tw\/\">Book your craftsman&#8217;s exploration of the old city \u2192<\/a><\/p>\n<p><!-- FAQ --><\/p>\n<div style=\"max-width: 800px; margin: 80px auto 0; text-align: left; background: rgba(255,255,255,0.03); padding: 56px; border: 1px solid rgba(184,134,11,0.2); position: relative;\">\n<div style=\"position: absolute; top: -14px; left: 50%; transform: translateX(-50%); background: #b8860b; color: #fff; padding: 4px 28px; font-size: 0.8em; font-weight: bold; letter-spacing: 4px; white-space: nowrap;\">FAQ<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-bottom: 32px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgba(255,255,255,0.1); padding-bottom: 28px;\">\n<h2 style=\"font-weight: bold; color: #b8860b; font-size: 1.1em; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-top: 0;\">Q1: Why is Dongcaishi called the rich people&#8217;s market?<\/h2>\n<p style=\"font-size: 1em; color: #aaa; line-height: 2; margin: 0;\">It sits on Jiuling, the highest ground in the old city, close to the official buildings of the Qing and Japanese colonial periods, and has served the gentry since its earliest days &#8211; producing a distinctive shopping culture built on reputation, high quality and no haggling.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-bottom: 32px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgba(255,255,255,0.1); padding-bottom: 28px;\">\n<h2 style=\"font-weight: bold; color: #b8860b; font-size: 1.1em; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-top: 0;\">Q2: What is special about Cheng&#8217;s cold-chain technology?<\/h2>\n<p style=\"font-size: 1em; color: #aaa; line-height: 2; margin: 0;\">They were among the very first in Tainan to install fully refrigerated display cases, keeping meat at a constant 4C. It is a physical answer to the heat of southern Taiwan, sealing in flavour and defining a modern standard of market hygiene.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-bottom: 32px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgba(255,255,255,0.1); padding-bottom: 28px;\">\n<h2 style=\"font-weight: bold; color: #b8860b; font-size: 1.1em; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-top: 0;\">Q3: How do I experience the consultation-style service?<\/h2>\n<p style=\"font-size: 1em; color: #aaa; line-height: 2; margin: 0;\">Tell them what you are cooking and for whom, and the family will recommend the cut precisely, remove the lymph nodes for you and cut along the grain. Go between 09:00 and 11:00 for the most unhurried conversation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div style=\"margin-bottom: 32px; border-bottom: 1px solid rgba(255,255,255,0.1); padding-bottom: 28px;\">\n<h2 style=\"font-weight: bold; color: #b8860b; font-size: 1.1em; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-top: 0;\">Q4: What is distinctive about the cured pork and the steamed rice-powder pork?<\/h2>\n<p style=\"font-size: 1em; color: #aaa; line-height: 2; margin: 0;\">They use traditional red yeast paste and a century-old five-spice blend, adjusting the proportions for each batch according to the season&#8217;s humidity and temperature, and ageing lightly at a constant temperature so the spices awaken the depth in the fat.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h2 style=\"font-weight: bold; color: #b8860b; font-size: 1.1em; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-top: 0;\">Q5: How do I walk there from 3 Door Hotel?<\/h2>\n<p style=\"font-size: 1em; color: #aaa; line-height: 2; margin: 0;\">Turn right out of the hotel and follow Chenggong Road to Xihuanan Road, Weimin Street, Wude Street and Qingnian Road &#8211; about 15 minutes to Dongcaishi Market. Go between 09:00 and 11:00, when the consultation is at its best and the selection is fullest.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- \u7cfb\u5217\u5c0e\u89bd --><\/p>\n<div style=\"margin-top: 80px; border-top: 1px solid rgba(255,255,255,0.1); padding-top: 40px; text-align: center;\"><a style=\"color: #a0b2c1; text-decoration: none; font-size: 0.9em; margin: 0 16px;\" href=\"https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/en\/market-vogue-ep1-east-market\/\">Walking Dongcaishi Vol.01<\/a><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: rgba(255,255,255,0.2);\">|<\/span><br \/>\n<a style=\"color: #a0b2c1; text-decoration: none; font-size: 0.9em; margin: 0 16px;\" href=\"https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/en\/tag\/market-vogue-en\/\">The full Market Vogue series<\/a><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: rgba(255,255,255,0.2);\">|<\/span><br \/>\n<a style=\"color: #b8860b; text-decoration: none; font-size: 0.9em; font-weight: bold; margin: 0 16px;\" href=\"https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/en\/tainan-market-walk\/\">\ud83d\uddfa\ufe0f The complete guide to walking the markets<\/a><\/div>\n<\/footer>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Character Monograph \u00b7 Vol.01 3 Door Hotel&#8217;s craftsman walks in old Tainan Dongcaishi Market: Cheng&#8217;s Butchery A century curated by a precisionist From a cold-chain revolution thirty years ago to the counselling behind the counter: decoding the highest standard of taste in the old city Written by the editor-in-chief, 3 Door Hotel Why do we [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":45156,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"slim_seo":{"title":"Craftsman Walks in Old Tainan | Cheng's Butchery at Dongcaishi: a Century Curated by a Precisionist, from a Cold-Chain Revolution to Counselling Behind the Counter - \u53f0\u5357\u65c5\u5e97 \u4e09\u9053\u9580-\u5efa\u7bc9\u6587\u5275\u65c5\u5e97\uff1a\u6c89\u6d78\u5f0f\u7f8e\u5b78\u4f4f\u5bbf\u9ad4\u9a57 - \u53f0\u5357\u65c5\u5e97\u3001\u4f4f\u5bbf\u9996\u9078","description":"Character Monograph \u00b7 Vol.01 3 Door Hotel's craftsman walks in old Tainan Dongcaishi Market: Cheng's Butchery A century curated by a precisionist From a cold-ch"},"footnotes":""},"categories":[110,127,119,121],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-47233","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-attractions","category-hotnews","category-tainan-food","category-tainan-travel"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47233","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=47233"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47233\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":47234,"href":"https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47233\/revisions\/47234"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/45156"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47233"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=47233"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/3doorhotel.com.tw\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=47233"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}