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The afternoon sun slants through Zhuwen Street and strikes the Japanese-era façade of “Tofu Books,” turning the lintel to gold; time here moves slow and far away. Locals call the Chiayi Back-Station area “Beigang Depot”; it was once the junction of Taiwan Railway, the Alishan Forest Railway, and the sugar-industry trains, a crossroads of bustle. If you want deep Chiayi, put a star right here. Say “Tāu-hoo-tshèh-tiàm” in Taiwanese and you know at once: a bookstore that sells tofu. At first the cloth banner in the window read “We support non-GMO”; later it was replaced by one that says “Bean Front—Eat Our Beans.” Every soy product inside uses 100 % Taiwan-grown soybeans: not only non-GMO, but low-carbon too. Tofu Books’ hand-made bittern tofu, paired with Yunlin gardenia-scented “nut oil,” is a perfect match—one solid square of tofu that leaves you quietly full. If you want take-out, bring your own container. For something sweet, there’s douhua, soy milk, and soy-milk bubble tea. The bookstore feels like a friend’s apartment: each room its own micro-section, almost no retail pressure. Pick up a book, take a seat, and you’re living. 86 Beixing St., West Dist., Chiayi City 05 231 1031 14:00–20:00, closed Mon–Wed https://www.facebook.com/tofubooks