DADAOCHENG - One Cold Day, Many Warm Hearts (Part II)

Chen Tian-lai Residence 陳天來故居

TAIPEI (Taiwan News 2017)—Several Taipei City’s cultural officials asked the owners of the historic residence of Chen Tian-lai (陳天來故居), a municipal historic site, to improve the building’s conditions in three months after finding serious water leakage problems inside the house and tiles peeling off from the exterior walls during an inspection on Thursday. (Source: https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3304957)

After Bolero, by a strictly private arrangement, we did a quick tour of the 1920s  Baroque residence located on Guide Street, once known the most elegant residential building in Taipei. There are family living there, our visit was kept discreet and brief. We were requested not to share photos of the interior, so I am only sharing here what have been available in public forum.  

Photo source CNA

The handmade carved glass is elegant and special - a beautiful interior feature of the house as reported in the above link.

The European style floor tiles were explained by our Chen host, from Southeast Asia 南洋 and believed a result of tea trade exchange. 

The dismantled rock and mountain gave an apologetic look of its once glorious past. 

In drench of rain, I was particularly looking for The Chens 'GK' logo. GK is JinJi tea shop 錦記茶行 in Holo language. 

Taipei Tea Merchants Association 台北市茶商業同業公會
since 1889 , the earliest trade union in Taiwan

Taiwan's tumultuous political changes over sixty years forces tea trade operating under a variety of different names. 

Tea Trade Matsu 茶郊媽祖 

Christian Faith and Tea Faith
I personally found it quite interesting that Formosa tea being brought to its global fame predominantly by Christian followers , Li Chunsheng's Christian roots traced back to Fujian China. Matsu (a Buddhists and Taoist Sea Goddess), nonetheless, is entrusted to provide the spiritual sustenance for the tea industry. Or is interesting, polygamy practice which Christian do not bless, is simply customary to these wealthy tea merchants. 

Tea Excellence
The visit is  great for me as in here I saw several 'originals' what I searched online for the Tea section in 'A Culinary History of Taipei'. 

When Taiwan’s tea industry took off in the late nineteenth century—thanks largely to US demand for oolong—Dadaocheng quickly overtook Wanhua. (Quote from 'A Culinary History of Taipei')

1900 Paris

1911 Italy

1915 Panama

Tea Packaging during Japanese Administration Period

Tea is the reason Taipei replaced Tainan as the Island's economic center  - Chiu Yi 邱翊 says at the beginning of the day

Text contributor  - Willie Chen Taiwan architecture historian 
(https://chenwillie.blogspot.com/)

With this trade superpower, Taiwan started to develop new economic and social systems original to 18th-19th century Europe. They were contracted plantation system in which each farmer signed a contract for amount of committed produce every year, the trade union did the final packaging and marketing for export. This social and financial innovation is one century ahead of what current Ministry of Agriculture does today.

The second innovation of this trade union came up in 19th century Taiwan was the first financial support trust system to cater for labor class involved in this new industry. Late 19th century tea plantations working class in Taiwan were predominantly the tea farmers and workers expats from Hohkien province. Many of them lived to very old or never came back due to the life risky ferry routes across the Taiwan Strait. Once the trade union established in 1889, a financial system was designed to collect certain percentage of export revenue from participating merchant to the amount that can be contributed to the late life caring for the old working class.

The advance of these two social and financial innovations that even appeared ahead of 1895 period of Japan administration which Japan cloned many of the western system to Asia is all because of the world class tea business of Taiwan. This is yet the reason Taipei can replace Tainan as the regional capital due to the wealth Taipei had collected through world class industry.

The Tea Merchants Association enjoyed a century of economic success until late 1970s when cheaper red tea from other part of world became to emerge. In this period, the revenue of Tea exports of total export from island of Taiwan can reach over 70%. Due to final packaging responsibility of the Tea trade union, the Printing and Packaging industry were born nearby to Dadaocheng during that century too. Tea business is the mother industry of northern Taiwan over a century of excellence in driving the island as the trade and manufacturing powerhouse of Asia until these days.

The future of the tea industry - 
Taken from a letter by Marcus Clausen/Managing Director 
Dethlefsen & Balk GmbH

On way to our next and final destination - I saw peanuts sold by 50 NTD per bunch. They are 黑金剛花生 Mighty Black (Kernel) Peanut.  

Tong-An-Le 同安樂 Tong-an Joy 
(No. 242, Section 1, Dihua St)

Tong-an le owner and founder 陳玠甫

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8lydyxfWpI

Dadaocheng high street was born in 1851 when a significant number of Tong An settlers escaped from rebellion in Manga quarter. North quarter of the old Taipei now become known a culture conservation hub thanks to these peoples' endeavors and passions.

Chen has already gained some fame in Taiwan advocating heritage preservation before he co-founded 'Taiwan Old Family' group last November 2018 with four other seniors. It has grown to today, a little more than one year on, a group of thirty. 
One of Ancestral Chens' 大龍峒陳悅記 most notably contributions is donating land in early 1920s for the planned  'Taipei Municipal Temple of Literature' 臺北府文廟 construction , today's 'Taipei Confucius Temple' 臺北孔子廟.

Chen's wealth of knowledge and passion for cultural preservation shows in abundance in his speech, opinion giving ,and in today's case, co-hosting the event. Upon arrival and giving a little background of his 'fine dining' startup in High Street, Dadaocheng, opened to preserve his Chen clan heritage tracing back to Tong-An of Southern Fujian China - He told us about 'Fuzhou Lamp 福州燈' - that when holding up like this  is a lamp, when pulling downwards and outwards is an umbrella. Something I would not have known despite they are common in places.

One of the invited guests for this trip is 魏德文, founder of 南天書局 SMC Publishing Inc. A significant contributor of Taiwan studies. Who collects, researches, produces wonderful books often including historical maps and vintage images. I am sure, Mr Wei is known to many Indigenous Studies researchers, his publishing provides everything they are looking for. 
I asked, and he told me, SMC is short for 'South Material Center', missing the 'sky' 天 in the Chinese. 

'Family Feast' 家宴 - 
The theme of dinner is The Chens family feast. Dishes that our host Chen is accustomed to, flavours familiar with from childhood. 

Chen waits on us and explains each dish when he serves. 

Glutinous rice congee with stewed chicken. Glutinous rice, an all-time-comfort, is especially hearty and warmy in this cold wet day. What's worth mention is it is served with toasted bread and butter. Chen explains, that's how Grandma prepared, the bread and butter is Japanese influence. That I understood. A lifestyle his grandparent's generations were accustomed to.

Claims stuffed with meat balls. My mother is Hakka, Chen says. And I believe this is her Taiwanese take (seafood, the clam) on Hakka's iconic Stuffed tofu. 

Fried pork and onion rolls. 石碼卷. What  is interesting is, this pork roll has a variety of names and we talked about it in our book. But I noticed he adopted for his menu its original name, ie, 石碼 Shima the name of the place where this meat ball was said to be invented, in Zhangzhou Fujian. 

Steamed glutinous rice stuff with meat, taro, pumpkin. I do like this dish a lot. It is scrumptious and very flavorful. 

Steamed egg with maltose. Chen explains, the idea comes from something soft and melt-in-mouth for comfortable eating for family seniors. I have not seen this elsewhere. However, maltose sweets is Taiwan-old-time flavors and favors. 

While we washed down the several courses of meal with tea - Chen started the topic about 'why some call it tea and others call it cha'. 

The simplest answer is: Tea if by sea, Cha if by land.

Tong-an Le also offer 'Pour Over Coffee' 手冲咖啡 of four options: Burundi, Yirgachefe, Guatemala and Nicaragua. Here our Wufeng Lin is demonstrating Burundi.