A Century-Old Medicine Cabinet with Nine-Tip Soup: A Visit to a Chinese Medicine Store That Has Been a Fragrance for a Century

Every day, on your way to work or for food, you're bound to pass by a few Chinese medicine shops. With over a century of history, how many stories are hidden in the rich aroma of these shops?

This book visits nine century-old Chinese medicine shops in Taiwan. It's like entering a mysterious martial arts world where each shop has unique skills: mung bean soup made only in pit toilets, the lost Liushen Pills, price "secret codes" guarded by the owner's seven siblings, and the shopkeeper ready to "go out" as soon as he gets his hands on the cut medicine. In the old days, the century-old pharmacies not only sold Chinese medicine, but also served as rest stops for rickshaw drivers, performed rituals and soothed spirits, and even allowed the gods to descend and appoint names?

A medicine cabinet, a pair of scissors, or a bench in a century-old Chinese medicine store all hold countless stories and are precious fragments of Taiwanese history. Understanding these old medicine stores located throughout Taiwan also allows us to understand the bygone era from different perspectives.

Chen Mo'an

Born in 1987, I'm from Kaohsiung and currently live in Taipei. I hope to grow old in Kaohsiung. If I don't want to forget something, I write it down. Once I've written it down, I can forget it with peace of mind. There are many times when I feel powerless, but there are also times when I feel I could do something. Writing is both life's greatest calamity and greatest joy. I hope to keep writing until the day comes when I no longer want to pick up a pen.

He has written books such as "Deep Love Canteen", "Goodbye, or Never See You Again", "Your Thoughts Are Always Lonelier Than You", "When You Fall in Love with Him, You Are No Longer the Same You", etc., and his works are widely loved by readers from all over the world.

Facebook: Chen Mo'an

Works website: unawrites.com

Yuwu Cultural and Creative Studio

Through language and writing, we explore every corner of this land, building a house of stories, awaiting guests from all corners. Traveling between reality and fiction, we will reach places we've never been before.

For several years, I've been running the fan page "Story Tangzai Shop," collecting stories about people, gods, ghosts, and monsters from around the world, striving to capture those touching moments. I've published "Story Tangzai Shop." In our little shop, every memory is worth telling and listening to.

Welcome to the Story Tangerine Shop: www.facebook.com/yuwust

Cover inscription: Cai Mengchen

Illustrator: Li Zhanqian

A creator who believes that good design can change the world, dedicated to producing gadgets that make people smile or can't put them down, occasionally accidentally revealing the blood and tears of designers in the technology industry.

sequence

1. Brothers guard drug prices, Guangsheng Pharmacy in Lanyang Old Town - Yilan
2. Yumiansan and Ziyun Cream, passed down to daughters-in-law but not to sons, at Fangmao Pharmacy in Neihu
3. Benefiting both oneself and others, achieving harmony and peace of mind: Lin Yihe Hall, a traditional house in Shuangxi, New Taipei City
4. Lu'an Tang Ginseng Herb Shop: A unique vision for diversified operations, a legacy that continues to thrive – Dadaocheng
5. Take a dose of Shangqianyuan Ginseng Herbal Medicine and you'll win more than gold, silver, and treasures—Dadaocheng
6. Wuyi Hongantang in Zhuqian: A Renovation for an Established Restaurant – Hsinchu
7. From the mountains to the water, the gods help Dexingtang Chinese Medicine Pharmacy in Qieding, Kaohsiung
8. Making mung beans from pit toilets: Tian'antang Chinese Medicine's secret recipe—Chiayi Puzi
9. Fragments of lost history and the discontinued Zhang Jisheng Chinese Medicine Store in Xikou, Chiayi

postscript