Tofu Factory and Caizhai Village in Songyang – Lishui – China Travel Agency, China Tours 2019

Tofu Factory and Caizhai Village in Songyang, Lishui

Caizhai Village is a traditional mountain village built along Shicang River over the past two hundred years. The village has always been known for its best tofu production in the county region. But the products from the traditional family workshops could not fit into current food certificate standards to be able to sell in supermarkets.

Songyang still has certain advantages over other, more remote regions. On the one hand, the area boasts beautiful, largely untouched nature and ample space, but is still reasonably easy to reach from the major cities. Yet the regional authorities did not want to focus on tourism alone, aiming instead to boost the local economy and traditional crafts first and foremost. They decided explicitly against a single, glitzy building and chose to invest in a number of small and micro projects that were to be developed in close cooperation with the relevant village communities – a comprehensive strategy of sustainability. A few initial architecture firms were sought out for this purpose, and collaboration proved particularly fruitful with DnA, the studio of Xu Tiantian.

Caizhai Village, nestled along the Shicang River in the Songyang County of Lishui, is a traditional mountain village with a rich history spanning two centuries. This picturesque village has long been renowned for its exceptional tofu production in the county region .

Recently, a remarkable project has taken root in Caizhai Village: the Tofu Factory designed by DnA_Design and Architecture. Let’s explore this fascinating endeavor:

Purpose and Context:
- The Tofu Factory was conceived as a collective economic entity for the village, aiming to enhance and modernize traditional tofu production.
- Traditional family workshops in the village had been crafting high-quality tofu, but their products didn’t meet current food certificate standards for supermarket sales.
- The factory serves as a bridge between tradition and modernity, allowing villagers to benefit directly from the venture.
Design and Features:
- The factory is strategically positioned on a linear slope near the village entrance, following the contours of the river.
- It houses six distinct production functions:
  - Preparation room
  - Grinding compartment
  - Boiling compartment
  - Deep-frying compartment
  - Drying compartment
  - Tasting hall
- Each production space is meticulously designed and equipped to meet food certificate requirements, enabling the tofu products to be sold in city supermarkets.
- Visitors can ascend a covered walkway to observe the traditional tofu-making process step by step. The journey culminates in the tasting hall, which overlooks an open plaza to the south and the historical village fabric across the river.
- The factory’s assembly timber structure system harmonizes with the vernacular “tenon & mortise” wooden structures found in old farmhouses within the village .
Impact and Education:
- Beyond its role as a production facility, the Tofu Factory doubles as an exhibition space, preserving and showcasing the village’s traditional heritage.
- Primary school students have already visited to learn about the history of tofu making, bridging the gap between generations and celebrating this culinary art form .