“We don’t sell old houses here!” Tainan’s historic bookstore bans photos to preserve the ‘soul’ of books

Reported and photographed by You Ru / Tainan

“Let me make one thing clear—I sell secondhand books, not old houses.” Upon entering the Tsao Ji Secondhand Bookstore, owner Cai Hanzhong wasted no time in making this point. “You’ve got ten minutes to take photos, then please put your cameras away.” Sure enough, a clearly posted “No Photography” sign hung on the wall, so I made the most of the limited time, raising my camera and snapping away.






▲ Tsao Ji Secondhand Bookstore exudes the rich historical vibe of the ancient city of Tainan.

The original site of Tsao Ji, built in 1966, was once home to a stationery shop and a printing factory—a long-vacant old house that had stood empty for over a decade. In 2008, after taking over, Cai Hanzhong relocated the “old Tsao Ji” to its current location and reopened as the present-day Tsao Ji Secondhand Bookstore. “Actually, Tainan’s historic sites have always been here, but as more people learn about them, everyone who comes to this space seems to know very little, and the gap is huge,” Cai explained the reason behind the “no photography” rule.


▲ Owner Cai Hanzhong talks about the reason for the “no photography” policy.

The “Tsao” and “Ji” in Tsao Ji Secondhand Bookstore come from the owner’s surname. Unlike the stylish, hipster vibe of secondhand bookstores in Taipei, those in Tainan carry a bit more of the drifting atmosphere of an ancient capital.

“This is a bookstore, a place that specializes in selling secondhand books, not old houses.” The combination of secondhand books and the old building preserves the face of Taiwan’s history. With the rise of the old-house trend and secondhand bookstores in recent years, Tsao Ji has become a must-visit spot for many travelers to Tainan. Yet upon entering, “taking photos” becomes the main activity—also disturbing many book-loving visitors.

 
▲ Shelves on old bathtubs, hollowed-out walls, and concrete stairs are also unique sights at Tsao Ji.

Heartbroken by how transiently secondhand books exist in the minds of many visitors, Cai set a rule: no more photos allowed inside the store. Visitors can only explore Tsao Ji with their eyes and hearts. He hopes guests, as they wander through this old house, will discover the traces of bygone eras hidden among the stacked books.

“In this house, the oldest and most vintage thing is that bamboo ladder.” The two-story-high bamboo ladder sits on the ground floor of the bookstore’s rear section. To see its near-ceiling-reaching structure, you must pass through the front counter and the “courtyard” of the old toilet in the middle. To preserve this “sky ladder,” Tsao Ji specially installed a two-story-high bookshelf. The ladder stands right in front of it, seemingly holding up the entire bookstore.


▲ The bamboo ladder, too long to be removed from the old house, is fully preserved in the store, marking the journey of Tsao Ji.

Tsao Ji Secondhand Bookstore is beautiful, and its beauty comes from the series of imperfections within the old building. Exposed rebar, hollowed-out ceilings, reconstructed yet retained old bathtubs, old doors, and windows—all are breathtaking. There’s also an entire wall of secondhand books. “My life is filled with the past,” Cai Hanzhong said leisurely, gazing at the 50,000 books filling the space.

“When I first opened the bookstore, I felt I wasn’t professional enough. I used to do photography, but I left the field due to the digital transition. At the time, I’d been unemployed for a long time and thought putting up a ‘Books Wanted’ sign would bring in a continuous flow of books.” Originally full of hope, Cai gradually began collecting books through repeated challenges and encounters, ultimately finding the “soul” of books—and his own connection to them.


▲ Disassembled old iron window grilles become another decorative feature.

 
▲ Left: The basement of the bookstore, where half-height baseboards are fully preserved; Right: The “courtyard” area of the old house.


▲ Celebrities visiting Tsao Ji leave their autographs.

“If the life of a book can be extended, I’m willing to be the one to preserve it, waiting for the right person to come along.” For Cai Hanzhong, what is permanently preserved in Tsao Ji Secondhand Bookstore isn’t just the history of the old building, but also the traces of books in circulation. That’s why he hopes visitors will put away their cameras, read more books, and perhaps find their own soulful connection with them.

 
▲ Tsao Ji Secondhand Bookstore, across from the Confucius Temple, is a place where history and books flow.

【Tsao Ji Secondhand Bookstore】
Address: No. 71, Nanmen Road, West Central District, Tainan City
Phone: (06) 221-6872