Lin Caihong greeting customers

On Pingtan, an island in the Taiwan Straits known for its role in cultural exchange and growing tourism industry, the aroma drifting from a small neighborhood bakery each morning carries more than butter and wheat. For owner Lin Caihong, every loaf tells the story of a journey that ultimately brought her home.

While much of the neighborhood is still fast asleep, the lights inside Wanchun Bakery are already on. Dough slowly rises in fermentation boxes as Lin watches carefully from behind the workbench. Born and raised on Pingtan in 1994, she spent more than a decade working in cities including Yancheng, Xiamen and Shanghai before returning to her hometown to pursue a long-held dream — opening a simple bakery built on warmth and connection.

"I wanted a small place where I could remember every customer by face and by name," she said.

Lin studied tourism management and entered the hotel industry after graduation. She completed an internship at Sheraton Hotels and Resorts in Shanghai before taking on several hospitality roles, including a position with a luxury hotel brand.

But the highly standardized environment eventually left her feeling constrained.

"Everything followed strict procedures," she recalled. "I enjoy interacting with people naturally, but I felt I was operating like a machine."

After leaving the industry, Lin traveled and worked in different places. A stay at a guesthouse in Hangzhou introduced her to a more personal style of hospitality and quietly planted the idea of creating a business of her own.

A turning point came for another reason: health.

"I used to love desserts and rich foods," she said. "Then a medical checkup showed elevated cholesterol levels."

Finding many commercial baked goods either too sweet or heavily processed, Lin decided to learn how to make healthier alternatives herself.

Rather than choosing short-term baking courses, she enrolled in professional programs and studied baking techniques systematically, traveling to cities including Suzhou and Shanghai to learn from experienced instructors. From dough mixing and fermentation to shaping and decoration, she built her skills step by step.

Her philosophy eventually became simple: reduce unnecessary ingredients while adding nutritional value.

"Many products add large amounts of sugar and oil for shelf life and texture," Lin said. "We want lower sugar without sacrificing flavor."

Freshly baked bread

At Wanchun Bakery, fillings such as red bean paste are made in-house. Beans are soaked and slowly cooked, with rock sugar replacing refined white sugar. Some of her breads — including baguettes and small chocolate rolls — contain no added sugar or oil.

"People often think bread without sugar and oil must be bland," she said. "But they may simply not have experienced the pure flavor of wheat itself."

She also insists on using higher-quality ingredients despite the additional cost.

"What people eat eventually speaks for itself," she said. "The body gives the most honest feedback."

A corner of Wanchun Bakery

The bakery officially opened in December 2024. Lin said she did little promotion beyond an opening event, and most customers arrived through recommendations from existing patrons.

The result has been a steady stream of returning visitors.

"I only buy bread here now because it tastes light and healthy," customer Chen Jiajia said.

Friends say the shop has become more than simply a place to buy bread. Warm lighting, plants and wooden décor have transformed the small space into an inviting gathering spot for local residents.

Lin believes the personalized service skills she developed in hotels remain valuable, though she has left behind rigid procedures and formal rules.

"I try to remember every customer and what they like," she said.

She recalled a two-year-old child who regularly pulls a grandparent toward the bakery, insisting on stopping for bread. Customers have also brought gifts ranging from basil seedlings to handmade snacks and wedding candy.

"Those sincere gestures continue to support me and encourage me to keep the shop going," she said.

Her entrepreneurial journey has not been entirely smooth. A previous business partnership in Shaoxing ended unsuccessfully and left her emotionally drained. After spending time recovering while working in Xiamen, she returned to Pingtan with renewed determination.

"Every time I came back, I could feel the changes on the island," Lin said. "Tourism and the local economy kept developing, and that strengthened my decision to stay."

Lin Caihong (first from left) with her staff

She is now experimenting with bringing local ingredients into future products, including grinding Pingtan sweet potatoes into flour for bread recipes.

"Research takes time," she said. "If an experiment fails, I start again the next day."

Near the end of the interview, customers continued to arrive. Lin and her staff moved steadily behind the counter, wrapping fresh bread to keep up with the morning rush.

"The hotel industry taught me speed," she said. "Bread helped me find myself."