My friend from Hangzhou once told me that a governor of Hangzhou, 苏东坡, wanted a walkway across the West Lake (西湖) to remove the need to make large round tours the lake to get to the opposite side. Upon its completion, he created this dish to reward the workers, hence the name 东坡肉.
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When done right, like what I had at an old traditional Chinese restaurant in Hangzhou, the fatty layer is gelatinous and melty, flesh tender and marinated till infused with the dark sauce. The pork belly here could have been braised for longer hours so that it could be more tender with more 入味 (flavour infused into flesh), but I like the flavour of the sauce, and its thick consistency that coated the pork belly.
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This is taken during a tasting.