gogoout has handpicked nine great shops as souvenir ideas for your trip to Taichung. Every one of them is on our editor’s personal shortlist, and friends, family and grandparents all give them a thumbs-up!
Jerky, pork floss and shredded pork / Wan Quan Xin Food Shop (free dried tofu with purchase)
Wan Quan Xin has turned its store into something close to a tourist factory, where visitors can learn about the history of a brand that has been passed down for 60 years. The distinctively shaped “piggy treasure box” is one of its best sellers and has even won a product design award, making it great as a gift or for yourself. Once the goodies are gone, the box doubles as a piggy bank.
To keep the best texture, the shredded pork is pulled apart entirely by hand, which takes a lot of work. The pork floss is also stir-fried by hand until light and crisp, and it smells and tastes wonderful whether you eat it with congee or on its own. The signature jerky needs no introduction: it’s the store’s top seller, and you can also choose honey-glazed jerky or almond jerky. If you only make it to Taichung once in a while, just pack it all up and take it home!
・Hours｜08:30–22:00 ・Phone｜04-2687 2369; 04-2687 2569 ・Address｜No. 138, Jianggong Rd., Dajia Dist., Taichung City ・Google Maps｜Get directions ・Website｜Official website ・Specialties｜Honey-glazed jerky, swordfish floss
Mochi / Hong Ji Caotun Mochi (exclusive coupon)
Hong Ji Caotun Mochi keeps things simple: for 50 years this old shop has focused on one product in one flavor. The storefront looks just like an ordinary house, and without the sign you might think you had wandered into someone’s home. You can watch the owner shaping the mochi by hand right there. There’s only one flavor: sesame and red bean filling, rolled in peanut powder on the outside. That’s the taste they have stuck with for decades!
A box of 10 costs NT$130. The mochi skin is made from pure glutinous rice from the Zhuoshui River, ground in-house, and the whole process takes eight hours from start to finish, so these deceptively simple little treats are anything but easy to make. At room temperature, eat them within 12 hours in summer or 24 hours in winter; frozen, they keep for 7 days and are ready to eat once thawed naturally.
・Hours｜8:30–20:00 ・Phone｜04-22870101 ・Address｜No. 7, Zhengqi St., South Dist., Taichung City ・Google Maps｜Get directions ・Website｜Facebook page ・Specialties｜Mochi
Pottery shop / Xiao Yuan Zi De Ri Chang (Everyday Life in a Little Courtyard)
This select shop sits in an alley in Taichung’s West District, and its nostalgic interior feels like coming home. Every item is personally chosen by the owner, and the shelves are filled with all kinds of everyday goods, from Taiwanese independent brands to pieces sourced in Japan: teacups, bowls and chopsticks, ceramic and wooden plates, and plenty of small household items. A great place to find a gift!
The shop also holds occasional exhibitions, announced on its Facebook page, so follow along if you don’t want to miss one!
・Hours｜Closed Sunday and Monday; 11:00–17:30 on other days ・Phone｜04 2376 7880 ・Address｜No. 28, Ln. 86, Dazhong S. St., West Dist., Taichung City ・Google Maps｜Get directions ・Website｜Facebook page ・Specialties｜All kinds of curated household goods
Tableware and homeware / Tuku Shiqu (Tuku Collectibles)
Tuku Shiqu (Tuku Collectibles) is tucked into a small alley off Wuquan West 6th Street in the West District. From long serving plates and teapots to rice bowls and more, you’ll find all sorts of hand-painted pieces here, and simply looking at them is oddly soothing.
Besides the physical store, there’s an online shop with ready-made gift recommendations, so you don’t have to agonize over what to buy. Take a look at the website first!
・Hours｜Closed Tuesday; 12:00–17:00 on other days ・Phone｜04 2375 5281 ・Address｜No. 21, Ln. 20, Wuquan W. 6th St., West Dist., Taichung City ・Google Maps｜Get directions ・Website｜Facebook page ・Specialties｜Tableware and homeware
Cheesecake / He Ya Tang Classic Cheesecake
He Ya Tang Classic Cheesecake, near Taichung’s Dakeng Scenic Area, is a must-buy souvenir in Dakeng. The classic cheesecakes come individually wrapped in gold foil and can be eaten without a knife or fork, so it’s hard to stop at just one. Gift boxes come in different sizes to suit your needs!
There’s also a summer-only lime cheesecake, available until the Mid-Autumn Festival, with a sweet-tart flavor. Don’t miss it when you’re shopping for souvenirs in Taichung!
・Hours｜Closed Tuesday; 10:00–18:30 on other days ・Phone｜04 2239 8080 ・Address｜No. 725, Buzi Rd., Beitun Dist., Taichung City ・Google Maps｜Get directions ・Website｜Facebook page ・Specialties｜Cheesecake
Tea / Chicha San Chen
Chicha San Chen on Daying Street in Nantun District is a new brand from Chatime’s sister shop, and all six of its base teas have won medals at the iTi (International Taste Institute) awards in Belgium. In store you can pick your favorite base tea and then choose the sweetness and toppings. If you can’t decide, just go with one of the popular picks!
Chicha San Chen also offers gift boxes of specially selected oolong tea from the Lishan growing area at 2,000–2,200 meters above sea level, available as square boxes, small travel tins and drip bags, perfect as souvenirs! Head over to the official site and take a look.
・Hours｜Daily 10:00–22:00
・Phone｜04 2328 5535
・Address｜No. 607, Daying St., Nantun Dist., Taichung City
・Google Maps｜Get directions
・Website｜Facebook page
・Specialties｜Tea drinks, tea gift boxes
Cream puffs and birthday cakes / Lu He Puff House
As the name suggests, Lu He Puff House is a dessert shop built around cream puffs, but it also has cakes, new-baby gift boxes and plenty more, all of them excellent in both quality and flavor. If you spot the strawberry bento at the store, be sure to take at least one home. The top layer is packed with strawberries, with cake and pudding underneath: slightly tart, sweet and moist, and completely unforgettable.
The official site offers plenty of home-delivery options so you can enjoy these cream puff cakes at home. There’s also a lemon tart that tastes different again straight from the freezer, and frozen delivery is free on orders over NT$2,000. Plenty more delicious options await!
・Hours｜
Main store 10:00–21:00 (open daily)
Shenji store 11:00–19:00 (open daily)
Shenji flagship store 10:00–21:00 (open daily)
Zhongming store 10:00–21:00 (open daily)
・Phone｜
Main store 04-23756858
Shenji store 04-23011911
Shenji flagship store 04-23010808
Zhongming store 04-23787666
・Address｜
Main store: No. 122, Wuquan 7th St., West Dist., Taichung City
Shenji store: 1F, No. 358, Minsheng Rd., West Dist., Taichung City
Shenji flagship store: No. 343, Sec. 1, Meicun Rd., West Dist., Taichung City
Zhongming store: No. 190, Zhongming S. Rd., West Dist., Taichung City
・Google Maps｜Directions to the main store Directions to the Shenji store Directions to the Shenji flagship store Directions to the Zhongming store
・Website｜Official website
・Specialties｜Cream puffs, birthday cakes, handmade pastries, new-baby cakes
Cookies, nut tarts and new-baby gift boxes / Hong Ding Guo Zi
Hong Ding Guo Zi, a past grand-prize winner of Taichung’s Top 10 Souvenirs award, makes all its treats by hand with no preservatives!
The lineup is huge: the crispy sticks alone come in nine sweet and savory flavors, and there are more than ten kinds of cookies, including rich peanut, sweet-tart honey lemon, slightly bitter Xiaoding lei cha (ground tea), and the pork floss flavor that true fans love. If you have trouble making decisions, this place will only make it harder, so why choose? Just get them all!
・Hours｜Mon–Sat 9:00–19:50; Sun 9:00–17:00 ・Phone｜(04)25131188 ・Address｜No. 624, Yuanhuan E. Rd., Fengyuan Dist., Taichung City ・Google Maps｜Get directions ・Website｜Official website ・Specialties｜Cookies, new-baby gift boxes, crispy sticks
Filled mochi and little peanut mochi / Yu Zhi Wu Mochi
Yu Zhi Wu Mochi comes highly recommended online, but getting your hands on it isn’t always easy. The plain, old-fashioned storefront says it all: this is a flavor that has stood the test of time. For 20 years they’ve stuck to making mochi by hand from pure glutinous rice.
The little peanut mochi is made in limited quantities, and many items are gone once they sell out, so even though the posted closing time is 7 p.m., the shop closes as soon as everything is sold. If you’re heading to Taichung, go early or call ahead to reserve, just to be safe!
・Hours｜10:00–19:00 ・Phone｜04-25257713 ・Address｜No. 141, Xinyi St., Fengyuan Dist., Taichung City ・Google Maps｜Get directions ・Website｜Official website ・Specialties｜Assorted large mochi, little peanut mochi
Taichung really does have plenty of souvenir options at great prices, and every one of them makes a generous gift to bring home!
We’ll keep adding to the list, so tuck this article away for later!
Every shop here is a real find!
This article was translated by AI from the original Chinese version.
