814 Li Xiang Ice Shop

Review

814 Li Xiang Ice Shop is at No. 117 Datong Road in Hsinchu's North District, a few minutes from the City God Temple and the East Gate. United Daily News reports that the 814 in the name comes from the air force's No. 814 cigarette factory: after the founder lost his job there, he opened the shop under his sister's name, Li Xiang, kept 814 in the name and has been going for nearly sixty years. The founder was once a student of Ko Wen-je's father, and the Ko family are regulars. Supertaste also puts its history at about fifty-five years, with the third generation now in charge.

The product is handmade ice pops. Supertaste lists about ten flavours, including longan rice cake, mango, red bean with flower beans, taro and sour plum; the base relies on New Zealand milk powder, and the sour plum uses plum powder from Meishan in Chiayi. United Daily News describes a texture between plain ice and ice cream with a milky richness, red bean as the best seller and taro also popular. The pops are sold bare without individual wrappers, and the sticks are set at a slant to stop pieces falling off, a third-generation tweak now echoed in the shop's slanted-stick logo.

Fans say the ingredients are honest and the sweetness just right, with fruit flavours that taste real rather than artificial; the longan rice cake is rich and cheap, an easy pick while exploring the City God Temple. Complaints are few: some wish for more flavours, and others warn that pops melt fast in hot weather, so eat as you walk. The News Lens reported NT$14 a stick in 2020; prices may have changed since, so check at the counter.

According to online information, it opens roughly 9:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. with no fixed closing day, though times vary slightly between sources, so confirm before going. It is mainly takeaway, and you can glimpse traces of old ice-making at the front. Parking around Datong Road and the temple is hard, so walk between nearby sights.

It suits anyone wanting an old-fashioned ice pop to cool off around the City God Temple and East Gate, and families introducing children to traditional pops. On a first visit, try one red bean and one longan rice cake; if you like sweet and sour, add sour plum or mango, and bring a cool bag if buying several. Expect about NT$20 to NT$100 per person.