Li Ji Bakery (Shekou Original)

Review

The Shekou original shop of Li Ji Bakery is on Zhongshan Road in Shengang District. It was founded in 1894, and a 2026 report says it has been trading for 132 years. Inside it still keeps the old wooden counter and a plaque inscribed by a Qing-dynasty scholar. It is run by the fourth generation, Chang Huan-tsung, and sticks to father-to-son succession, no business partners and secret recipes. The shop stresses that this is its only location; other bakeries with similar Li Ji names operate independently and it does not supply them.

The signature mung bean pastry wraps mung bean paste and braised pork in many flaky layers. Reports describe the pork as well balanced between fat and lean, with a strong fried-shallot aroma and a good ratio of salty to sweet, ideal with tea. Its Taiwanese mooncakes are made fresh daily and are sweet without being cloying. The range of traditional Han-style pastries is wide: lotus seed cakes, malt cakes, chive cakes, pineapple cakes, almond cakes, milk and red bean cakes and chocolate red bean cakes, plus vegetarian options and Han-style engagement cakes.

The media generally list it as a benchmark for mooncakes in central Taiwan, but some say locals prefer other bakeries from the same family line, while others think it simply comes down to taste. A shopping roundup describes a Taichung Li Ji mung bean pastry as pure mung bean paste with no braised pork, at a reference price of about NT$680 for six, without saying whether it is from the Shekou shop. This differs from the braised-pork filling in news reports, so confirm the flavor when buying.

Queues are long before Mid-Autumn Festival and Lunar New Year. For the 2026 Mid-Autumn season, online and in-store orders opened on August 13; you can also order by phone on (04) 2562-7135 or arrange home delivery, and ordering early is the best way to avoid the crowds. It opens roughly 08:00 to 21:00. The shop is in Shekou, Shengang, some distance from central Taichung, and sources do not mention parking or payment methods.

It suits anyone buying traditional Han-style pastries or mooncakes as gifts, or needing engagement cakes. Start with the mung bean pastry and add lotus seed or malt cakes. Before Mid-Autumn, always order ahead rather than turning up to queue.