Jilin Night Market’s Time-Honored Xiangxiang Eight-Treasure Ice: A Local Favorite Since Childhood

Text & Photos byShadow

Located near Kaohsiung Medical University, Jilin Night Market is a popular spot for students and locals to grab a bite. We’ve previously introduced several vendors here, such as Alang Fried Chicken’s flagship store, Zhenhaowei Salty Chicken, and Xiangjiang Steakhouse. This time, we’re here because a fellow foodie recommended an old-school eight-treasure ice shop in Jilin Night Market—a place many locals have been visiting since they were kids. My husband, who’s always loved shaved ice, was eager to give it a try.

To try the legendary eight-treasure ice, we came a total of three times. The first time, the shop was closed. The second time, we dropped by after watching a movie. The third time, we specifically wanted to try their snowflake ice, but unfortunately, we arrived too early—the shop only starts serving it in the afternoon. We were so disappointed we couldn’t try it.

Thanks to its popularity among students and locals, this ice shop has gained some fame in the area and has even been featured by media outlets like Foodie Show, Next Magazine, and Liberty Times. Every time we visited, the place was packed with customers.

The elusive snowflake ice could only be admired through photos. The snowflake ice is made using the machine inside, while the one outside is for shaving regular ice.

The shop offers indoor seating, which is clean and bright. Though it gets crowded, most customers prefer takeout, so there’s usually seating available. The walls don’t have graffiti like at Sea Ice, but there’s a full wall of photo displays left by customers—similarly charming in its own way.

For easy ordering, there’s a handwritten price list at the counter with a wide variety of options. Sadly, we missed out on the snowflake ice and tapioca ice on both visits. Shaved ice is very affordable—for example, the eight-treasure ice is only NT$35, much cheaper than my husband’s favorite Want Want Black Sugar Shaved Ice.

There are a few newspaper clippings on the wall featuring the shop, proving that when visiting Jilin Night Market for food, you can’t miss this ice vendor.

On the left is my husband’s eight-treasure ice (NT$35), and on the right is my tapioca ball ice (NT$30). The portion sizes are similar, but the eight-treasure ice has more toppings, while the tapioca ball ice has just one kind.

The large pearls are the tapioca balls—they’re chewy and bouncy, with a slightly sweet flavor. Paired with the syrup drizzle, I found it a bit too sweet. I should’ve asked the shop to go easy on the syrup next time.

My husband’s eight-treasure ice has a wide variety of ingredients. One reason this shop is so famous is the care the owner puts into preparing each topping. Even I, someone who doesn’t usually like shaved ice, found every ingredient delicious, with a nostalgic vibe.

Ingredients include red beans, black beans, green beans, grass jelly, agar jelly, glutinous rice balls, sweet potato balls, and taro—about these varieties, though you can also choose your own. Paired with the syrup and shaved ice, it’s a refreshing treat on a hot day.

The service is pretty good. I couldn’t finish even a third of my tapioca ball ice, so I asked to take the rest to-go. Surprisingly, while packing it up, the staff asked if we wanted to add more shaved ice. That small gesture really warmed our hearts.

While the shop doesn’t offer as many types of toppings as Fengshan’s Old Zhang Ice Shop, every ingredient is carefully prepared to bring out the best flavors. Combined with reasonable prices, it’s no wonder the shop has stayed popular for so many years. Summer is the perfect season for cool treats—if you’re visiting Jilin Night Market, don’t miss this spot. Highly recommended.

【Xiang Xiang Old-School Eight-Treasure Ice】
Address: No. 167, Jilin St., Sanmin District, Kaohsiung City
Phone: 07-3221006
Business Hours: Morning ~ 11:30 PM

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