Fragrant for over sixty years！Kaohsiung’s handcrafted "tangyuan" (sweet dumplings) old shop

Text & Photos byHu Li Xiao Hai Hai

Hechun Yuanzi From setting up a street stall in 1951 to now operating a storefront for 66 years, it's a delicious memory that locals in Linyuan have grown up with. Hu Li couldn't resist buying frozen tangyuan to take home the first time she tried it. The shop's carefully selected glutinous rice is soaked for three hours to make the dumplings incredibly soft and chewy. Despite the complex and time-consuming process, the owner insists on making the tangyuan by hand, personally simmering the ingredients and sugar syrup—no wonder so many people love this shop's snacks！You can enjoy tangyuan here all year round: crushed ice in summer, and savory and sweet tangyuan in winter. Girls can also occasionally treat themselves to some cold soup to satisfy their sweet tooth.

▲ Freshly made-to-order tangyuan with an ultra-soft and chewy texture—add any combination of toppings for just NT$40.

▲ Handmade savory tangyuan: Large bowl with 5 pieces NT$60 / Small bowl with 3 pieces NT$40. Hu Li absolutely loves Hechun Yuanzi’s handmade savory tangyuan. After eating them on-site, she even bought a whole box of frozen ones to take home for Dongzhi Festival (laughs). If you’re also a fan of savory tangyuan, we recommend going for the large bowl—the 5 pieces are more satisfying！

▲ The savory tangyuan are served in a rich bone broth base, with added fried shallots and celery for extra aroma.

▲ The broth is sprinkled with five-spice powder and pepper, both carefully selected from traditional Chinese medicine shops, to enhance the fragrance, plus a generous portion of chrysanthemum greens for texture.

▲ The big, plump savory tangyuan are hearty—bite into them and you’ll taste the soft, chewy skin, along with a lean meat filling that’s fragrant and lightly salty, making it hard to stop at just one！

▲ Yuanzi Soup, small bowl NT$40. The hot sweet tangyuan come with three serving styles to choose from. This version is paired with a homemade longan broth base, plus handmade tangyuan and a generous mix of toppings.

▲ The tangyuan are hand-chopped into irregular sizes, resulting in a soft, tender, and slightly chewy texture.

▲ Hechun Yuanzi adds all kinds of homemade toppings—perfect for foodies who hate getting bored with their bites. One bite of topping, one bite of tangyuan—it’s really quite filling！

▲ The rich, mellow longan soup tastes sweet and warms the stomach nicely, and the generous toppings make every bite satisfying.

▲ The specially slow-cooked taro has a smooth outer layer and a firm bite, slowly releasing a deep, rich taro aroma.

▲ Small bowl of Yuanzi Soup NT$40. The hot sweet tangyuan can also be enjoyed with fresh milk—a favorite among girls. The rich milky flavor is so good you’ll finish it all！

▲ Hechun Yuanzi uses high-quality Gao Mu fresh milk, which has a richer and creamier taste.

▲ Since Hu Li had the sweet tangyuan served hot, the fresh milk was pre-heated separately using an electric kettle and frothed to a silky texture, making it even smoother.

▲ All kinds of toppings are added in full portion—very generous.

▲ The rich, creamy milk flavor is simply loved by dairy fans！It’s recommended to ask the owner to add some ground tea as well—it really enhances the taste.

▲ Rice Cake Porridge NT$40 (winter special / hidden menu item). This unlisted rice cake porridge is a hidden gem—packed with toppings and so rich, yet it only costs NT$40, which is pretty generous！Hu Li herself loves rice cake porridge, and Hechun Yuanzi’s homemade sweet porridge is quite delicious. Recommended for foodies to try～

▲ You can ask the owner to add a bit of rice wine when having the rice cake porridge—it really boosts the flavor！

▲ The soft, smooth rice cake porridge is delightfully slippery. The longan adds a strong aroma, and with so many toppings, it never gets boring—perfect for those who love chewing.

▲ Mixed Ice, small bowl NT$40 + Egg Yolk NT$5. At Hechun Yuanzi, you can enjoy cool shaved ice all year round—even in winter, it’s a fun challenge！After eating the savory tangyuan, a bowl of shaved ice is just right. If you like the texture of moon ice, we recommend adding an extra raw egg.

▲ The shaved ice comes with all the toppings, each handmade by the shop—resulting in more genuine texture and sweetness.

▲ The texture of the shaved ice is quite fine, with a generous heap in the bowl—no holding back！

▲ Topped with homemade sugar syrup.

▲ For those who love retro flavors, you can opt to add ground tea for an extra charge—pairs really well！

▲ When the egg yolk hits the ice, it solidifies slightly, adding a rich eggy flavor.

▲The rich toppings and chewy tangyuan, combined with the refreshing shaved ice and sweet syrup, create a cool and not overly sweet treat that’s perfect for ice cream lovers.

▲MENU.

▲Savory tangyuan pack – NT$90 (10 pieces)

25 packs for free shipping, delivery fee calculated by Blackcat (frozen home delivery)<请询问合春圆仔>Ordering method: by phone or direct message on the fan page

▲Small tangyuan pack – NT$50

▲Homemade small tangyuan.

▲Appearance of Hechun tangyuan.

▲Very convenient parking, with the LinYuan Multi-Level Parking nearby.

The winter-exclusive savory tangyuan is irresistibly delicious. Hechun tangyuan is handmade with meat filling and tangyuan skin, offering a very soft, Q-textured, and hearty bite — one serving fills you up completely. If you have a sweet tooth, don’t miss the tangyuan soup either; its warm, sweet flavor is comforting and heartwarming.

Recommended for those who want to try both savory and sweet tangyuan^^

Hechun Tangyuan
Hechun Tangyuan FB Fan Page
Address: No. 25, Fuxing St., LinYuan District, Kaohsiung City
Business Hours: Monday to Sunday, 12:00–23:00 (closed days please check the fan page)
Phone: 07-641 7866
There is a LinYuan Multi-Level Parking on nearby LinYuan South Rd.

Hu Li Xiao Hai Hai
Life is about experiences, and living is about trying new things. “Taste” is highly subjective — only when expectations are met and emotions stirred can the flavor of love be truly savored.
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