This northeastern district of the city is famous for “everything taro,” including taro wine
KAOHSIUNG, Taiwan — Jiaxian (or Jiasian甲仙), long famous for its taro ice cream (芋冰), is turning its Cultural Road (文化路) into a dedicated “Taro Ice Street” (芋冰一條街), the Ministry of Economic Affairs’ Commerce Development Administration announced. A special event, “Meet Jiaxian Taro Ice: Stamp Rally Fun” (芋見甲仙．冰友作伙集章趣), kicked off Sept. 20, linking 30 taro ice shops and specialty stores in the mountain town.
Visitors can collect stamps on a custom-designed postcard as they stroll the street, tasting taro ice and exploring local shops. The effort aims to create unique travel keepsakes while boosting Jiaxian’s cultural tourism appeal.
Jhang Huang-chen (張皇珍), deputy director of the Commerce Development Research Institute, said taro ice was first created in 1974 by using betel-heart taro (檳榔心芋), once a local agricultural staple. Though Jiaxian’s economy was later hit hard by industrial shifts and Typhoon Morakot, residents revived the town through cultural and tourism industries, making taro ice shops a symbol of resilience.
To build the “Taro Ice Street” brand, organizers introduced a mascot called “Yu Bao” (芋寶), a cat said to live near the Jiaxian Bridge (甲仙大橋), and launched a limited-edition squeezable souvenir toy.
An additional promotion, “Best Ice Friends” (芋見好冰友), will run Oct. 4-6 during the Mid-Autumn Festival (中秋連假). Customers who spend NT$1,688 or more at designated shops — including Tong Shuai Taro Ice (統帥芋冰城), Di Yi Jia Taro Ice (第一家芋冰城), San Guan Wang Taro Ice (三冠王芋冰城), Ya Xue Taro Ice (雅雪芋冰城), Jia Mei Taro Ice (加美芋冰城), Shi Xin Taro Ice (世欣芋冰城), Shi Da Taro Ice (世大芋冰城), Ji Li Taro Ice (吉利芋冰城), Jiaxian Xiao Qi Old Taro Ice Shop (甲仙小奇芋冰老店), Jiang Ji Old Taro Cake (江記舊記芋餅), and Ya Xue Taro Cake House (雅雪芋餅屋) — will receive a free “Yu Bao” toy while supplies last.
Jiaxian Business District Chairman Lin Wei-ling (林瑋凌) said the initiative also incorporates digital marketing support for local shops, helping strengthen branding and online visibility. “We want more people to discover Jiaxian’s taro ice culture and turn it into a competitive local brand asset,” Lin said.
More information is available on the “Brand Street” (品牌一條街) website and the “Taro Ice Street” (芋冰一條街) Facebook page.