Each year from September to December, entering the persimmon-drying yards of Xinpu's Hankeng Village, you see thousands of round trays covered in orange-red persimmons catching the light from morning sun to sunset. Xinpu dried persimmons rely on natural sun and wind drying — no oven, no sulfur fumigation, purely sunlight and the Nine Descending Winds drawing out moisture and concentrating sweetness. A handful of persimmon-drying operations — Weiweijia, Jinhan, Weizhenhiang — are century-old family businesses that become pilgrimage destinations for photography enthusiasts and travelers every autumn and winter.
What Are Xinpu Dried Persimmons
Dried persimmon cakes are a processed persimmon product with astringency removed through dehydration. Xinpu dried persimmons mainly use stone persimmons and ox-heart persimmons; after peeling, the fruit is placed on round bamboo trays and naturally dehydrated using a "three parts sun, seven parts wind" approach. The entire process takes about 7–10 days, during which the persimmons must be repeatedly turned and pressed to encourage the persimmon frost to emerge; moisture is reduced to 30–35%, and the texture transitions from crisp to soft and from astringent to sweet, with a white surface coating of persimmon frost (fructose crystals) indicating completion. Xinpu dried persimmons use no oven drying and no sulfur fumigation — a fully natural method.
Why Xinpu? The answer lies in terrain and climate. Xinpu's Hankeng Village sits beside the Touqian River; in autumn and winter the northeast monsoon funnels through the river valley, producing the "Nine Descending Winds" — strong, dry, and sunny — the ideal natural conditions for dehydration. Other persimmon-producing areas in Taiwan (such as Gongguan in Miaoli) mostly produce crisp or soft persimmons; only Xinpu developed a dried-persimmon industry on the strength of this wind. Weiweijia, Jinhan, and Weizhenhiang are century-old family operations that open to visitors from September to December each year for viewing, tasting, and purchasing, making them one of Taiwan's most representative autumn food landscapes. Xinpu dried persimmons are also one of the Hakka Three Treasures.
How to Enjoy Them the Local Way
Local Knowledge
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- Xinpu dried persimmons are one of the Hakka Three Treasures, produced using the natural "three parts sun, seven parts wind" method powered by the Nine Descending Winds.
- Weiweijia, Jinhan, and Weizhenhiang are century-old family operations open for visits during peak season from September to December.
- Xinpu's Hankeng Village generates Taiwan's strongest natural drying winds through the Touqian River valley topography — conditions found nowhere else in Taiwan.
Tips for Visiting
- The drying yards are private family workshops that also serve as tourist sites; follow the designated route, and do not touch the persimmons on the drying trays.
- Weekends during the September–December peak are extremely crowded; weekday or morning visits help avoid tour-bus rush hours.
- Dried persimmons keep for about 1 month refrigerated and up to 6 months frozen; they deteriorate quickly at room temperature, so refrigerate immediately after purchase.
Information compiled from the Michelin Guide, Hsinchu City Government Tourism Bureau, Hsinchu County Government Tourism and Travel Division, and a large volume of public reviews, with sponsored content filtered out. Photos to be replaced with channel-exclusive material once Dio shoots on location.