Taiwan Food Atlas

Jinshan Duck

Farmhouse duck flavor passed down at the Zushishi Temple, best after a hot spring
📍 New Taipei · Jinshan Old Street (Jinbaoli Old Street)⭐ Featured · Meat🔖 Braised and White-Cut · Duck Oil Rice · Hot Spring Town Rhythm

Jinshan's tradition of raising ducks predates its fame as a hot spring destination. The duck stalls outside Zushishi Temple serve braised or white-cut duck, rice glistening with duck fat, and shredded ginger on the side to cut the richness — a combination that, in autumn and winter, falls into step with the rhythm of soaking in the hot springs and makes for the most local meal in Jinshan.

What is Jinshan Duck?

Jinshan duck uses locally farmed meat ducks and is prepared in two ways: braised in soy sauce, giving the skin a springy chew with a deep, fragrant color; or white-cut, preserving the duck's natural flavor and eaten dipped in shredded ginger and garlic soy sauce. The local way to eat it is with duck fat rice — stir-fried rice drizzled with rendered duck fat, glistening and aromatic. Shredded ginger is a required side, cutting through the richness of the duck meat and adding a warm, pungent note.

Jinshan (historically known as Jinbaoli) had farming families that traditionally raised meat ducks in their rice paddies, and temple stall vendors evolved from daily slaughter-and-sell operations into a settled cluster. Because Jinshan is also a well-known hot spring area, visitors who have just soaked and feel the chill are naturally drawn to a warming plate of duck rice as the perfect close to their trip. The seasonal rhythm here — hot spring high season is duck stall high season — has created a distinctive food geography unique to Jinshan, documented by food fieldwork along the North Coast.

How to eat it like a local

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Stir the duck fat into the rice firstWhen duck fat rice arrives, mix the fat and rice together thoroughly before eating, coating every grain with the duck oil, then take a piece of duck alongside — the fat and meat aromas combine.
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Don't push the ginger asideGinger is not just decoration. Chewing it with the duck cuts through the richness, and the body after a hot spring soak also benefits from ginger's warming quality — it serves both flavor and function.
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Autumn and winter are the right seasonNovember through February is peak season, when duck quality is at its best and stalls are fully staffed. Duck is available in summer too, but the climate and local eating rhythm don't align as naturally as in autumn and winter.
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Tips for choosing at the temple stallsMultiple stalls stand side by side outside Zushishi Temple. Choose stalls with longer queues and visible fresh slaughter — the meat will be fresher. Avoid stalls displaying cooked meat that has been sitting out for too long.

Local knowledge

Verified credentials

  • North Coast food fieldwork and the Jinshan District Office's local gazetteer both document the historical context of the Zushishi Temple duck stall cluster.
  • Jinshan's tradition of farming ducks predates the development of hot spring tourism. Duck-based food has roots in local agriculture, not tourism invention.

Visitor tips

  • Zushishi Temple can be very crowded on weekends. A weekday afternoon or autumn and winter weekday visit is recommended; summer crowds skew more toward tourists.
  • Some stalls are takeout only with limited seating. Be prepared to wait for a table during peak meal times.
  • Jinshan Old Street is compact with limited parking. Public transport (bus connecting from Keelung or Tamsui) is recommended.

Source: North Coast food fieldwork and Jinshan District Office local gazetteer. Photos will be replaced with Dio's own footage after the on-site shoot.

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