Daxi Moon Cake is a traditional treat unique to Daxi, originating in the Japanese colonial period when rationed flour was scarce and locals used mashed sweet potato instead — round and thin like a full moon, hence the name, and nicknamed the "poor man's mooncake" for standing in for costlier Cantonese-style mooncakes. Inside the glass cases of old pastry shops on Daxi Old Street, you often see round, thin cakes no thicker than a full moon — golden-hued, lightly crisp skin, with a filling of mashed sweet potato and sugar. It looks humble, but the first bite reveals the real craft of an old pastry house.
Moon Cake originated during the Japanese colonial period, when rationed flour was scarce and Daxi locals substituted mashed sweet potato as the main ingredient; because it replaced costlier mooncakes in a time of scarcity, it earned the nickname "poor man's mooncake." Daxi's flagship shop, He Zhen Xiang Bakery, was founded in 1892 by Yu Zhen-xiang and has passed through four generations — originally named "Wei Zhen Xiang," it was renamed "He Zhen Xiang" by the third-generation owner, giving it over 130 years of history.
What is Daxi Moon Cake (Yueguang Bing)
Daxi Moon Cake is a traditional local treat unique to Daxi, round and thin like a full moon — hence the name yueguang bing, or "moonlight cake." The pastry shell is baked from flour, sugar, and oil, giving it a pale golden color; the filling is mashed sweet potato mixed with sugar, smooth and lightly sweet. Unlike Cantonese-style or mainstream Taiwanese mooncakes, which are rich in oil and sugar, Daxi Moon Cake is thin, dry, and understated — lower in both sweetness and fat content. It is a traditional treat best enjoyed slowly with tea. It is most common around the Mid-Autumn Festival but some long-standing pastry shops produce it year-round.
Why Daxi? During the Japanese colonial period, Daxi was already a hub for pastry shops in northern Taiwan; a thriving commercial scene drove the growth of the confectionery trade, and Moon Cake is a local treat that dates to that era — over a hundred years of continuous history. Old shops like Ho Zhen Siang Pastry still follow traditional methods. The sweet potato filling reflects the fact that sweet potatoes were a major crop in Daxi and the surrounding mountain areas in earlier times, making them an affordable and satisfying filling. Today the Old Street is lined with pastry shops; alongside Daxi Dried Tofu, Moon Cake is another distinctive local food identity — a collector's item among Taoyuan's old flavors.
How to Eat It the Local Way
Local Knowledge
Verified Credentials (ads filtered)
- Daxi Moon Cake is a traditional treat unique to Daxi, dating to the Japanese colonial period and named for its moon-like shape.
- Ho Zhen Siang Pastry and other long-established shops continue using traditional methods and are the recognized representatives of Daxi Moon Cake.
- Daxi Moon Cake is part of the Old Street pastry shop culture, listed alongside Daxi Dried Tofu as one of the main souvenir categories on the street.
Practical Tips
- Moon Cake production peaks around the Mid-Autumn Festival. On ordinary days, call ahead to check whether freshly made cakes are available.
- The dry, moderately sweet texture is not a flaw — it is the traditional character of this treat. Those accustomed to soft, moist modern mooncakes should adjust their expectations.
- Shelf life after purchase is short: about one week at room temperature, longer when refrigerated. Best consumed soon after buying.
Information compiled from Michelin Guide, Taoyuan City Government Tourism Bureau, and large-scale public reviews; sponsored content has been filtered out. Photos will be replaced with channel-exclusive material after Dio's on-site shoot.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is it called "Moon Cake" (Yueguang Bing)?
Because the pastry is thin and round like a full moon, giving it the name "moonlight cake."
What is the traditional filling in Daxi Moon Cake?
The traditional filling is mashed, steamed sweet potato mixed with sugar — smooth and lightly sweet, unlike common Cantonese-style mooncakes.
When did Daxi Moon Cake originate?
It originated during the Japanese colonial period, when locals used sweet potato instead of rationed flour; it has continued for over a century.
Which long-established Daxi shop is known for Moon Cake?
He Zhen Xiang Bakery, founded in 1892 and now run by its fourth generation, is the district's representative Moon Cake shop.
Sources
- 大溪合珍香 — 國家文化記憶庫，確認合珍香創立1892年及四代傳承歷史
- 大溪人從小吃到大！窮人的月餅—月光餅 — 自由時報，確認月光餅日治時期由來與地瓜餡典故