West Head Ice City Introduction
~Signature Shaved Ice~ Tradition ~Good Taste for Nearly Half a Century~ ~Memories~ Is not just a visual nostalgia ~ but also a gustatory sensation ~ "Xitou Ice City" is the first ice shop established on Xinshi Street. Why is it called "Xitou"? It turns out that the Zhongxing Road, which runs through Xinshi Street, used to be the busiest street in Xinshi. The locals habitually referred to the eastern section as "Dongtou" and the western section as "Xitou." The illiterate owner did not understand shop sign aesthetics, so since the ice shop was located in the western section, he directly named it "Xitou Ice City." The founder, Pan Dajian (born in 1933), was tall and robust, and everyone referred to him as "Big Man." Coming from a poor family, he rode a bicycle to the mountains to buy bananas, sweet potatoes, and other grains for sale or sold ice blocks and taro ice on the streets, trading them for sweet potatoes to dry and eat. After marrying his wife, Pan Chen (born in 1933), they raised four children. As the children grew, the financial burden of living expenses and tuition became increasingly heavy, prompting him to consider starting his own business. In 1966, he established "Xitou Ice Fruit Shop" at No. 142 Zhongxing Street, Xinshi District, Tainan City, selling "shaved ice," ice pops, juices, and other ice products, making it the first ice fruit shop in Xinshi. The signature product of "Xitou Ice City" is "shaved ice." Newcomers from Nanke and visitors have little concept and interest in "shaved ice," and they must wait for the owner to...
