The story of Shin Jan Shian began in 1929, when Fan Qing-han and his 18-year-old bride started their own business from scratch. In the beginning, they had to sell a batch of peanut brittle just to make enough money to buy ingredients for the next batch. It was not until a supplier approached them with a deal to pay for the ingredients, that they could expand the business and wholesale to other hawkers.

　　Since the early post-war years Chungli has been known for its three treasures of peanut brittle, beef jerky and sickles, and Shin Jan Shian is a highly representative business, dedicated to the production of peanut brittle as well as other Chinese and Western confectionery. For their peanut brittle, only carefully chosen peanuts and refined sugar are used to achieve the optimal texture of clean, crunchiness, so that the brittle breaks easily, and doesn’t stick to the teeth. In addition, to maintain authentic flavor, the caramel is pan-cooked using traditional methods.

　　With more than 80 years of experience, Shin Jan Shian plays an important role in the preservation and promotion of local culture. On display in the shop are several old instruments that were once used for making peanut brittle, cakes and pastries. And the packaging of Shihmen Reservoir image that has remained the same for more than three decades is rooted firmly in the collective memory of older residents of Chungli.