Changhua City’s renowned pastry shop Bu Er Fang, famous for its highly sought-after egg yolk pastries, opened its doors on Thursday (Oct. 3) for a limited four-day sale leading up to the Mid-Autumn Festival. With supplies scarce and demand soaring, eager customers began lining up along Zhongzheng Road as early as Wednesday evening, forming queues that stretched for hundreds of meters.
Some brought benches, mosquito repellents, and even mats to endure the overnight wait, with many choosing to nap on-site. Among those spotted was the so-called “Shovel Superman”, who recently assisted with flood cleanup efforts in Hualien. He shared that after spending days helping disaster-stricken communities, he came straight to Changhua to secure pastries for his family.
By late evening, hundreds were already in line, and by midnight, the scene resembled a festival of its own. One father admitted he joined the queue at 10 p.m. because his children loved the pastries, while a woman who traveled from Kaohsiung explained that she preferred to wait in person rather than pay inflated prices from resellers.
Indeed, Bu Er Fang’s pastries have become a hot commodity ahead of the holiday, with resale prices skyrocketing between NT$1,500 and NT$2,000 per box—several times the retail cost. The shop’s phone orders had already sold out weeks prior, adding further frenzy to the in-person sales.
However, the excitement turned tense around 5 a.m. Thursday when disputes erupted between individual customers and professional purchasing agents accused of “seat hoarding.” Witnesses said some agents brought multiple chairs to occupy spaces, sparking anger from nearby customers who felt cheated after hours of waiting. Arguments broke out, with some threatening to call police if the agents refused to leave.
Despite the disorder, Bu Er Fang is expected to continue selling its egg yolk pastries through October 6, with long lines likely to persist throughout the holiday period.