Hsinchu Travel Guide

Chinese Name: 新竹县 (xīn zhú xiàn)
Population: 557,349
Area: 1,427.59 square kilometers (551.20 square miles)
Location: in the northwest of Taiwan Island, southeast China
Administrative Division: 1 county-administered city (Jhubei); 12 townships
Zip Code: 300
GDP (2019): CNY96.3 billion (USD 14.0 billion)

Hsinchu County is located in the northwest of Taiwan, adjacent to Taoyuan City to the north, Miaoli County to the south. In recent years, Hsinchu County has gradually developed into the “Silicon Valley of Taiwan” for its advanced technology with many universities of science and technology settling down. Many Hakka people also live here. Hsinchu County mainly showcases the Hakka customs and residences, old streets and cultural museums. Visitors can also climb Dabajian Mountain or fish and fly a kite at the Naoliao Fishing Port.

​ Dabajian Mountain: It looks like an upside down cask, so people also call it “Cask Mountain”. The cliffs are steep without any plants. Ladders and ropes on them can help you climb. During the climbing, you can see native cypress forests and many kinds of animals. The Atayal and Saisiyat people believe that Dabajian Mountain is their ancestors’ birthplace, so they regard it as a sacred mountain.

 Ta-pu Reservoir: It is located at Ta-pu Township of Hsinchu County. Dense trees and mountains are reflected on the lake, forming a beautiful scene. Several drawbridges are hanged above the lake, among which Ximaopu Bridge is more famous. A Buddha statue is also worth visiting. There are roads surrounding the lake for you to be closer to the lakeside scenery.

 Naoliao Fishing Port: It used to be the distributing center of fishing boats. Now it becomes a paradise for fishing lovers, and good place to eat seafood as well as fly a kite. There is a long breakwater with “an underwater world” painted on it. It is also the landmark of the port.
 

 Leofoo Village Theme Park: It has four theme villages including Arabia Palace, Great American West, South Pacific, and Animal Kingdom. The magic fountain show in the evening is the most popular performance there. In summer and holidays, you can also watch the firework show.

 Neiwan Town: The Guangji Temple, the Neiwan Station, and the theatre are all in retro style. The architectural style of the buildings in Neiwan Station is still the same as that from the 1950s to the 1960s. Most of the residents in the town are Hakka, so lots of Hakka foods are sold including wild ginger flower rice dumplings, jade vegetable buns, Lei Tea, Lei Tea sorbets, and mochi. The town is famous for its drawbridges. At the stream bank under the bridge, you can catch shrimps and crabs.

 Peipu Town: Surrounded by mountains and fields, Peipu Town is a Hakka town in Hsinchu. Red brick houses that are so close to each other lie on both sides of the narrow roads. The lanes twist and turn, which look like a maze. Citian Palace and Chin Kuang Fu House in the town are both historic sites.

 Hukou Old Street: It is a well-conserved old street where red brick houses lie on both sides. They are in gorgeous baroque style with exquisite wall decorations and arch corridors.

 Smangus Tribe: It is an Atayal tribe at Jianshih Township. The mysterious tree groups were found in 1991, thus the tourism began to develop. You can not only experience the traditional life of the Atayal but also eat their farm products like honey peaches.

 Fangliao Yimin Temple: It is the ancestral temple of all the Yimin temples in Taiwan. It was first built in 1788 and reconstructed in 1899. The statues of Yimin God, Yan Emperor, and Kwan-yin are in Baozhong Pavilion. The temple is the religious center of the Hakka. The activities are held every year during Yimin Festival.

 City God Temple: It was first built in 1748. The city god here is superior to any others in Taiwan, so a large number of people come to worship every year. In addition, the snacks around the temple also attract many tourists such as meatballs, fried rice noodles, squid broths, squid noodles, Kangyuan soups, and mushroom wonton soups.

 Other Attractions in Hsinchu: Glass Museum, Former Residence of Chang Hsueh-liang, National Tsinghua University, Green World, Green Grass Lake, Siangshan Wetland, Eighteen Peaks…

 By train: You can take the train from many cities of Taiwan to Hsinchu such as Taipei and Taichung. The ordinary train from Taipei costs TWD 137-177 with the duration of 70 minutes, while the high speed train takes 30 minutes with the ticket price of TWD 280 for a non-reserved seat and TWD 290 for a standard seat.

In Hsinchu, you can take the Neiwan Branch Rail Line to Neiwan. The train starts from Hsinchu and arrives at Neiwan by way of 11 stations such as Hsinchuang and Jhudong. By buying a one-way ticket that costs TWD 82, you can get on or off at the stations unlimitedly on that very day.

 See more about Taiwan Train

 By long-distance bus: The cities in the west of Taiwan all have passenger transport buses to Hsinchu. The bus from Taipei Bus Station takes about 1.5 hours. To travel around the scenic spots, passenger transport buses, city buses, and shuttle buses are available.