Hsinchu

With a history of almost 400 years, Hsinchu is the oldest city in northern Taiwan. It was originally inhabited by an aboriginal tribe called Taokas who called the city 'Chuchien', and the present name, Hsinchu, was adopted at the end of the 19th century, during the reign of the Qing Dynasty Emperor Guangxu. It was also during the later Qing Dynasty that the city was expanded and the city's walls constructed, of which only the Eastern Gate remains.
During the Japanese colonial era (1895 to 1945), Hsinchu was the main administrative center between Taipei and Taichung, and it was during this period that glass production (for which Hsinchu later became famous) was introduced to the city. Production used to be limited to medical equipment, but with the founding of the island's largest glass company in 1954, production was expanded, though still limited to mostly industrial glass. Craft items were added to the list of products in the 1960s, and soon Hsinchu gained recognition as a center of excellence for decorative glass products.
In 1980, the Hsinchu Science-based Industrial Park (more often called simply 'The Science Park') was founded. The park has been very successful, and hosts companies like TSMC, AU Optronics, UMC and numerous other semiconductor manufacturers. The establishment of the park was a major boost to the economy of the area and as a result, Hsinchu, despite its relatively small population (around 350,000), has some surprisingly high standard hotels and shopping complexes. The average wage of the citizens of Hsinchu is now the highest in Taiwan, surpassing even that of the capital, Taipei.
Hsinchu is a very pleasant city, though definitely not a tourist destination, and most overseas visitors travel here only to attend conferences or business meetings. However, with its abundance of hotels and good transportation links, the city is perhaps the best location to explore the beautiful mountain areas of Hsinchu County.
Due to the constant gusts of wind that blow in from the Taiwan Strait, Hsinchu is often referred to as the Windy City. While the wind keeps the city relatively pollution free, it also makes it a very cold place in the winter, especially around the time of the Chinese (Lunar) New Year celebrations.

By car

Hsinchu is on the main Taipei - Kaohsiung rail and freeway routes, and it takes about one hour and ten minutes to reach the city from Taipei.
Take highway number 1 or 3. There are two toll gates between Taipei and Hsinchu. Books of 9+1 tickets can be bought at the gates with yellow sign at NT$40 each. Tickets can also be bought at post offices for a little less then NT$40. Tickets holders can use gates with a blue sign.
The speed limit on Highway number one is in general 100 km/h and on number 3 110 km/h. Speed cameras are active and there are regular speed traps.

By plane

The nearest airport is Taoyuan International Airport, which is about a thirty minute drive in the dead of night with no traffic and a speeding taxi driver. Safest to allow around an hour from Science Park or a little longer from down-town.

By bus

From Taipei

• The How-Tai Bus Company (豪泰客運) (NT$110) run a fast, bus company with efficient and very comfortable (extra wide seats with personal video screens) service from Taipei to Hsinchu. In Taipei, the red buses depart every fifteen minutes from bay 22 at the Taipei Bus Terminal (See: Taipei 'Get in'). From Hsinchu, the buses depart from next to the Hsinchu Railway Station (when exiting the station, the bus stop is a two-minute walk to the left, just past the Hsinchu Bus Station), and makes a stop at the National Tsing Hua University bus station en-route to the freeway. If your ticket is not collected before departure, hang on to it. It will need to be given to the driver when getting off. The journey takes between 1 hour 20 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes.

From Taoyuan Taiwan Airport

• There are no direct buses from Taoyuan Taiwan Airport (Taipei International Airport) to Hsinchu, but the U-bus company offers a link, with passengers changing buses at the 'Jhongli Transit Station'.

From Taichung

• Taichung Bus (台中客運) and Guoguang Bus (國光客運) connect Hsinchu to Taichung.

By train

• The TRA (or regular train) station is in the city centre and is a major stop on the main line between Taipei and Kaohsiung/Taichung. It costs from NT$114 to NT$180 for an adult and takes approximately one to two hours to get there from Taipei main station, depending upon the type of train you take. is located along Zhonghua Rd.
• The has a Hsinchu stop located in the neighbouring city of Chupei (竹北; zhúbĕi) and is approximately 30 minutes by taxi from the city centre. A local train line (Liujia Line) runs between Hsinchu and Liujia TRA stations (Liujia being located less than 100 m from the THSR station). The THSR also offers a free shuttle service from the station to Hsinchu approximately every 20 minutes. The journey from Taipei takes approximately 30 minutes .

• Hsinchu is large enough for a local bus service, which connects the suburbs with the downtown area, though not large enough for taxis to cruise. You'll need to go to the station or a department store to pick one up from a taxi rank - or call, if you can speak Chinese.

Parks and scenic sites

• The central reservations of Wenhua, Xinyi and Sanmin roads have been converted into parks. These stretches of green are great for taking a leisurely stroll on a sultry summer day or escaping from the office during lunch break. The parks along Wenhua and Xinyi streets are especially pleasantand quite romantic at night--as they have incorporated the city's historic moat into their design.

• Eighteen Peaks Mountainbest described as a large hill or small mountainous area circling the eastern and southern suburbs of Hsinchu. The highest of the 18 peaks is 131.79 m and the lowest 50 m. It has a lot of well-maintained stepways, concrete paths and Tarmac pathways, making it ideal for walks in the forest without the hardships of true country hiking. It can get very crowded at weekends or in the early morning, and some may find the canned music a little unnatural. If you do not mind crowds the best time to visit is during a flower festival, at this time you may be lucky enough to be able to visit the Japanese underground shelters that are sometimes opened on these occasions. From some locations you are able to enjoy views of Hsinchu, but generally there are limited views of the city due to heavy tree cover.

• Hsinchu Botanical Garden

  address: Baoshan Road
  has some great hiking trails and provides the opportunity to become acquainted with more than 300 varieties of Taiwan's indigeneous flora.

• Green Grass LakeAlso called Qing-cao Hu, off Ming-hu Road is a parkland surrounding a lake - a great place to relax and watch water fowl gliding with the clouds.

• Hsinchu Zoo

  address: 279 Kungyung Road
  This is the oldest and smallest zoo in Taiwan, founded by the Japanese in 1936. The zoo has been very tastefully renovated and proudly displays 250 animals and 70 species, including tigers, crocodiles, monkeys, bears and all kinds of birds. The grounds are lovely and garden like and the animals seem to be having a good time. A great place to bring children.

Landmarks and temples

• City God TempleBuilt in 1748, on the corner of Zhongshan Road and Dongmen Street. It is a typical Taoist temple with lots of colorful frescoes.

• Guan Di Temple

  phone: +886 3 522 1339
  address: No. 109-1, Nanmen Street
  Built in 1776, on the corner of Wenchang St. and Zhongshan Road. It is noted for its refined ornamentation and inscriptions carved by local scholars on the temple pillars.

• East GateConstructed from granite and with a distinctive arched entrance, the historic East Gate is the city center's most well known landmark. It is at the junction of Dongmen and Zhongzheng Roads.

• Hsinchu Railway Station

  address: 445 Sec 2 Zhonghua Rd
  Built in 1913 in the classic Baroque style that was popular in Taiwan at the beginning of the 20th century. There is nothing to see inside, but the facade provides a good backdrop for souvenir photographs of the city.

Museums and galleries

• Craft Glass Museum

  phone: +886 3 562-6091
  address: 2 Dongda Road
  The, sec 1. A gallery dedicated to Hsinchu's long association with the craft of glass making. It is in the park directly behind the railway station.
• Space, warehouses 3, 4 and 5 Hsinchu Railway Station - a space for art workshops and exhibitions. Also includes a humanistic recreation area with restaurant.

• Hsinchu City Art Gallery & Reclaimation Hall

  phone: +886 3 531 9756
  address: No. 116, Zhongyang Road

• Hsinchu City Fire Museum

  phone: +886 3 522 2050
  address: No. 4, Zhongshan Road
  A small museum in a converted fire station dedicated to the history of firefighting in Taiwan.

• Image Museum of Hsinchu City

  phone: +886 3 528 5840
  address: No. 65, Zhongzheng Road
  The museum is in the renovated former movie theater building, and in addition to images and documents of film and theater in Taiwan, the museum also has an auditorium where movies and plays are performed.

• Hsinchu City Black Bat Squadron Memorial Hall

  phone: +886 3 542 5061
  address: No. 16, Section 2, Dongda Road
  A memorial dedicated to those who lost their lives in the conflict between Taiwan and Mainland China.
• The Residence of Hsin Chih-Ping

• Hsinchu Museum of Military Dependents Village

  phone: +886 3 533 8442
  address: No. 105, Section 2, Dongda Road

Concerts

• Hsinchu Playhouse and Gallery

  phone: +886 3 542-0121
  address: 17 Dongda Road
  Sec 2 (corner of Beida Road). A large concert hall and gallery featuring local and international events.
• Free Music - Bands often perform in the small outdoor auditorium under the East Gate.

Universities

• National Chiao Tung University

  phone: +886 3 513-1231
  address: 1001 University Road
  a large university offering a high standard of education.

• Chung-hwa University

  phone: +886 3 518-6175
  address: 707 Wufu Road

• National Tsing Hua University

  phone: +886 3 571 5131
  address: No. 101, Section 2, Guangfu Road
  a large and prestigious university - specialties include electrical engineering, physical sciences and humanities.

• The main shopping center meanders through the roads and lanes from the main train station to Bei-da and Min-sheng Roads.

  SOGO Department Store

  is on the corner of Zhong-hua and Mintsu Roads (directly across from the railway station), and the

  Mitsukoshi Department Store

  has a large branch next to the Ambassador Hotel.
• Another major shopping center is the

  Far East Department store (FE21)

  in Xi-da Road on the corner of Xi-men Street. There is plenty of parking and it also has a wide range of movie theaters.
• The

  RT-Mart

  on ZhōngXiào Rd (忠孝路) has food, electronics, clothes, household articles at low prices.
• A

  night market

  with a lot of character sprawls through the alleys off Wenchang Road.

• Hsinchu Flower Market

  is a unique and lively place on the weekends. it surrounds the Hsinchu Zoo and glass blowing museum/park area.

Specialist stores

• Asian Handicrafts

  phone: +886 3 525-3662
  address: 184 Dungmen (East Gate) Street
  Specialties are jade and Buddhist artifacts.

English books

• Eslite Bookstore, corner of Xinyi and Dadong Roads. The best selection of English titles in Hsinchu.
• Caves, Dongda Road. A little far out from the downtown area and has limited selection.
• National Tsing Hua University. Socrates cafe on campus (next to the main library) has a good selection of second hand books, including many English titles and a surprising number of French titles too.

Hsinchu is a typical Taiwanese city containing thousands of restaurants, and, because of the relatively large ex-pat community, many offer international cuisine.
Dishes popular with domestic tourists are rice noodles (米粉; mĭfēn), meatballs served in a broth soup (貢丸湯; gòngwántāng) and stuffed meatball (肉圓; Ròyuán). A popular place to eat these dishes is at City God temple. Uncooked rice noodles and meatballs can be purchased here and also near the entrances to freeway's number 1 and 3. Literally surrounding the Chenghuang Temple are numerous small booths selling cheap, local delicacies. This will be a good place to go to sample local dishes.

Chinese

• One Two Three (一二三), 府後街17號 (17 FuHou Street) - A great restaurant with many local dishes. It is close to the circle in down town Hsinchu.

• Golden Mountain

  phone: +886 3 563-6296
  address: 13 Jinshan 13th Street
  While the food is good, it is definitely the ambience and architecture of this traditional style restaurant that is the main attraction.

• Yunnan Wind

  phone: +886 3 575-0142
  address: 231 Dongming Street
  Offers food from the Chinese Yunnan province, including spicy hot pots and grilled dishes. Similar to Thai food. Relaxed atmosphere. Located in a small lane off Guangfu Road Sec. 2 across from the Orange Mart.

• Curry Fans

  phone: +886 3 5313372
  address: San Min Street 2 No. 13, Hsinchu City. (新竹市東區三民路2巷13號)
  They offers many kind of curries from various country such as Indonesia, Thailand, India and Japan. Has an English menu and is owned by a Taiwanese who speaks very good English.

Indian

• The Spice Shop

  phone: +886 3 571-0687
  address: 19 XinGuang Road
  They have an English menu and they can speak English.

Organic

• Yogi House

  phone: +886 3 515-3696
  address: 97 Shijye Street
  Veggie and non-veggie meals available. Prices a little high, though comparable to other organic restaurants in Taiwan.

Vegetarian (素食)

As in most major cities in Taiwan, vegetarian buffets are common in many neighborhoods in Hsinchu. The price at a buffet is estimated by the weight of the food on your plate. Rice (there is usually a choice of brown or white) is charged separately, but soup is free and you can refill as many times as you like. NT$90-110 will buy you a good sized, nutritious meal.
The list below is for all-you-can-eat buffets (at these, there is a set charge, usually over NT$250, and the meal includes dessert and coffee/tea) or menu style restaurants:

• City God Temple

  phone: +886 3 5223666
  address: 75 Zhongshan Road
  Offers vegetarian fare.

• Green-On

  phone: +886 3 5728022
  address: 24 Chuanai Street
• Date Tree near National Tsing Hua university is a vegetarian restaurant offering meals from as cheap as NT$50 up.
• There is a vegetarian outlet on Changan Street.

Western

• The Lake House also known as 在水一方 is a Western style restaurant located adjacent to Ching-Tsao Lake (the lake of green grass). You can either dine right next to the lake or eat on the third floor where the view is spectacular.(新竹市明湖路1075巷80-1號)1075 Minghu Rd., Hsinchu City. Phone# (03)529-2117
• Squares is a Western style restaurant located just southwest of the East Gate. The serve hamburgers and western breakfast. They also have some Belgian beers in bottles.(新竹市勝利路38號) 38 Shengli Rd., Hsinchu City
• Mr. Toast is a sandwich shop located close to Tsing Hua University just beside Berkeley Hotel. They serve good grilled cheese sandwiches. Topsellers are California Chicken, Philly Cheesesteak and Italian panini. Ambience is western with great music. They have an English menu and can speak English. They are a having a summer super value meal which cost only NT$99 and includes a grilled sandwich, fries, salad and a drink. Its a great deal especially for students around the area. (新竹市光復路二段276號) Guang Fu Road, Sec. 2, #276, Hsinchu City. 03-571-7373. M-Sa 10:30 to 21:30, Su 12:00 to 20:00.
• American Grill in Taiwan is an American-style grill just behind the Shin Kong Mitsukosi department store. They serve flame grilled hamburgers, and sausages. The potato salad is a chef special and a favorite. Also on the menu you will find a selection of deep fried food. The menu is availalbe in both Chinese and English. (民權路24巷11號) No. 11, MinChuan Road, Lane 24. Open Monday through Saturday from 11:00.

• Nunu and Nigel's N2 Bar and Eatery

  address: 14 Chien Shou Road
  Near by Royal Hotel and the Science Park. English-speaking staff serving a Western menu including burger, salads, pasta, and house specials. NT$200-300. A great place to meet Westerners and Local executives from the Semi-conductor business. Tel 03 5776828 or 0936126038. Owned by Nunu and Nigel previously of 4Q2 and the Pig and Whistle. Reservations are not required but it is recommended that you call ahead. Outdoor bar and deck with smoking areas.

Night market

The night market at the end of GuangFu Road (Garden Street), otherwise rather disappointing, has a very popular shop selling food from Singapore. It is located close to the entrance of the night market. The curries and fried noodles start from around NT$60. The night market here is one of the few places to find real homemade American-style cookies but the vendor is not always there. If you really have a craving you can order them and have them delivered by calling 0973200868.
There's a night market on NanDa Road behind the train station every Tuesday and Thursday. Follow the crowds, you can't miss it.

Most restaurants, pubs, and even high-class hotels carry a paltry selection of beer, consisting mainly of Heineken, Kirin, Taiwan Beer and one of a variety of mass-marketed, mass-produced American beers (Budweiser, Coors, etc.) In some bars also the German Erdinger is available.

• Minzu Road , a small road just around the corner of Sol Hotel, offers various small bars of different styles.

• Goetheburg Bar & Restaurant

  phone: +886-35422916
  address: Minquan Rd 120
  Götheburg is on Minquan Rd corner of Sanmin Rd. Large restaurant & bar with three floors and outdoor terrace, the bottom floor is a hairdressers.

• Gooky Grill Bar & Restaurant 谷奇

  phone: +886 3-5265559
  address: No.147 ShenLi Rd. 勝利路147號
  Lively Japanese lounge and an American bar, also has a selection of grill and seafood.

• Nunu and Nigel's N2 Bar and Eatery

  phone: +886 3 5776828
  address: 14 Chien Shou rd
  'Nunu and Nigel's N2 Bar and Eatery'. 14 Chien Shou Road, near Royal Hotel and the Science Park. Open Monday to Friday 5pm till late. Saturday 7pm till midnight. Sunday closed. English speaking staff, ice cold draft and bottled beer,full cocktail menu. serving a Western food menu including burger, salads, pasta, and house specials. NT$200-300. A great place to meet Westerners and local executives from the semi-conductor business. Tel 03 5776828 or 0936126038. Owned by Nunu and Nigel previously of 4Q2 and the Pig and Whistle. Reservations are not required but it is recommended that you call ahead.

Outdoor bar and deck with smoking area.
Coffee
All the main chains are represented in Hsinchu, such as Starbucks and Barista. Cafes with more unique character are to be found throughout the city center, especially around Wenhua Road and Sanmin Road - just walk around, you'll find something to your taste.

• OPCafé

  phone: +886 3-5153351
  address: No. 3, 95 lane, Kuan-hwa Street
  1 min away from RT Mart - OPcafé is a small and cozy cafe offering coffee, tea, snacks and Belgium beer. They also sell CDs, Zakka.

• Louise

  phone: +886 3 535-8824
  address: 250 Zhongyang Road
  A modern, but cozy cafe popular with young up-and-coming types.

• Yraropmetnoc (代當)

  address: 65, Jincheng 1st Rd., East District
  A simple place with good coffee. The name means counter-contemporary.

Budget

• Berkeley Hotel

  phone: +886 3 572-8668
  address: 272 Section 2 Guan-Fu Road
  English/Japanese speaking staff. It's between two national universities and the famed Hsinchu Science Park. Value choice for lodging and visiting Hsinchu.

• Golden Swallow Hotel

  phone: +886 3 522 7151
  address: 13 Minzu Road

• Kingdom Hotel

  phone: +886 3 563-1155
  address: 238 section 1 Kuan-Fu Road
  Operates a free shuttle service between guests' place of work and the hotel.

Mid-range

• Hsinchu Berkeley Hotel

  phone: +886 3 525-1155
  Dowontown location. A business hotel with an English/Japanese speaking staff, continental breakfast.

• Lakeshore Hotel

  phone: +886 3 611-6111
  Metropolis 1. A nice hotel with a great breakfast.

• Sol Hotel Downtown

  phone: +886 3 534-7266
  address: 10 Wenhua Street
  It's on the very pleasant tree-lined Wenhua Street adjacent to Hsinchu's historic moat. Terrific restaurant nearby too.

Splurge

• The Ambassador Hotel

  phone: +886 3 515-1111
  address: Zhonghua Road
  Hsinchu's largest and most luxurious hotel.

• Howard Plaza Hotel Hsinchu

  phone: +886 3 528-2323
  address: 178 Zhongzheng Road
  Taiwan's largest domestic hotel and resort chain.

• Lakeshore Hotel

  phone: +886 3 520-3181
  address: 51, Lane 775, Minghu Road
  Overlooks a lake.

• Sun-View Motel

  phone: +886 3 520-3000
  address: 1001, Minghu Road
  The hotel is a short drive from Ching-Tsao Lake.
• Sheraton, Dong Sec 1, Guangming 6th Rd.
• Royal Hotel, Hsinchu - Really close to all major companies

Hsinchu is one of the safest cities you'll probably ever visit and street crime is extremely rare. However, in case of an emergency, English speaking police officers can be contacted at the main foreign affairs police department: Tel+886 3 524-2103. Otherwise, like elsewhere in Taiwan, emergency numbers are:

• Police: 110
• Ambulance, Fire brigade: 119

Dialling code

The area dialling code for Hsinchu is 03. From overseas, dial +886 3 XXXXXXX.

Hospital

• Hsin-chu Hospital (新竹醫院) - 25, Lane 442, Jinguo Road, Sec. 1. Tel:+886 3 532-6151.
• Mackay Memorial Hospital, Hsinchu（馬偕醫院新竹分院）- 690, Guangfu Rd, Sec. 2. Tel:+886 3 611-9595.
• Cathay General Hospital, Hsinchu (國泰綜合醫院新竹分院) - 678, Zhonghua Road, Sec. 2. Tel:+886 3 527-8999.

Visa applications and extensions can be made at the Foreign Affairs Police Bureau, 1 Chungshan Road. Tel:+886 3 522-4168

• Shih-tou Shan (Lion's Head Mountain) is a mountainous area on the borders of Hsinchu County and Miaoli County famous for its Buddhist temples and scenery.
• Shei-pa National Park (雪霸國家公園) spans mountains and rivers offering some great hiking, climbing and relaxation.
• Located near Hsinchu City is the Little Ding-Dong Science Park (小叮噹科學遊樂區). It is the only outdoor science theme park in Taiwan.
• Chi'ding Resort Beach, half an hour south of Hsinchu along route 61, has a basic beach. Closed during typhoons. This area has a very flat beach area great for skim boarding. The resort has jetskis, windsurfers and kite boarding.