Hsinchu County
- Not to be confused with Hsinchu City.
Hsinchu County (新竹縣) is in the northern region of Taiwan.
Overview
[edit]Hsinchu County contains 13 settlements:
Map of Hsinchu County
Cities
[edit]Townships
[edit]- 1 Baoshan (寶山鄉).
- 2 Beipu (北埔鄉). Known in Taiwan as a center of Hakka culture, especially for production of dongfang meiren tea, and for its special Hakkanese blends of tea and nuts called lei cha.
- 3 Emei (峨眉鄉).
- 4 Guanxi (關西鎮).
- 5 Hengshan (橫山鄉).
- 6 Hukou (湖口鄉).
- 7 Qionglin (芎林鄉).
- 8 Xinfeng (新豐鄉).
- 9 Xinpu (新埔鎭).
- 10 Zhudong (竹東鎮).
Rural areas
[edit]Understand
[edit]Before the arrival of the Han Chinese, the Hsinchu area was home to Taokas plains aborigines, the Saisiyat, and the Atayal. The population of Hsinchu County is now mostly Hakka people (73% as of 2017). There is also a population of about 20,000 indigineous people, mainly from the Atayal and Saisiyat tribes. As a result of its large Hakka population, Hsinchu County is a stronghold for the KMT in presidential elections, though the DPP has made inroads among the younger generation.
Talk
[edit]As in most of Taiwan, the most widely-spoken language is Mandarin Chinese. According to the 2010 national census, the languages spoken at home in Hsinchu County are:
| Mandarin | Taiwanese | Hakka | Formosan (all) | Others |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 90.6% | 27.7% | 56.0% | 2.0% | 1.1% |
Get in
[edit]Hsinchu County is connected to the Taiwan High-speed Rail network via 1 Hsinchu station (高鐵新竹站), 6 Gaotie 7th Rd. 
, in Chupei City.
Get around
[edit]By rail
[edit]Hsinchu county is connected to other parts of Taiwan by the TRA network. This is also a useful way to get between townships. Stations in Hsinchu County are:
| Name | Chinese | Line | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Fugui. | 富貴 | Neiwan line | Hengshan | |
| 3 Hengshan. | 橫山 | Neiwan line | ||
| 4 Hexing. | 合興 | Neiwan line | ||
| 5 Jiuzantou. | 九讚頭 | Neiwan line | ||
| 6 Neiwan. | 內灣 | Neiwan | ||
| 7 Beihu. | 北湖 | West Coast Line | Hukou | |
| 8 Hukou. | 湖口 | West Coast line | ||
| 9 Xinfeng. | 新豐 | West Coast line | Xinfeng | |
| 10 Liujia. | 六家 | Liujia | Zhubei | |
| 11 Zhubei. | 竹北 | West Coast line | ||
| 12 Ronghua. | 榮華 | Neiwan line | Zhudong | |
| 13 Shangyuan. | 上員 | Neiwan line | ||
| 14 Zhudong. | 竹東 | Neiwan line | ||
| 15 Zhuzhong. | 竹中 | Neiwan line Liujia line | ||
See
[edit]History and culture
[edit]
- 1 Beipu Old Street (北埔老街). 09:30-17:30. An old Hakka street featuring stores selling local delicacies.
- 2 Former Residence of Zhang Xueliang (張學良故居), ☏ +886 3 585 6613. 09:00-17:00. A museum about Zhang Xueliang, the person who declared the Chinese reunification in 1928 after the end of the Northern Expedition by the National Revolutionary Army led by Chiang Kai-shek to unite the Beiyang Government under the Republic of China. The house spans about 150 m2 in area. It is decorated with Zhang's old furniture and more than 500 pictures donated by his two nieces. A bronze statue of him and his wife is displayed outside the front of the historical house.
- 3 Hsin-Pu Upper Fang-Liao Liu Family House (劉氏雙堂屋), No. 460, Alley 10, Lane 359, Section 2, Yimin Road. 09:00-16:00.
- 4 Hukou Old Street (湖口老街), Hukoulao Street, Hukou Township, ☏ +886 3 599 3911. 08:00-22:00.
- 5 Jin Guang Fu Hall (金廣福公館), No. 6, Zhongzheng Road, Beipu Township. 09:00-17:00. An old Chinese-style mansion built in 1835.
- 6 Maitreya Bronze Statue. A large bronze statue of the bodhisattva Maitreya.
- 7 Neiwan Old Street (內灣老街), Guangfu Road, Hengshan Township, ☏ +886 3 593 2001. 10:00-18:00. An old street selling a variety of local snacks and delicacies.
- 8 Tapung Old Fort (李崠古堡), ☏ +886 3 584 1001. Constructed in 1912, during the period of Japanese occupation, the fort was built by the then governor to help with the effort to subjugate the local Altai indigenous people.
Museums
[edit]- 9 Liu Hsing-chin Comic Museum (劉興欽漫畫暨發明展覽館), ☏ +886 3 584 8019. A museum about the comics creator Liu Hsing-chin, located in Hengshan Township.
- 10 Old Hukou Catholic Church Museum (老湖口天主堂文化館), No. 108, Hukoulao Street, Hukou Township, ☏ +886 3 569 5963. 10:00-17:00. A free museum housed in a 1960s Catholic church building.
- 11 Rueylong Museum (瑞龍博物館), No. 1, Alley 21, Lane 42, Wenshan Road, Qionglin, ☏ +886 3 592 2521. A natural history museum in Qionglin Township.
- 12 Zhudong Timber Industry Exhibition Hall (竹東林業展示館), No. 141, Donglin Road, Zhudong Township, ☏ +886 3 595 2012. 09:00-17:00. The exhibition hall features the history of timber industry in Taiwan and traditional logging equipment.
Temples
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- 13 Baozhong Yimin Temple (褒忠亭義民廟), No. 360, Section 3, Yimin Road, Xinpu Township, ☏ +886 3 588 2238.
- 14 Chaoyin Chan Monastery (關西潮音禪寺), ☏ +886 3 587 2267.
- 15 Cihtian Temple (北埔慈天宮), No. 1, Beipu Street, Beipu Township, ☏ +886 3 580 1575. A small temple built in 1835, dedicated to the Bodhisattva Guanyin which was constructed to promote peace with the local aboriginal populations.
- 16 Hukou Sanyuan Temple (湖口三元宮), No. 278, Hukoulao Street, Hukou Township, ☏ +886 3 569 2667.
- 17 Kuanhsi Taihe Temple (關西太和宮), No. 30號, Datong Road, Guanxi Township, ☏ +886 3 587 2216.
- 18 Lian-Hua Mountain San-sheng Palace (蓮華山三聖宮), No. 488, Sansheng Road, Xinpu Township, ☏ +886 3 588 2153. 08:00-17:00. A hillside temple complex that was constructed in 1902.
- 19 Sacred Heart Catholic Church (關西天主堂), No. 126, Zhengyi Road, Guanxi Township, ☏ +886 3 587 2104.
- 20 Tianen Maitreya Temple (天恩彌勒佛院), No. 3, Kuaile Road, Emei Township.
- 21 Wenchang Shrine (新埔文昌祠), No. 7, Lane 202, Chenggong Street, Xinpu Township, ☏ +886 3 588 6578.
- 22 Wuhe Temple (芎林五和宮). A Mazu temple in Yilin county that was constructed in 1796.
Architecture
[edit]
- 23 Kuanhsi TungAn Bridge (東安古橋), Zhongshan East Road, Guanxi Township.
Parks and nature
[edit]- 24 Shei-Pa National Park (雪霸國家公園). The park covers a wide range of ecosystems between 760 meters at the lowest point, the Da-an River Valley (大安溪) and 3,886 meters elevation at the highest point, the top of Xueshan (雪山主峰).
- 25 Dabajian Mountain (大霸尖山). Dabajian Mountain is known for its steep grade, beautiful surroundings, and rugged terrain, making it a popular rock climbing mountain. There are many companies in the area that offer rock climbing tours to the mountain.
- 25 Dabajian Mountain (大霸尖山). Dabajian Mountain is known for its steep grade, beautiful surroundings, and rugged terrain, making it a popular rock climbing mountain. There are many companies in the area that offer rock climbing tours to the mountain.
Do
[edit]Theme parks
[edit]
- 1 Little Ding-Dong Science Theme Park (小叮噹科學主題樂園), No 199, Kanghe Road, Xinfeng Township, ☏ +886 3 559 2330. An outdoor natural science park in Taiwan intended to promote scientific knowledge and creative thinking in children.
- 2 Leofoo Village Theme Park (六福村主題遊樂園), ☏ +886 3 547 5665. 09:00-17:00. A theme park and a safari located in Guanxi Township. It features three roller coasters, as well as an old mining railway.
- 3 Green World Ecological Farm (綠世界生態農場). A theme park in Beipu Township that focuses on ecological education. Covering 70 hectares, the park includes an educational farm, a house, a zoo, and a botanical garden that occupies about 173 acres and hosts over 2,000 species of plants and animals.
Eat
[edit]- 1 6 Garden Restaurant (六號花園), ☏ +886 932 178 177. 10:00-18:00. A 2-storey, vine-covered brick building nestled in the hills surrounded by gardens.
Local specialities
[edit]Vegetarian
[edit]- 2 The V:F Zhubei (舞蔬弄果竹北店), No. 78, Section 1, Jiafeng South Road, Zhubei City, ☏ +886 3 658 5997. 11:30-23:30.
Drink
[edit]Stay safe
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