Hsinchu Park 新竹公園

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Hsinchu Park is full of historical and modern areas to explore. Here you can find a restored Japanese restaurant (which was also formerly an ROC dependents village), the Hsinchu Glass Museum, Hsinchu Confucius Temple, Qing Dynasty Fort, Hsinchu Zoo, and Hsinchu Flower Market. It is also the largest park in Hsinchu. If you don't know what to do in Hsinchu, you can literally stay the entire day in this park.

Background:
The Area around Hsinchu Park was originally a hill called "Zhentou Shan" literally meaning "pillow hill," which is 55 meters above sea level. The Japanese formed the area into a park in 1925, the first public park in the area. They also built a martial arts hall here. 
The original Qing Dynasty Hsinchu Train station was built in the park where the current glass museum stands. 
The four existing wooden Japanese buildings currently in the park were built in about 1931 as a fine dining restaruant, and after WWII were converted to be part of the Air Force 11th Village (空軍十一村), built for ROC Air Force officers and their dependents, who likely worked at the nearby Hsinchu Airbase. The four buildings have now been converted into a restaurant, a gift shop, and two cafes. There were renovated in 2017. 
The building that houses the Hsinchu Glass museum was built in 1936 to house the Japanese royal family and government officials. The building is designed in European brick architectural style. It was converted into the glass museum in 1999. 
In the 1930s, the Hsinchu Zoo was also established. 
The Five Chinese Cannons are left over from the Opium Wars in 1840 and were planted on the hill to ward off British Ships. 
After WWII, the park was renamed "Zhongshan Park," and the part of the park with the pond was known as Lichi Park "麗池公園." 
The park originally included a radio tower, and a physical science school until it moved to Taichung in 1980. The sports stadium was originally created in 1959, and the Confucius temple was moved here in 1958. 
The park also includes Hsinchu Confucius Temple Hsinchu Zoo, Hsinchu Flower Market, Taiwan Insect Museum, a music hall, a gymnasium, and a sports stadium. ​

Hours:
24/7

Price:
Free

How to get there:
By car/scooter: From central Hsinchu, turn on to Shipin Road, and park near the south side of Hsinchu Park. There is an underground parking lot and paid parking on the side of the road. 
By TRA: Hsinchu Park is only a ten minute walk south from Hsinchu TRA station.

Map:
​Please see below:

Our Journey:

Hsinchu Park is the best park in Hsinchu. It is simply a must visit in Hsinchu, and I highly recommend a visit. You can walk around the whole park in about an hour, but you can also stay the whole day here and not get bored. 

One of the more interesting historical artifacts here are the four Japanese dormitories that have been restored into shops and restaurants. 

They look over the ponds, over which is a wooden boardwalk. 

Here is a wooden rest area near the pond.

Another view of the bridge. 

This is the first building, which was originally a hospital for Japanese Airmen. 

Now it has been converted into a restaurant. 

Fountain inside the pond. 

View of the Japanese restaurant. 

The four existing wooden Japanese buildings currently in the park were built in about 1931 as a fine dining restaruant, and after WWII were converted to be part of the Air Force 11th Village (空軍十一村), built for ROC Air Force officers and their dependents, who likely worked at the nearby Hsinchu Airbase. The four buildings have now been converted into a restaurant, a gift shop, and two cafes. There were renovated in 2017. ​

A large wooden porch. 

Fish in the pond below. 

Another great place to visit in the park is the Glass Museum.
The building that houses the Hsinchu Glass museum was built in 1936 to house Japanese royal family and government officials. The building is designed in European brick architectural style. It was converted into the glass museum in 1999. ​

View inside the glass museum. 

More views of the glass museum through the glass.

Another view of the front of the glass museum. 

Also, you can see the Five Chines Cannons here, which are built on a modern looking fort.

The Five Chinese Cannons are left over from the Opium Wars in 1840, and were planted on the hill to ward of British Ships. ​

Closer view of the cannons. 

The canons are real, but the fort is not. 

Near these cannons, you can also find the Fork Cafe. 

On the north entrance to the park, you can find a bunch of these steps.

More photos of the park above.

Hsinchu's Confucius Temple is one of the oldest in Taiwan, and also one of the best preserved. It was originally planned for demolition in 1955 but was saved by residents who convinced local officials to move it to its current location in Hsinchu Park. For our full blog about the temple, click here. 

Also, right next to Hsinchu Park is Hsinchu's Flower market, a unique market that sells half food and half gardening products in Hsinchu City. It is only open on the weekends, but you can often find lots of people here buying plants and seeds to make their gardens. It is a worthwhile visit if you are in Hsinchu. Click here for our full blog. 

Just across from the park is Hsinchu Zoo, the oldest zoo in Taiwan and the third-largest public zoo in the country. Admission here is only 50 NT and includes over 300 animals such as tigers, bears, hippos, monkeys, ostriches, emus, goats, and more. It is definitely worth a stop on your next trip to Hsinchu. For our full blog on Hsinchu Zoo click here.

Thanks for reading and stay tuned for more of our blogs to come!

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