Hsinchu is not only Taiwan's technological hub, but is also rich with historical sights, Hakka culture, and natural beauty. It has numerous old streets, preserved Japanese-era and Qing-era buildings, zoos, mountains, lakes, rivers, beaches, and much more to explore. It is definitely worth a stop on your next trip to Taiwan.
History of Hsinchu: After the settlement of the area by Han Chinese farmers in about 1711, what was then known as Zhuqianshe became the most important economic area in northern Taiwan. By 1723, a walled city was built here out of bamboo, because brick walls were forbidden for fear of a revolt against the Qing authorities. The name Zhuqiancheng (竹塹城) literally means bamboo moat city. The bamboo-walled city had four gates and its perimeter was about 1.4 KM long. In 1806, the city was upgraded with earthen walls. In 1828, the city walls and gates were finally made into brick, with the perimeter covering 2.7 KM, and walls 5 meters high, the center of the city being the Chenghuang City God Temple. In 1901, the Japanese government decided to redesign the City of Hsinchu and destroyed all the gates and walls except the existing East Gate. In the ROC era, the Hsinchu Science Park was established in 1980 under President Chiang Jingkuo, and was made to model silicon valley. TSMC, Taiwan's most important corporation, was formed in 1987 with its headquarters in the park and created a technological hub, making Hsinchu indispensable to Taiwan's economy. When to visit: It is best to visit from April to November when the weather is warm and less windy. There is a constant, cold northeasterly wind from December to March especially along the coast. However, the winter in general is more dry. Where to stay: Most of the accommodation you will find is near the city center. If you will only visit downtown, you can consider a day trip from Taipei. You can find out where to stay in our Taiwan hotels guide or search for the best hotel deals in Taiwan here. How to get around in Hsinchu: As always, we recommend renting a scooter as the best way to see Taiwan. However, you can also a great deal of Miaoli by taking the train, inter-city bus, or local bus. Getting around in a car is also a convenient option as there is plenty of parking pretty much everywhere in this less crowded county. You can look for rentals, tours, and other transportation options here. Map: See below for a map of places we will cover in this blog: Here is a list of places we will cover in this blog:
Hsinchu East Gate (Yingxi Gate) 新竹東門 (迎曦門) 
Hsinchu City's East Gate, or Yingxi Gate, is the last standing gate of the old walled city of Zhuqian, and also one of the last remnants of the entire city wall itself. It is one of the most impressive historical sites in Hsinchu and is worth a visit for anyone in the area. (read more)
Hsinchu City God (Chenghuang) Temple 新竹城隍廟 
Hsinchu City God Temple, or Chenghuang Temple, dates back to the Kingdom of Tungming and was built in the middle of the old bamboo-walled city of Zhuqian. Currently, it is the religious center of the city and also has its own night market. It is one of the most impressive historical sites in Hsinchu and is worth a visit for anyone in the area...(read more)
City God Temple Night Market 城隍廟夜市 
There is also a night market that surrounds the City God Temple, and is one of the largest Night Markets around Hsinchu.
Hsinchu Beimen Old Street 新竹北門街 
Hsinchu's Beimen Street is the oldest merchant street in Hsinchu, dating back to the Kindom of Tungming. Due to the completion of the railway and urban planning in the Japanese area, this street lost its importance, but many historical buildings here are still intact. It is one of the most impressive historical sites in Hsinchu and is worth a visit for anyone in the area...(read more)
Hsinchu Railway Station 新竹火車站 
Hsinchu Train Station is the oldest active railway station in Taiwan. It is also one of the most magnificent and largest Japanese-era railway stations still operating in Taiwan. However, plans are underway for a new station, which would likely render this place a mere museum soon. It is definitely worth a look during your next trip to Hsinchu...(read more)
Hsinchu Park 新竹公園 
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...(read more)
Hsinchu Weekend Flower Market 新竹假日花市 
Hsinchu's Flower market is 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...(read more)
Hsinchu Confucius Temple 新竹孔廟 
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 Zhongshan Park...(read more)
Hsinchu Zoo 新竹市立動物園 
Hsinchu Zoo is the oldest zoo in Taiwan and is 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...(read more)
Neiwan Old Street 内灣老街 
The first time I heard of Neiwan old street was when I asked my Mioali native coworker what there is to do in Miaoli. She told me there was a fun place called Neiwan. It turns out, Neiwan isn't even in Miaoli, it's in Hsinchu, but obviously, it is one of the most popular places in north-central Taiwan. I am not an expert on this location, but I would like to share my experience here with the world...(read more)
Beipu Old Street 北埔老街 
Beipu Old Street is a popular old street in Beipu Township of Hsinchu County. Once an economic center for tea production, as well as coal mining in the area, later it became well-known for its traditional Hakka cuisine. Currently, the old street is crowded with tourists on weekends who come for treats such as Persimmon cakes and Taro Mooncakes...(read more)
Guanxi Old Street 關西老街 
Guanxi Old Street is a quiet historical street in Guanxi Township of Hsinchu County. You will not find long lines of people or food stalls here, but you will find a traditional morning market and century-old brick archways and covered walkways...(read more)
Hsinpu Old Street 新埔老街 
Hsinpu Old Street is a quiet historical street in Hsinpu Township of Hsinchu County. You will not find long lines of people or food stalls here, but you will find wide open fields and century-old traditional Hakka three-sided homes here in what was once an agricultural powerhouse of the region...(read more)
Hukou Cultural Creative Park 湖口鄉好客農業文化創意園區 
Hukou Cultural Creative Park (or literally Hukou Village Hospitable (Haoke) Agricultural Cultural Creative Park 湖口鄉好客農業文化創意園區) is a small agricultural and cultural museum in Hukou Village of Hsinchu County, and provides visitors a taste of local agricultural products, as well as Hakka culture and traditions. It also features a modern built Hakka Roundhouse with an electronic God of Agriculture inside...(read more)
Green World Ecological Farm 綠世界生態農場 
Green World is an ecological farm in Beipu Township of Hsinchu County. It features over 70 hectares of open area, petting zoos, a reptile center, butterfly area, bird park, swan lake, and features animal shows. It is the largest and most diverse tropical rainforest ecological area in Asia and is definitely worth a trip...(read more)
Dong An Bridge 東安橋 
Dong An Bridge is a large stone bridge in Guanxi Township of Hsinchu County, that dates back nearly 100 years back to the Japanese Era in Taiwan. It has become a popular destination to visit and take photos. It is definitely worth a stop on your next visit to Hsinchu...(read more)
Leo Foo Village 六福村 
Another popular theme park in the area is Leo Foo Village. You can tell the place is a rip off of Disneyland. Because Disney has not built a park in Taiwan, it's the next best thing we have.
Window on China 小人國 
Another popular theme park in the area is Window on China (in Chinese it's just little people world), you can tell they were not thinking about foreign visitors when they thought of the name. Here are a bunch of miniatures of Taiwan and the world, and a water park and roller coasters.
Smangus 司馬庫斯 
Smangus is an Ayatal tribal village deep in the mountains of Hsinchu. At an altitude of 1500 meters above sea level, it is also known as Taiwan's most remote aboriginal village. It has become a tourist hot spot not only for the aboriginal culture here, but also for the grove of giant Cypress trees which are close to 3,000 years old...(read more)
Hsin Yue Beach 新月沙灣 
Hsinchu's Xinyue Beach is perhaps the best swimming beach in Hsinchu. There is a lifeguard here as well as showers. The water is relatively shallow and there is a long intertidal area to play in.
Hsinchu Nanliao Fishing Harbor 新竹南寮漁港 
Nanliao Harbor (aka Hsinchu Fishing Harbor) along Taiwan's west coast in Hsnichu City includes a seafood market and a wide grassy area (International Kite Park 國際風箏場). There is also a long sandy intertidal area nearby. It is a popular location for its seafood, kite flying, and ocean scenery...(read more)
Xiangshan Wetlands 香山濕地 
The Xiangshan Wetlands (aka Siangshan Wetland) in Hsinchu are the biggest coastal wetlands in Northern Taiwan. The area includes intertidal lands that cover over 1000 hectares and includes bike paths, beaches, mangroves, and a birdwatching zone. It is definitely worth a trip for nature enthusiasts visiting northern Taiwan...(read more)
Tofu Rocks 豆腐岩 
The Tofu Rocks in Hsinchu are really just concrete blocks to preserve the soil along the Touqian River. However, because of their enormous size, ease of walking to them, and unique shape, they have become a popular spot for Instagrammers. Many of the once perfectly square blocks have been worn down to look like Tofu...(read more)
Green Grass Lake 青草湖 
Green Grass Lake is a beautiful pond in southern Hsinchu with a large arched bridge leading to an island park in the middle of the lake. There is also a bike path that goes around the lake. It is a nice place to relax and take a stroll if you are in the area...(read more)
TSMC Headquarters 台積電總部 
I visited TSMC headquarters in Hsinchu just because it seemed noteworthy. They have a Museum of Innovation here which is open Mon-Sat until 5 PM that anyone can visit.
Zhongxiao RT-Mart 
I have never seen a supermarket all on one floor, with parking also all on ground level in Taiwan before today when I visited RT-Mart in Hsinchu. Besides the Taiwan products and labels, I would not be able to tell the difference between this and Wal-Mart or Target in the US.
An Average Farmhouse in Taiwan 一般的台灣三合院 
A few weeks ago I was invited to a friend's farmhouse in Hsinchu. This three-sided house is nothing special; there are thousands of similar houses throughout Taiwan. However, in this blog, you can explore what life was like for most Taiwanese families in the not so distant past...(read more).
Places we missed:
Is there anywhere else in Hsinchu that we missed? Let us know in the comments. Hsinchu is huge and full of fun and exciting places not mentioned in this blog. Get out there and explore for yourself! Thanks for reading and stay tuned for more guides on Taiwan to come!
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Author 作家We are US Expats that have extensive experience living, working, and travelling in Taiwan. In our day, we had to learn many things about Taiwan the hard way. But we have come to learn that Taiwan is one of the best places in the world for Foreigners to live. Our blog does not represent the opinions of every foreigner in Taiwan. We are just trying to help others learn more about this beautiful country. Archives 檔案
June 2023
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