Hsinchu

Hsinchu (新竹) borders Taoyuan to the north and Miaoli to the south. It is known for being one of Taiwan’s centers of Hakka culture, and more recently its burgeoning semiconductor industry. Hsinchu City is home to one of the highest concentrations of Japanese colonial era buildings in urban Taiwan, making it an essential stop for anyone into history and architecture.

Beyond the city, the rural townships preserve much of the county’s Hakka heritage. Xinpu contains a remarkable cluster of traditional ancestral halls, while Beipu features a lively old street and Qing dynasty era mansions. Further inland, the scenic Neiwan Line provides access to the interior of Hengshan, a former coal mining and lumber center. The mountainous townships of Jianshi and Wufeng are home to extensive Taiwanese Indigenous communities, while Emei is known for its Buddhist cave temples carved into rock formations.