Hsinchu: top things to do, hidden gems and key tips

Do Hsinchu as a day trip from Taipei: high-speed rail takes you there in half an hour or so. Spend the morning at the City God Temple and East Gate, then ride the branch line out to Neiwan. Go on a weekday if you can: the Neiwan line gets crowded at weekends.

How long have you got?

Half a day: the City God Temple and its food stalls, East Gate and the Glass Museum, all close to Hsinchu station.
A day: add Neiwan on the branch line, or Beipu Old Street by bus.

When are you going?

From October: the cold, dry northeast monsoon blows in, and the rice noodle makers start drying their noodles in the wind.Taipei Times (opens in a new tab)taipeitimes.com The same wind can close the Siangshan crab boardwalk.

Top things to do

Hsinchu City God Temple: the highest-ranking City God temple in Taiwan, with rice noodle and meatball stalls out front, about 600 m from Hsinchu station.Tourism Administration (opens in a new tab)eng.taiwan.net.tw
East Gate: the old city gate, on the roundabout at Zhongshan Road and Dongmen Street.Tourism Administration (opens in a new tab)eng.taiwan.net.tw
Glass Museum of Hsinchu City: in a rebuilt 1936 civic hall, about 650 m from the station.Tourism Administration (opens in a new tab)eng.taiwan.net.tw
Neiwan Old Street: a Hakka village on the Youluo River, with suspension bridges and ginger-flower rice dumplings.Tip The old street starts right by Neiwan station.Tourism Administration (opens in a new tab)eng.taiwan.net.tw
Beipu Old Street: 200 m of historic houses and Hakka food, such as ground tea and persimmon cakes.Tip Tourist Shuttle 5700 runs there from the high-speed rail station’s exit 4.Tourism Administration (opens in a new tab)eng.taiwan.net.tw

Hidden gems

Siangshan Wetland crab boardwalk: a 250 m boardwalk over the mudflats, where fiddler crabs come out at low tide.Tip Check the tide first; the boardwalk closes in strong wind.Tourism Administration (opens in a new tab)eng.taiwan.net.tw
Image Museum: in the 1933 Yule Theater, Taiwan’s first air-conditioned cinema, by East Gate.Tourism Administration (opens in a new tab)eng.taiwan.net.tw
Hesing station: a wooden station on the Neiwan line, and the Timber Industry Exhibition Hall in Zhudong is free.Taipei Times (opens in a new tab)taipeitimes.com

Getting there and around

From Taipei: high-speed rail to Hsinchu, NT$280 non-reserved. The station is in Zhubei, outside the city.
Into the city: change at Liujia, next to the high-speed rail station, for the Liujia line to Hsinchu station.Hsinchu City (opens in a new tab)tourism.hccg.gov.tw
To Neiwan: take the Liujia line to Zhuzhong and change for a Neiwan train.Taipei Times (opens in a new tab)taipeitimes.com
Round town: YouBike stations sit near the City God Temple, East Gate and the Glass Museum.Tourism Administration (opens in a new tab)eng.taiwan.net.tw
To Beipu: Tourist Shuttle 5700, with a NT$100 day pass, by cash, EasyCard or iPASS.Taiwan Tourist Shuttle (opens in a new tab)taiwantrip.com.tw

If it doesn’t go to plan

Neiwan line packed? Go on a weekday, or go to Beipu by bus instead.
Crab boardwalk shut for wind? Go to the Image Museum or the Glass Museum.
After a typhoon? The Neiwan line can run a reduced service, so check before you go.Focus Taiwan (opens in a new tab)focustaiwan.tw