Hsinchu Hotels

But in all fairness, the city isn’t without its charm. Hsinchu is worth visiting for its outskirts alone, where you’ll find a multitude of gorgeous traditional antiques in Guqifeng. The scenery is equally delightful when you’re among the lush surrounds of Green Grass Lake, and for a taste of history without the dust and dinginess there’s no better place than the Municipal Image Museum. Satisfy your materialistic side at the Garden Street Night Market or the Holiday Market, then after a steaming hot bowl of noodles it’s probably time to be on your way. Nightlife Mecca Hsinchu is not.

Hsinchu’s Top 10

Hsinchu History

• City God Temple – An old Taoist temple built in 1748 in Hsinchu.
• East Gate – The city’s most well-known landmark, it is constructed from granite and located in the city centre.
• Hsinchu City Black Bat Squadron Memorial Hall – A memorial that honours the people who served in the Black Bat Squadron during the Cold War.
• Guan Di Temple – It was built in 1776 and has several inscriptions carved into it by local scholars.
• Hsinchu Railway Station – A great place to take pictures. The station was built in 1913 when the baroque style of architecture was popular in Taiwan.

Hsinchu Art & Culture

• Municipal Image Museum – Contains exhibits on film and theatre in Taiwan.
• Hsinchu City Art Gallery & Reclamation Hall – This site features several exhibits on the history of the city, as well as an art gallery and travel information.
• Craft Glass Museum – Contains displays and exhibits detailing the city’s history in glass making.
• Hsinchu City Military Dependent's Villages Museum – A museum dedicated to displaying information about the military villages that served as provisional housing for nationalist soldiers and their families.
• Hsinchu Military Dependents’ Village Art Festival – An art festival in Hsinchu that celebrates the diverse culture that arose from the military villages.

Hsinchu Shopping

• Chenghuang Temple Night Market – Some of the stalls are 50 years old. Purchase a variety of local snacks and delicacies.
• Asian Handicrafts – A small shop that sells Buddhists artefacts and jade.
• Hsinchu Flower Market – Open on the weekends, you can purchase a variety of flora here.
• SOGO Department Store – Sells a variety of modern day items.
• Far East Department store – A major shopping centre in Hsinchu that also has a movie theatre.

Hsinchu Gay & Lesbian

• Taiwan Pride Parade – Occurs yearly around September to November.
• Gisneyland – A gay and lesbian community centre in Hsinchu.
• Lover's Karaoke – Located in Hualien, this karaoke bar is open very late and is popular with the GLBT community.
• Eslite – A bookstore in Taipei that contains a section with gay and lesbian titles.
• Red House – A karaoke bar that sometimes has live music.

Hsinchu Events

February’s Lantern Festival is a light-filled extravaganza. Get involved and learn how to make one. The accompanying parade features some seriously hi-tech boxes of light.

You don’t have to be a gardener or a granny to enjoy the March Flower Festival. It’s thick with camellias, azaleas, cherry blossoms and peach blossoms.

The attention-seeker in Hsinchu comes out for the Sightseeing Festival in August, which highlights the culture, history and food of the city.

Celebrate your love for noodles and big balls of meat at the Hsinchu City Rice Noodle and Meatball Festival in September. You’ll find loads of food stalls, a parade and plenty of dancing and traditional tunes.

October’s Hsinchu Glass Festival showcases one of the city’s specialities. Learn about the history of glasswork in Hsinchu, head over to a workshop and see how it’s done, and buy up big at the various market stalls.

When To Go

• Hsinchu gets a lot of rain from February to August, with the heaviest falls in May and June.
• The weather stays pretty mild in winter and doesn’t tend to dip below 14°C (57ºF)
• Hsinchu summers are hot and humid. We’re talking averages of 35°C (95ºF) and up to 90 per cent humidity.

Getting Around

• Hsinchu has a bus service, but it’s pretty limited in terms of routes and stops.
• Taxis are handy (and cheap) but a little hard to find. Get your hotel to call one.
• If you’re feeling brave you can hire a scooter and make your own way around. Exercise extra caution in the city’s dodgy outskirts.

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