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Voykit pocket guide · Taiwan

Hsinchu

新竹

Give Hsinchu one night as a base for the Neiwan line and the mountains, or skip it: the old town is a half-day, not a stop on its own.

Hsinchu is Taiwan's oldest city in the north and the country's semiconductor town, so it has business hotels above its weight and a compact old centre around the East Gate. Sights are thin for a leisure trip; the real reason to sleep here is the Neiwan branch line, the Hakka hill country and Hsinchu County's mountains, which are awkward as day trips from Taipei.

TaipeiBaishaBali DistrictBanqiaoBeiganBeigangBeinanBeipuCaotunChangbinChanghua CountyChanghuaChenggongChiayi CountyHsinchu100 kmdots: other places in this guide
Sketch, not to navigate by: shapes follow this guide’s areas and places, not official boundaries. North is up.
Country
Taiwan
Local name
新竹
Best months
Oct–Dec, Mar–Apr
Avoid
Jul–Sep (typhoon season), Lunar New Year (cold wind, closures)
Stay
1 night

Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.

Essentials

Currency
TWD
Money
Night markets, breakfast shops and many small restaurants take cash only; carry NT$1,000–2,000 in small notes.
Daily spend
Budget NT$1,200–2,000 excl. bed · Mid NT$2,000–3,500 excl. bed · High NT$3,500+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
SIM and data
Chunghwa Telecom, Taiwan Mobile and FarEasTone sell tourist SIMs and eSIMs at TPE and KHH arrivals; a passport plus a second photo ID is required (check).
Emergency
Police 110 · Fire and ambulance 119 · Tourism helpline (24 h) 0800-011-765
Plugs
Types A, B · 110 V · 60 Hz · US and Japanese plugs fit; European, UK and Australian plugs need an adapter, and 220 V-only appliances need a converter.
Tipping
Restaurants: No tip; a 10% service charge appears in many sit-down places and hotels.; Taxis: No tip; round up if you like.; Hotel porter: Not expected; NT$100 in luxury hotels if you want.; Private guide or driver: Not required; NT$200–500 a day or a meal is a thank-you.
Water
Treated at source, but locals boil or filter it. Filtered hot-and-cold dispensers are in stations, hotels and many public buildings; bottles cost NT$20–30.
Toilets
Free, clean toilets in every MRT station, convenience stores and department stores; paper goes in the toilet in most new buildings — follow the sign.

What things cost

ItemPrice
CoffeeNT$60–150
Rice noodles or pork ball soupNT$50–90
Taiwanese meatballsNT$50–70
Beer: draught in a bar / can at a convenience storeNT$120–200 / NT$35–60
5 km (3.1 mi) taxiNT$200–280
City bus rideNT$15–30
Museum entryNT$20–100

Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.

Get in

By air

TPE · Taoyuan International
No direct bus to Hsinchu; U-bus via Jhongli Transit Station, or about 1 h by car
TSA · Taipei Songshan
Domestic and China flights; reach Hsinchu by TRA from Taipei Main

Typical fares

TRA Taipei → Hsinchu
NT$114–180, 1–1.5 h
THSR Taipei → Chupei
about NT$300, 30 min, then Liujia line or shuttle
Taxi Hsinchu station → Science Park
NT$250–350
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card

Get around

The centre is walkable between the TRA station, East Gate and the temple. City buses cover the suburbs but run infrequently; taxis wait at the station and department stores rather than cruising. The THSR station is in Chupei, linked by the Liujia TRA line and a shuttle.

See and do

Known for

  • East Gate and the old city moat
  • City God Temple and its food stalls
  • Rice noodles, pork ball soup and meatballs
  • Craft glass museum
  • Neiwan line and the Hakka hills

Day trips

WhereHowTime
NeiwanTRA Neiwan line from Hsinchu station, about 1 hAbout 1 h 15 min
ZhenxibaoNeiwan line to Hexing, then taxi or a long walk uphill1.5–2 h
SmangusBus or car via Jianshi, mountain road3–4 h
TaipeiTRA to Taipei Main, 1–1.5 h, or THSR from Chupei, about 30 min1.5–2 h

Sleep

Station and East Gate
Walk to the old town, City God Temple food and the TRA station; best for one night without a car.
Guangfu Road / Science Park
Business hotels with larger rooms; 10–15 min by taxi to the centre, near the zoo and Eighteen Peaks.
Chupei (Zhubei)
Around the THSR station; use it only if you arrive or leave by high-speed rail.

Phrase card

EnglishSay or show
Excuse me / Sorry不好意思bu hao yi si
Thank you謝謝xie xie
How much is it?多少錢？duo shao qian
Can I pay by card?可以刷卡嗎？ke yi shua ka ma
Where is the toilet?廁所在哪裡？ce suo zai na li
No MSG, please不要味精bu yao wei jing

Etiquette, safety and scams

Etiquette

  • Greeting: A nod or light handshake; 'nǐ hǎo'; avoid: Hugs with new acquaintances
  • Handing things: Two hands for cards, gifts and money; avoid: Tossing money on the counter
  • Gifts: Fruit or a boxed sweet for hosts; refuse once before accepting; avoid: Clocks, umbrellas, pears and anything in fours — they sound like death or parting
  • MRT: Queue at the markings, give up priority seats; avoid: Eating, drinking or chewing gum past the gates
  • Temples: Enter right, exit left; one or three sticks of incense; avoid: Stepping on thresholds; pointing at deities
  • Home visit: Shoes off; slippers provided; avoid: Writing names in red ink
  • Sensitive topics: Follow your host's lead; many people hold a range of views on identity and cross-strait ties; avoid: Assuming everyone thinks the same about China or the ROC's status

Scams and watch-outs

  • The winter wind off the strait is strong and makes the city feel much colder than the temperature suggests.
  • The THSR station is not in Hsinchu: allow 30 min by taxi or the Liujia line plus a walk.
  • Many small eateries close one or two weekdays and sell out by mid-afternoon.
  • Typhoon season runs roughly Jul–Sep; check warnings before mountain trips.

Hsinchu is a safe, low-crime city. The real issues are the winter wind, scooter traffic when you cross, and mountain roads in typhoon season: check conditions before any county trip.

One and two days

No timed day plan for Hsinchu yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.

  • East Gate and the old city moat
  • City God Temple and its food stalls
  • Rice noodles, pork ball soup and meatballs
  • Craft glass museum
  • Neiwan line and the Hakka hills

Sources

Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.

Pocket card

Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.

Hsinchu新竹

請到這個地址

To this address, please

My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)

No embassies in Hsinchu; most are in Taipei. The American Institute in Taiwan and other representative offices are in Taipei.

Tipping is not expected; some sit-down restaurants add a 10% service charge.

Voykit · checked 2026-09

Printed from Voykit (/hsinchu). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.