Taiwan's Hsinchu offers a tranquil respite just an hour from Taipei
A day trip to Hsinchu, Taiwan's sixth-largest city, promises great food and some surprising sites. Here are five reasons to make the journey
It sits an hour by train from Taipei in the chain of cities that dot Taiwan's west coast. But Hsinchu isn't like the rest. From shaded arcades in the compact, walkable city of 40 0,000 spring dozens of temples, mini-museums and Western-style buildings built under Japanese rule before the 1940s.
Hsinchu is best known for its hi-tech park, a zone just outside the city where companies such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing and the incubator Industrial Technology Research Institute give the city a brains trust plus plenty of money to throw around on eating, drinking and entertainment.
A day traveller to Hsinchu can take an older train, rather than the high-speed link, from Taipei for NT$282 (HK$73) return, and see the city's highlights by foot in as little as three hours.
Hsinchu's Cheng Huang Temple allows people to pray for fortune in its two main chambers. The Taoist monument on Dongmen Street complex is packed with sculpted deities, carvings and, just outside, about 30 food stalls.