| Hsinchu 新竹 |
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| — Provincial city — | |||
| Hsinchu City · 新竹市 | |||
| Clockwise from top: Hsinchu city gate, Entrance of Science-based Ind. Park, Hsinchu City Hall, and Hsinchu Moat | |||
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| Nickname(s): 風城 The Windy City or 竹市 Zhu City | |||
| Coordinates: | |||
| Country | Republic of China | ||
| Region | Northwestern Taiwan | ||
| City seat | North District | ||
| Government | |||
| • Mayor | Hsu Ming-Tzai (許明財) | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 104.0964 km2 (40.2 sq mi) | ||
| Population (January 2011) | |||
| • Total | 415,557 | ||
| • Density | 3,989.89/km2 (10,333.8/sq mi) | ||
| Bird | European Magpie (Pica pica) | ||
| Flower | Azalea | ||
| Website | http://en.hccg.gov.tw/ (English) | ||
Hsinchu City (Chinese: 新竹市; Hanyu Pinyin: Xīnzhú Shì; Tongyong Pinyin: Sinjhú Shìh; Wade–Giles: Hsin-chu Shih; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Sin-tek) is a city in northern Taiwan. Hsinchu is popularly nicknamed "The Windy City" (Chinese: 風城; Hanyu Pinyin: Fēngchéng; Tongyong Pinyin: Fongchéng) for its windy climate.
Hsinchu City is administered as a special municipality within Taiwan (ROC). The city is bordered by Hsinchu County to the north and east, Miaoli County to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the west. Hsinchu City is composed of three districts: North District, East District, and Xiangshan District.
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In 1626, after Spain occupied northern Taiwan, Spanish missionaries arrived at Tek-khàm (竹塹; sm: zhúqiàn), where the Taokas Taiwanese aborigines lived. During the Qing Dynasty, it was renamed Hsinchu. In the 21st year of Guangxu's Regime, Hsinchu Sub Office was established, responsible for independent administration on June 24. In June of the 24th Year of Kuang Hsu's Regime, it altered its local official system again. Hsinchu County was abolished. It was then under the administration of Hsinchu Administration Office, Taipei County. On November 11, 27th Year of Kuang Hsu's Regime, it established the Hsinchu Office. In 1920, under Japanese rule, Hsinchu Street was established, with the founding of Hsinchu Street District Office. In 1930, the city system was applied. It was renamed as Hsinchu City, under the governing of Hsinchu-Chou, with the establishment of Hsinchu City Office. In 1941, its administration district was expanded, merging with Xiangshan and Qiu Kang, and became a part of Liu Jia Zhuang.
In 1945 the incoming Kuomintang (KMT; Chinese Nationalists) established the Hsinchu City Government to govern Hsinchu-Chou. In 1946, the Take Over Committee dissolved and Hsinchu County Government was formed. Hsinchu County Government was moved to Taoyuan. As the administrative districts were readjusted, it became a Provincially governed city, using the original Chou office as its legal office, with seven district offices. In February of the same year, representative congress was formed in every district. On April 15 the City Congress was formed. Provincial Representatives were elected from the city legislators, to become legislative bodies of different levels. On August 16, 1950, the administrative districts in Taiwan were re-adjusted once more, demarcating 16 counties and 5 provincially governed cities.
In June 1982, under the President's order, the Xiangshan Township of Hsinchu County would merge into Hsinchu City, and the new entity would become a special munisipality. The new government of Hsinchu was legally established on July 1, 1982, with 103 lis, and 1635 lins. The City Government is located on 120 Chung Cheng Road, the former Hsinchu-Chou Office.
In end of June 1983, there were three Bureaus (Civil Service, Public Works, and Education), four Departments (Finance, Social Welfare, Compulsory Military Service, and Land Affairs), four offices (Secretary, Planning, Personnel, and Auditing), and 49 sections (units, teams) under the City Government's organization to provide services for various urban affairs. Affiliate institutions include the Police Department, Tax Department, and Medicine and Hygiene Department.
By the end of 1982, the city was classified into east, north and Xiangshan districts. The east, north and Xiangshan district administration offices were posted on October 1 and then they were formally established on November 1 in the same year.
From 1994 to 1999, as Taiwan made its transition from authoritarian rule to modern democracy and the mostly pro forma provincial level of government began to be dissolved, regulations were established for formal Hsinchu City self-government. A deputy mayor, consumer officer, and three consultants were added to the city government. In 2002 the city added a Bureau of Labor and transferred the business of the Compulsory Military Service to the Department of Civil Service.
| Hsinchu has 3 districts (區 qu): | District | Population | Land area |
|---|---|---|---|
| as of 2008 | km² | ||
| ■ East District | 193,310 | 33.5768 | |
| ■ North District | 142,624 | 15.7267 | |
| ■ Xiangshan District (Note) | 71,453 | 54.8491 |
Note:Chinese: 香山; Hanyu Pinyin: Xiangshan; Tongyong Pinyin: Siangshan; Wade–Giles: Hsiangshan
The city is the base for high technology industry in Taiwan. Hsinchu Science and Technology Industrial Park is home to 360 high tech companies including TSMC, Philips, United Microelectronics Corporation, Holtek, AU Optronics and Epistar. As a result, the city has the highest income level in Taiwan.
The purpose of the park is to attract high tech investment to Taiwan and to make the area the economic center for the information industry. The park is designed to cater for high quality R&D, production, work, life and also recreation. From its establishment in 1978, the government has invested over NT$30 billion on software and hardware ventures. In 2001, it developed 2.5km2 of land in the Park and 0.5km2 in southern Hsinchu, attracting 312 high-tech companies' investments. Viewing the performance of Hsinchu Science and Industrial Park in the past 21 years, it can be said that it holds a decisive position in the economic development in Taiwan, with international acclaim.
Although the semi-conductor and related electronic businesses have been doing well, they face fierce competition from Japan, Korea, the United States and Singapore. This has resulted in lower profits and over-supply of some electronic products such as memory and semi-conductors. Therefore manufacturers, government, academia, and the R&D sectors all recognize the challenges faced by Taiwan's high-tech development. The government has endeavored to upgrade Hsinchu Science Park into a global manufacturing and R&D center of high-end products. They also plan to intensify the cooperation among the manufacturing, academic, and research sectors by introducing incubation centers, in order to elevate the technological standard in the park. Further, through the development of the northern, central, and southern industrial park and its satellite sites, it hopes to sow the seeds of high tech business in all of Taiwan, leading to a vigorous era of high tech development.
International and American Schools (grade school and secondary school)
Elementary Schools
Colleges & Universities
Secondary Schools
| Name | Feature | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Chenghuang Temple Night Market | Most of the old stands in Cheng-huang Temple are of 50-years-old history, the famous snacks here are Hsin-chu meat balls, pork balls, spring rolls, braised pork rice, cuttlefish thick soup, rice noodles, and cow tongue shaped cakes | Cheng-huang Temple and fa-lian shrine square |
quote from Tourism Bureau, MOTC, T.O.C.[3]
Hsinchu's climate is humid subtropical (Koppen Cfa). The city is located in a part of the island that has a rainy season that lasts from February to September, with the heaviest time coming late April through August during the southwest monsoon, and also experiences meiyu in May and early June.[5] The city succumbs to hot humid weather from June until September, while October to December are arguably the most pleasant times of year. Hsinchu is affected by easterly winds off of the East China Sea. Natural hazards such as typhoons and earthquakes are common in the region.[6]
| Climate data for Hsinchu, Taiwan (1992-2000) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 18.8 (65.8) |
18.7 (65.7) |
21.0 (69.8) |
25.0 (77.0) |
28.0 (82.4) |
30.8 (87.4) |
32.7 (90.9) |
32.2 (90.0) |
30.5 (86.9) |
27.5 (81.5) |
25.0 (77.0) |
21.3 (70.3) |
26.0 (78.8) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 15.3 (59.5) |
15.3 (59.5) |
17.6 (63.7) |
21.5 (70.7) |
24.4 (75.9) |
27.4 (81.3) |
28.7 (83.7) |
28.3 (82.9) |
26.6 (79.9) |
24.0 (75.2) |
21.1 (70.0) |
17.9 (64.2) |
22.3 (72.1) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 12.7 (54.9) |
12.7 (54.9) |
14.9 (58.8) |
18.5 (65.3) |
21.2 (70.2) |
24.3 (75.7) |
25.4 (77.7) |
25.3 (77.5) |
23.5 (74.3) |
21.3 (70.3) |
18.2 (64.8) |
15.2 (59.4) |
19.4 (66.9) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 64.4 (2.535) |
191.3 (7.531) |
172.8 (6.803) |
161.4 (6.354) |
247.2 (9.732) |
266.1 (10.476) |
108.2 (4.26) |
190.5 (7.5) |
95.1 (3.744) |
59.4 (2.339) |
35.6 (1.402) |
47.0 (1.85) |
1,639.0 (64.528) |
| % humidity | 78.9 | 80.1 | 83.1 | 80.9 | 79.8 | 78.3 | 75.9 | 78.0 | 75.1 | 76.4 | 76.3 | 76.3 | 78.3 |
| Avg. precipitation days | 9.8 | 13.8 | 14.1 | 13.1 | 11.7 | 10.2 | 8.2 | 11.2 | 6.8 | 5.4 | 4.6 | 7.7 | 116.6 |
| Sunshine hours | 98.2 | 84.8 | 85.0 | 103.0 | 136.6 | 185.0 | 230.9 | 205.7 | 206.8 | 191.4 | 150.2 | 128.4 | 1,806.0 |
| Source: [7] | |||||||||||||
Hsinchu is twinned with:
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