Hsin Chu City - Dong Men Circle

Our destination this week is the Windy City of Taiwan - Hsin Chu City. I wont talk about the History of Hsin Chu. You can learn all about that on wikipedia - Hsin Chu City.











Hsin Chu City is famous for:

• Glass production
• Hsin Chu Science Based Industrial Park - home of the Semiconductor giants: TSMC and UMC, as well as other large semiconductor companies
• National Tsing Hua University
• Chiao Tung University
• And of course, the Hsin Chu city wind!

At the Center of this City is the Dong Men Circle, the East Gate (that's the picture above). So how do we go to downtown Hsin Chu? Here we go. Last week, we were at Taipei, so let's start there.


A. Bus - This is the cheapest way to go to Hsin Chu from Taipei. The bus stations are near the Taipei Main Station. You need to look for the How Tai Bus.

The ticket should cost around NT$110, and the trip takes about one and a half hours. The bus stop at Hsin Chu is just near the Hsin Chu Train Station (sorry, small pic, I used my camera phone..)

B. Taiwan High Speed Rail - I like this option better. It's much more costly, NT$290, but the trip only takes about 20 mins. Ok, I'm a fan of the THSR. This is because the train leaves and arrives on time so this is a big plus in planning your trips. Speaking of the train leaving on time, I once saw a passenger arrive at the platform just as the alarm sounded for the car door to close. They did not allow the passenger to board the train even though she was just about a couple of meters away from the door! Strict is strict... a lot of people inside the train depend on the accuracy of the train schedule, so make sure you arrive at the platform early!

Quick Taiwan Tip: Take note of the Chinese Characters of Taipei and Hsin Chu! As you go from city to city, you need to remember the characters of the city in Mandarin... this will help you a lot if you get lost (a familiar character will get you started).

Hsin Chu is the third stop from Taipei so this is a quick trip (Taipei -> Banciao -> Taoyuan -> Hsin Chu). Once you arrive at the Hsin Chu Station, take the free shuttle bus. The shuttle bus trip from the Hsin Chu Station to Dong Men Circle is about 20-30 mins.

Here's another picture from Hsin Chu Downtown. Enjoy Hsin Chu!