Northern Taiwan
First built in 1810, this is one of Taiwan's most elegant wooden structures. As with any temple, don't rush through: stand in place and tiny treasures such as stone relief panels, carved plinths, hanging woodcarvings, soft painted beams and colourful mosaic dragons all begin to appear in rich detail.
The temple is a 15-minute walk from the south entrance of Hsinchu station.
0.81 MILES
First built in 1748, and masterfully restored in 1924, this Hsinchu landmark has the highest rank of all the city god temples in Taiwan, and is a splendid…
11.05 MILES
The only Taoist temple on the mountain, Quanhua Temple (c 1897) is dedicated to the Jade Emperor. The elaborate main hall is built into a recess in the…
29.68 MILES
This 63.9 sq km expanse of mixed forest holds one of the largest stands of ancient red hinoki cypress trees left in Taiwan. The most ancient of the…
26.29 MILES
The centre of religious life in Sansia, the Tzushr Temple honours Qingshui Tsu-Sze, a Song-dynasty general worshipped by the people of Anxi, Fujian, for…
Manyueyuan Forest Recreation Area
29.66 MILES
Once you get past the paved waterfall trails in this scenic park 20km southeast of Sansia, you reach natural hikes that climb for hours through sweet…
20.03 MILES
Home to 152 unwanted Chiang Kai-shek statues, this open-air sculpture park is a hoot (surely unintentionally), with promenades of Chiang busts and clumps…
26.25 MILES
This block of tastefully restored merchant houses and residences dates from the end of the Qing dynasty. On weekends there's a lively market atmosphere as…
8.51 MILES
This sumptuous mansion, built in the late 1940s, served as the home and reception hall of wealthy Beipu tea merchant and county councillor, Jiang A-sin…
0.09 MILES
In a heritage building on the edge of a pleasant wooded park, this newly renovated museum is dedicated to the local history of glassmaking, an industry…
0.39 MILES
With tatami floors, sliding screen doors and antique furnishings, this beautifully preserved Japanese house was the residence of school principal Hsin…
0.58 MILES
Hsinchu's central landmark is this traditional Chinese stone gate (c 1829) with double-tiered roof. Stranded in a traffic island, it used to be a portal…
4. Art Gallery & Reclamation Hall
0.68 MILES
This 1920s building with a traditional Japanese roof atop a modern Western-style structure features artworks ranging from classical ink-and-brush…
0.68 MILES
This classical Roman-style building with Arabic details was Taiwan's first air-conditioned luxury cinema when it opened under Japanese rule in 1933. It…
0.74 MILES
A fine example of government architecture in colonial Taiwan, this dignified western-style monument was built in 1925 and features red and grey reinforced…
0.81 MILES
First built in 1748, and masterfully restored in 1924, this Hsinchu landmark has the highest rank of all the city god temples in Taiwan, and is a splendid…
1.36 MILES
If you're in Hsinchu on a weekend, don't miss this fantastic collection of treasures, which includes a four-poster bed of pure jade, dragon boats made of…