A Day in Town: Guanxi, Xinpu, Hukou, Xinfeng (Hsinchu County)

I just completed my seventh trip under "A Day in Town," my multi-year backpacking plan of spending a day in approximately 350 townships in my country. My destination this time was Hsinchu County, the subnational division of Taiwan surrounding its counterpart, Hsinchu City on land. There are 13 townships in Hsinchu County, and I visited four of them during the trip: Guanxi, Xinpu, Hukou, and Xinfeng, which collectively formed the northeastern part of the county.

I spent my first day in Guanxi Township, the northeastern corner of the county bordering Taoyuan City. With a population of over 26,000, Guanxi was previously known as "Xiantsiaong", which literally means "salted vegetables onggi", showcasing its renowned specialty of salted (pickled) vegetables, among other farm produce that Guanxi is famous for. I first took a bus to Leofoo Village Theme Park and started exploring the township on foot. Guanxi administers 21 villages, and during my day there I visited 11 of them. 

This photo was taken in Nanshan Village, located in a valley along the Fengshan River, the second largest river in Hsinchu County after the Touquan River. The location is next to Guanxi Primary School, and is said to be where the Han Chinese settlers first set foot in Guanxi in the mid 18th century. The area had been inhabited by the indigenous people, the Ma'oto, and the Han Chinese settlers, mainly of Hakka origin, cultivated it hand in hand with the Taokas, another indigenous group who also migrated here for a new life. Learning about histories of migration and integration on new lands like this always fascinates me.

As I walked along a lonely country road, I spotted an interesting sign on the roadside: a site imitating Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes in France. It was built from scratch here by Catholic missionaries in 1958. I couldn't help but reflect: missionaries often chose remote locations to work, so sometimes they knew the place even better than local people did. On the other hand, as I was exploring the place on foot, I might have looked like a pilgrim, though not quite a missionary.

I spent my second day in Xinpu Township. Bordering Guanxi to the east, Xinpu was originally the hunting lands of the Taokas, the dominant indigenous tribe in the north and central Taiwan. When Hakka Chinese settlers first arrived in Guanxi, they also started settling in Xinpu. Similar to Guanxi, Xinpu was rich in various agricultural crops, and has remained best known to this day for dried persimmons, a traditional dried fruit snack. I started by taking a train to Yangmei District, Taoyuan City. From there, I rode a Youbike to St. Aloysius Technical School, and began exploring the city center and other villages of Xinpu Township on foot.

During my bike ride along a quiet country road, I stumbled upon an unexpected site: The Old Residence of Wu Chuo-liu. A Xinpu native born in 1900, Wu Chuo-liu was an influential Taiwanese journalist and novelist of Hakka ancestry. He has been described as the most powerful witness to history from a Taiwanese perspective, though most of his important novels were first written in Japanese, which was the national language of Taiwan under Japanese rule. I stayed at the site for a while, checking out the items on display. If I had to choose one, it was the best moment of my entire backpacking trip.

I ended my day in Xinpu by visiting Xinpu 

Yimin Temple. Yimin temples are an integral part of Hakka culture and are the core of the Hakka folk beliefs. "Yimin" literally means martyrs or those who sacrifice their lives to protect the land and people who live there. There are many yimin temples in Taiwan, but the one in Xinpu is arguably the best known: it was built in recognition of Hakka people who fought bravely alongside the government to quell the Lin Shuangwen Rebellion (1787-1788), one of the largest rebellions during the Qing Dynasty. Therefore, Xinpu Yimin Temple is among the most visited spots for Hakka culture nationwide.

On the third day, I visited Hukou Township, bordering Xinpu to the east and Taoyuan City to the north. Ideally situated and featuring its plateau terrain, Hukou has kept growing after the first arrival of Han Chinese settlers in the 18th century. With a population of over 80,000 people, Hukou is now the most populous township in Taiwan. I started by taking a train to Fugang, Taoyuan City. From there, I rode a Youbike to Hsinchu Industrial Park, which is located in the southern part of the township, and began exploring on foot northward, visiting 10 of the 20 villages administered by the township.

This photo was taken at a unique park in Hunan Village, featuring retired tanks. While Hukou has been known as a well-established industrial and logistics center, it has been equally recognized for being home to the Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment of Taiwan. So, the display at the park is not just a gimmick; it symbolizes Hukou's status as a stronghold of Taiwan's military forces. The scene also prompted my sense of nostalgia because I used to work in Hukou, and my office had been just a 15-minute walk from here.

Given Hukou's ideal location, a train station was built in Hukou when the first railway was constructed in Taiwan during the Qing Dynasty. With the railway construction completed in 1893, the neighborhood of the train station quickly developed into a commercial center and remained prosperous in the decades that followed. In 1929, as part of a railway improvement plan the train station was relocated to a new location three kilometers away, now known as "New Hukou", in contrast to "Old Hukou" where the train station was first built. As a result, the old train station was decommissioned. In 1966, the site was demolished and converted into a Catholic church. Over time the church became an iconic building of the Old Hukou area, which is a renowned tourist destination today.

On the fourth day, I visited Xinfeng Township, the northwestern corner of the county, bordering Hukou to the east and Taoyuan City to the north, and facing the Taiwan Strait to the west. I began my day in the township by taking a train to Xinfeng and exploring on foot. During my day there, I visited five of the 17 villages administered by the township, including its interesting dual city centers. 

Only one kilometer from the seashore, the old city center was formerly known as Xinzhuangzi, which literally means "new village", referring to a coastal boom town developed in the 18th century. It was the gateway for settlers and merchants alike who arrived and departed by sea. Over time, the rest of the township also developed, but its administration remains here.

Four kilometers from the old city center is Xinfeng Train Station, a landmark of the new city center showcasing its strong commerce and industry. Interestingly, the train station is located at the border of Xinfeng and Hukou, and for new visitors arriving by train, it can be very confusing: exit through the main gate and you're in Xinfeng; exit through the rear gate and you're in Hukou.

Though the destinations of my backpacking were in Hsinchu County, I stayed at a hostel in Zhongli District, Taoyuan City, just a five-minute walk from the train station. Every day, my itinerary started and ended with a convenient, efficient and inexpensive train ride. I'm grateful that we have a well-established railway network that made my backpacking so easy and enjoyable in Taiwan. I never thought I'd be one—but I am a railfan now, I think.