Northern Taiwan - Taiwan - page 292

Hsinchu Foreigner Assistance Centre MAP GOOGLE MAP (

521 6121; ht-

tp://foreigner.hccg.gov.tw ; 107 Zhongyang Rd; 8am-5pm Mon-Fri; ) Travel, business,

health and living information.

Getting There & Around

Roaming taxis are not numerous in Hsinchu. Get your hotel to call for a taxi before you
head out, or keep the number of the driver you've found.

HIGH SPEED RAIL
Travel to/from Taipei costs NT$290 (35 minutes, every half-hour). Shuttle buses (30
minutes, frequent) connect the HSR and the public bus hub on Zhongzheng Rd. A taxi
costs NT$300.

TRAIN
Hsinchu is on the main west-coast line so there are trains to all major cities. Frequent
trains leave Taipei (fast/slow NT$177/144, one hour/1½ hours).

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Around Hsinchu

The water is not the cleanest along the west coast but the conditions are great for wind-
surfing. For lessons and rentals contact Spot X-Sport ( www.spot.com.tw ) , which also has
simple lodging in the Jhunan Seashore Forest Park (Jiàrì Zhī Sēn), 100m from the sea
in a quaint little hamlet.

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Dabajianshan
The most famous climb in the Hsinchu area is to Dabajianshan (Dàbàjiān Shān; Big
Chief Pointed Mountain; 3492m). The barrel-peaked Daba is one of the most iconic high
mountain images in Taiwan and is a sacred spot to the Atayal.
The hike takes three days to complete, including two overnight stays on the mountain
in 99 Cabin (99, Jiǔjiǔ Shānzhuāng) at 2800m. For an account of the hike with fabulous
pictures check out Hiking Taiwan ( http://hikingtaiwan.wordpress.com ).
The route starts at Guanwu Forest Recreation Area (Guānwù Sēnlín Yóulè Qū; ht-
tp://recreation.forest.gov.tw ;

7am-5pm) , about 28km or an hour's drive from Qingquan.