Route chart
Census data indicates that the population in Hsinchu County expanded from 408,577 people in 1995 to 452,097 persons in January 2003, with an annual growth of over 6,000 persons. The population has been growing rapidly after changes in the social and economic structure of the county since 1992.
Future population growth
Though the population of the county grew slowly in earlier times, the rapid population growth since 1989 has made the county become one of the three fastest-growing urban areas together with Taoyuan and Taichung. The most attraction of the Chupei Urban Planning and Liuchia HSR Station surely bring another population boom to the county.
Geography
Located at 122°E and 24.5°N, Hsinchu County with an area of 1,427.5931 k㎡ lies in northwest Formosa-the beautiful island of Taiwan, with Taoyuan County to its north, Miaoli County to its south, the Taiwan Strait to its west, and Hsuehshan Mountain Range and Tabachienshan to its east. Three sides are surrounded by mountains, the highest area with an average elevation at 3,000m of the county is located on Hsuehshan Mountain Range at the border with Ilan and Taichung counties in southeast, and run down-slope from east to west until 20m to 30m near the border of Hsinchu City. Plains are located between the near-coast area and the river valley, hills and plateaus are in the central part, and mountains are in the southeast. In the north there stands Bokunggan and Hukou plateaus, in the northeast there are LijienShan and Hsuehshan Mountain Range, and in the southeast the Sheushan Range divides the county from Ilan and Taichung counties in the southeast. Hills, plateaus and mountains dominate most parts of the county, except the alluvial plain at the mouth of Fengshan River and Touchien River and some river valleys. The 13 cities and countries in the county are: Chupei, Chutung, Hsinpu, Kuansi, Hukou, Hsinfeng, Chiunglin, Hengshan, Peipu, Paoshan, Ermei, Jienshih and Wufeng. The annual average temperature of the county is 21°C; the coldest and hottest months are January and July. The annual rainfall is 1,949.1 mm. Here is a description of the geography of Hsinchu County
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Hsinchu Plain |
Located on the alluvial plain between Fengshan River and Touchien River, The Plain covers Chupei City, Chiunglin, Chutung, Hengshan, Hsianshan and part of Hsinchu City. It is a flat land area with rich water sources. Besides as a agriculture base, it is the settlement and production center Industrial and business of the county.
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Hukou Plateau |
It is an irregular belt-shaped plateau that runs from west to east and covers Hsinfeng, Hukou and part of Hsinpu and Kuansi. Dry crops or economic crops like tea and fruit are the major agricultural practice in the area. Hukou Industrial Park is the production and business center of the area. Besides traditional manufacturing industries, the development of the Hsinchu Science-based Industrial Park has attracted many high-tech enterprises to erect their factories in the park. |
Hill area |
Besides Fengshan Mountain, Chutung Hill and Chunan Hill, there is a massive area with an elevation of over 500m located between the mountain area and the plain area of the county. This massive area that runs from west to southeast covers Hsinpu, Kuansi, Chiunglin, Hengshan, Chutung, Peipu, Paoshan and Ermei. Dry crops or economic crops like tea and fruit are the major agricultural practice in the area.
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Mountain area |
The southeast area of the county is a mountain area featuring Jienshin and Wufeng and part of Kuansi, Hengshan, Chutung and Ermei. The area belongs to the middle section of the up-fault mountain Alishan Range and Hsuehshan Mountain Range in western Taiwan. Wufeng Country, with countless natural tourist resources, is part of the Shei-pa National Park.
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Coastline and rivers |
Hsinfeng and Chupei are located next to the sea. A mangrove eco-recreation area of about a dozen hectares is located at the month of river in Hsinfeng. There are also ports, and fish culture farms along the coast.
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History
Hsinchu was originally called Chukung, the homeland of Taiya, Saisha and Dukas Pingpu tribes before the immigration of Han people. Fukienese and Hakkanese people came settling in the area since the Ming and Ching dynasties and began cultivating the area from the plain along the coast toward the river valleys and hills. In the late 19th century, Fukienese immigrants dominated the plain along the coast, Saisha and Taiya people retreated to today's Jienshih and Wufeng areas in southeast, and Hakkanese and Pingpu people settled together in the river valleys and hill area. After the restoration of Taiwan in 1945 and the national government's retreat to Taiwan in 1949, people from other provinces of China settled in Hsinchu due to work and marriage and formed a new social group in local society. After the founding of the Hsinchu Science-based Industrial Park in late 1981's, the number of high-tech manufacturers in the Hsinchu augmented and they began to expand outside the park. Due to the geographical proximity, employees of these high-tech manufacturers began to settle in Hsinchu County, particularly in Paoshan, Chutung, Hsinfeng and Hukou areas, as they are close to the factory area. All such have reshaped the social structure and appearance of Hsinchu County.
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