Neiwan Old Street once prospered as the artery of lumbering and mining transportation in the past. For
now, this town is transformed to a Hakka spot for tourism. Most residents here are Hakka therefore you
can find an extensive variety of hakka and local cuisine such as Hakka rice lath (客家粄條) and rice
dumpling with ginger lily (野薑花粽).
To get here, you can take Neiwan Line of Tour Train at Hsinchu Station to Neiwan Terminal. In spring,
fireflies and Paulownia flowers viewing are available; In summer, barbecue under Neiwan suspension
bridge is local students’ favorite. You can watch old films with Hakka food in traditional-moody Neiwan
Theater. During weekdays, shops would open at noon. While in weekends, crowds often lead to traffic
jams.
History:
During the Japanese rule of Taiwan, Neiwan was mainly a lumber driven town, as well as other
industries such as mining and mineral extraction. Many Japanese era buildings still remain in the city,
such as the well preserved police station. The main ethnicity here is Hakka, and you can still find lots of
traditional Hakka food in Neiwan like their famed Zongzi.
Some popular destinations for tourists are the Neiwan Theatre (内灣戲院）, built in 1950 and and now
converted into a restaruant, as well as Neiwan Suspension bridge （pitcured above).
The Neiwan railway was started in 1944 by the ruling Japanese, but construction was interrupted by
WWII. It was completed by the ROC government in 1951 to help transport mainly lumber and lime. Now
it is used as a commuter train for the suburbs of Hsinchu as well as a destination for tourists.