新竹市

Why this place

Hsinchu is the technology hub of the island — the science park makes a large share of the world's semiconductors — but the city itself is old, with a well-preserved temple district and a moat-ringed centre from the Qing period.

What to see

• The Chenghuang Temple and the old city moat, with the surrounding food streets
• The Hsinchu Science Park, if you want to see where the chips are made
• The 17 Kilometres Coastline, with its cycling path and mangrove wetlands

What to eat

• Hsinchu rice noodles (mifen) — the local specialty, thinner than elsewhere
• The Chenghuang temple food street, and the local 'ba wan' meatballs

Best time

October–April; the wind in winter is famous and strong