Zhubei

Zhubei (Wade-Giles: Chupei; Hakka PFS: Chuk-pet; Hokkien POJ: Tek-pak) is a city in Hsinchu County, Taiwan. It is one of the fastest-growing settlements in Taiwan, with a population gain of 51,000 between 2010 and 2019, the highest of any township/city or district. The city has attracted migration both because of its proximity to Hsinchu City and the Hsinchu Science and Technology Park, and because the Hsinchu County government has focused most of its infrastructure here.

Zhubei

竹北市

Chikuhoku
County-administered city
Skyline of Zhubei
CountryTaiwan
CountyHsinchu County
Government
 • MayorHo Kan-ming[1] (Ind.)
Area
 • Total46.83 km2 (18.08 sq mi)
Population
 (November 2019)
 • Total193,980
Postal code
302
Area code(s)(0)3
Websitehsinchu.gov.tw
Zhubei City
Chinese竹北市
Zhubei City Office

It is governed as a county-administered city, and is the county seat of Hsinchu County.

History

Empire of Japan
Map of Zhubei area (1944)

In 1920, the area of Chikuhoku Station (Japanese: 竹北驛) was formerly called "Angmo Field" (Chinese: 紅毛田; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: âng-mn̂g-chhân; lit. 'red fur field'). In 1941, Kyūminato Village (舊港庄) and Rokka Village (六家庄) merged to become Chikuhoku Village (竹北庄) under Shinchiku District, Shinchiku Prefecture.

Republic of China

Zhubei was originally a rural township under Hsinchu County from 1950 to 1988. In October 1988, Zhubei Township was promoted to a county-administered city.

Geography

Zhubei borders Hsinchu City to the southwest, Xinfeng and Hukou Townships to the north, Qionglin and Xinpu to the East, Zhudong to the southeast, and the Taiwan Strait to its west. It is the discharge point of the Fongshan River and the Touqian River into the Taiwan Strait. Zhubei has been a satellite city of Hsinchu City since Hsinchu City reformed to become a special municipality in 1982. Due to the separation of Hsinchu City from Hsinchu County and Zhubei becoming the Hsinchu County seat, as well as its proximity to the Hsinchu Science and Technology Park and the semiconductor industry, the city has acquired an increasingly large amount of capital inflow from government, as well as a rapid population increase and a resulting spike in real estate values. The city's population was estimated at 176,966 in January 2017.[2]

Administrative divisions

The city is administered as 30 villages: Aikou, Baide, Beilun, Beixing, Chongyi, Damei, Dayi, Doulun, Fude, Lianxing, Luchang, Mayuan, Shangyi, Shixing, Taihe, Tunghai, Tungping, Tungxing, Wenhua, Xingan, Xingang, Xinguo, Xinlun, Xinshe, Xinzhuang, Xizhou, Zhongxing, Zhubei, Zhuren and Zhuyi.[3]

Government institutions

Economy
Skyscrapers of Zhubei viewed at night

The agricultural aspect of Zhubei has shifted from mainly rice paddy farming to more floral and fruit cultivation that attracts tourists; however the majority of the local economy is now fueled by the semiconductor industry, real estate speculation and the service sector. Parts of Zhubei City have retained their traditional infrastructure following the demolition of the old city. There are also industrial parks in the city, which are the Hsinchu Biomedical Science Park and the Tai Yuen Hi-Tech Industrial Park.

Tourist attractions
  • Cai-Tian-Fu-Di Nation
  • Chinese Sweet Gum Avenue
  • Coast Proterozoic Forest
  • Feng-Qi Sunset Glow
  • Hsinchu County Stadium
  • New Moon Beach
  • Red Forest Park
  • Wen-Lin Hall

Education

Transportation
Zhubei Station

References
  1. "About Us". hsinchu.gov.tw. Hsinchu County Government. Retrieved February 28, 2017.
  2. 106年1月 新竹縣人口統計報表 [Table of Hsinchu County Population Statistics, January 2017]. hsinchu.gov.tw (in Chinese). Hsinchu County Government. Retrieved February 27, 2017.
  3. 竹北市各里里圖 [Maps of Villages in Zhubei City]. chupei.gov.tw (in Chinese). Zhubei City Office. Retrieved February 28, 2017.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.