- What it is Neiwan (內灣), a village in Hengshan Township (橫山鄉), Hsinchu County, at the end of the TRA Neiwan Line.
- By train TRA Neiwan Line from Zhuzhong Station (竹中), about every hour, 42 minutes, NT$43 one way (November 2026). Change at Zhuzhong from the Liujia Line.
- By car About 20 km from Hsinchu HSR Station, 30 to 40 minutes outside rush hour (our estimate), much longer on a busy weekend.
- Time needed Half a day for the old street; a full day with stops on the line.
- Old street hours Most shops 10:00 to 18:00, every day, as the county lists them.
Neiwan boomed in the Japanese era on timber and coal from the hills, and the railway carried them out. When the forestry and mines closed, the village nearly emptied, and it came back as a weekend destination: a short street of snack shops, an old cinema, a riverside park, and a small station that still feels like the end of the line. It's busy on weekends and holidays, quiet on weekdays.
Neiwan is the trip we'd suggest first to anyone new to Hsinchu: it's close, it works without a car, and the train ride up the valley is the best part.
The train: how the Neiwan Line works
The Neiwan Line (內灣線) runs from Hsinchu Station through Zhuzhong (竹中), Zhudong (竹東) and Hengshan (橫山) to Neiwan. Most trains run only the Zhuzhong to Neiwan section, so plan on one change at Zhuzhong:
- From Zhubei and the HSR station: walk across the corridor on the 2nd floor of Hsinchu HSR Station to TRA Liujia Station (六家). The Liujia Line reaches Zhuzhong in 4 minutes. Change there for Neiwan.
- From Hsinchu Station: take a Liujia Line train to Zhuzhong (it continues to Liujia) and change. With a good connection the whole trip takes about 1 hour 5 minutes. A few direct trains run from Hsinchu to Neiwan early in the morning and late in the evening, 58 minutes, NT$60.
In the Saturday timetable for November 2026, trains leave Zhuzhong for Neiwan at 08:47 and then at 52 minutes past each hour from 09:52 to 19:52. Coming back, they leave Neiwan at 47 minutes past the hour; the last train that terminates at Zhuzhong leaves at 18:47, and later trains at 19:47, 20:47 and 22:47 run through to Hsinchu Station. Check the Taiwan Railway timetable for your date, because weekday times differ.
The trains are local (區間) trains: no reservations, tap in with an EasyCard or iPASS. → Trains around Hsinchu
Check before you go: heavy rain and typhoons close the line from time to time, and slope collapses have suspended trains on stretches of the line, with a bus replacement. Check Taiwan Railway's service notices on the morning you travel, especially in the typhoon season.
Neiwan Old Street and the station
Neiwan Old Street (內灣老街) runs along Zhongzheng Road (中正路) from Neiwan Station (內灣車站), so you step off the train into it. The street is all about Hakka snacks: flat rice noodles (粄條), lei cha (擂茶, the ground-tea drink), and leaf-wrapped rice cakes (草仔粿). The old Neiwan Theatre (內灣戲院) is the landmark to look for. The station itself, the end of the line, keeps its 1950s cement and tile building, with a big mural of Liu Hsing-chin's (劉興欽) cartoon auntie, 大嬸婆, on the front.
- Neiwan Forestry Exhibition Hall (內灣林業展示館). The story of the logging days, near the station. Wednesday to Sunday 09:00 to 17:00, as the county lists it.
- Neiwan Riverside Park (內灣親水公園). By the river at the west end of the village, open all year.
- Neiwan Catholic Church (內灣天主堂), a small church open on weekends, 11:00 to 17:00.
Closed: the Neiwan Suspension Bridge (內灣吊橋) over the Youluo River is fully closed to people and vehicles, as of the county's November 2026 listing. Don't plan the day around it.
Good to know: the street is packed from late morning on weekends. Take an early train, eat first, and leave the browsing for later in the afternoon. → Hakka food and the other things to eat
Stops on the way: Jiuzantou, Hexing and Hengshan
The stations between Zhudong and Neiwan are small country stations, and they make good short stops if you have the whole day. Get off, look around, and take the next train an hour later. All are on the same NT$36 to NT$43 fares from Zhuzhong (November 2026).
- Jiuzantou Station (九讚頭車站), 28 to 33 minutes from Zhuzhong. Once a freight station for the Asia Cement works, it is the only station past Zhudong where two trains can pass, and there is no bridge or tunnel: you walk across the tracks to the platform. The name comes from the nearby Hakka village.
- Hexing Station (合興車站), 32 to 37 minutes from Zhuzhong, a small station two stops before Neiwan.
- Hengshan Station (橫山), the township's own stop.
Fireflies and the seasons
The county's own description of Neiwan sums up the year: cherry blossom in spring, fireflies on summer nights, autumn colour, and hot springs in winter. For fireflies, go on a warm, still evening, stay away from the lit street, and keep torches pointed down. The county doesn't publish fixed firefly dates; for a planned firefly night, Lion's Head Mountain (April to June) is the other option. → Lion's Head Mountain
Driving and parking
From Zhubei, County Road 120 (縣道120, Guangming 6th Road in Zhubei) heads east through Qionglin toward Hengshan and Neiwan; from Hsinchu City, go through Zhudong. Allow 30 to 40 minutes from the HSR station on a clear road. On weekends and holidays the road into the village gets slow and parking near the street is limited, so arrive early or take the train. Coming back on a Sunday afternoon, expect slow traffic toward Zhudong and Zhubei.
Driving does make it easy to add the hills beyond Neiwan, toward Jianshi. → The mountains: Jianshi and Wufeng
A simple plan
- Liujia Line to Zhuzhong, then the 09:52 to Neiwan (arrives 10:34 on a Saturday).
- Lunch on the old street: rice noodles, then lei cha.
- The forestry hall and the riverside park.
- The 13:47 or 14:47 down to Jiuzantou or Hexing, a look around, then the next train to Zhuzhong.
- Home before dark.
→ More day trips · The HSR station and the Liujia Line · Outdoors near Hsinchu · A weekend in Hsinchu
Sources: Taiwan Railway timetable and fares, Neiwan and Liujia lines, queried for Saturday 7 November 2026; THSR, Hsinchu Station transfers to Liujia and the Neiwan Line; Hsinchu County tourism: Neiwan Old Street, Neiwan Station, Neiwan Suspension Bridge closure notice, Jiuzantou Station, and the listings for the forestry hall, riverside park and church; AJ Hotel directions (County Road 120 / Guangming 6th Road in Zhubei). Drive times are our estimates. Checked November 2026.