- What it is East District (東區), one of Hsinchu City's three districts, south of the Touqian River and inland from the old city.
- Getting there TRA to Hsinchu Station on the district's western edge. City buses run along Guangfu Road to the universities and the Science Park. → The TRA lines
- Getting around Car or scooter for most people; bus along the main roads. → Buses, bikes and scooters
- Best for People working in the main Science Park or at NTHU or NYCU, and anyone who wants to avoid crossing the river every day.
If your job is in the main Hsinchu Science Park (新竹科學園區) and you want the shortest commute you can get, start your search in East District. The main park straddles East District and Baoshan (寶山) in Hsinchu County, and the neighbourhoods around it and the two universities on Guangfu Road are the closest places to live. The tradeoff is that everyone else had the same idea: the roads into the park are busy at the start and end of the working day, wherever you live.
East District is large and varied. Here are the parts most newcomers look at.
Guanpu (關埔)
Guanpu, beside the Science Park, is one of the city's newer planned neighbourhoods, with residential towers, wide streets and parks laid out together. It's the part of East District that feels most like Zhubei's new districts, and the closest of them to the park. Guanxin Park (關新公園), rebuilt by the city in 2020, has a landscaped hill with slides, a play area for 2 to 5 year olds and another for 5 to 12 year olds, and shaded seating. → Hsinchu with kids
Jinshan (金山)
Jinshan, also on the edge of the park, is the area around Jinshan Street (金山街): a mix of apartment buildings, offices and the restaurants and cafés that feed the park's workforce. Living here puts you a short ride from many of the park's companies. It's also busy, and the roads around the entrances fill up at shift times.
The Science Park Exploration Hall (科學園區探索館) on Keji 5th Road is in one of the original standard factory buildings from the park's opening in 1980, with exhibits on the park's history. It's open weekdays 09:00 to 17:00 and needs booking ahead.
Guangfu Road and the universities (光復)
Guangfu Road (光復路) is East District's main artery, running from the city towards the Science Park past National Tsing Hua University (國立清華大學) at Section 2, No. 101, and the Guangfu campus of National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (國立陽明交通大學) on Daxue Road. The streets around the campuses are full of student housing, eateries and cafés. If you're coming to work or study at either university, this is the obvious neighbourhood; if you're not, it's still a lively, practical place to live with good bus links.
Guangfu Road is also the road everyone uses. Expect slow traffic at rush hour, and plan any school run around it.
Hsinchu Park, the zoo and Shibajianshan
Closer to the old city, East District has the city's best-loved green spaces.
- Hsinchu Park (新竹公園) covers about 18 hectares and dates from 1916. Around its lake are the Hsinchu City Zoo (新竹市立動物園), founded in 1936 and rebuilt with open enclosures, the Glass Museum, the Confucius Temple and a running track. Cherry trees bloom roughly January to March.
- Shibajianshan (十八尖山), south-east of the park, is a low ridge, about 130 metres high, with paved, gentle trails and many entrances from the neighbourhoods around it. It's where East District goes for an early walk or run. → City hills and short hikes
- Qingcaohu (青草湖), further south, is a reservoir lake from the 1950s with a loop path and, since 2017, a water recreation centre with stand-up paddleboarding.
Shopping: Big City and Costco
Big City (巨城購物中心), on Zhongyang Road, is a large shopping mall with a city'super supermarket in the basement. Costco Hsinchu (好市多新竹店), at No. 188, Ciyun Road, is the only Costco in the area and draws shoppers from Zhubei as well. Both are in East District. → Groceries and shopping
Living in East District
- Housing. Newer towers in Guanpu and around the park, older walk-ups and townhouses closer to the city centre and around the campuses. What drives the price is mostly the building's age, lift and parking, and the walk to the park or campus. → Renting
- The commute. Short in distance, but the park's entrance roads and Guangfu Road are slow at shift change. A scooter gets through faster; a bike works for some trips if you don't mind the traffic.
- Schools. Public schools here are Hsinchu City schools, separate from the county system in Zhubei and Baoshan. A school close to home doesn't guarantee a place. → Families and schools
- Taipei trips. The HSR station is in Zhubei, so you'll drive across the river or take the Liujia Line. → Getting to the HSR
→ Commuting to the Science Park · Hsinchu City vs Zhubei · Where to eat in Hsinchu City
Sources: Hsinchu City Government tourism site (tourism.hccg.gov.tw): Guanxin Park, Science Park Exploration Hall, Hsinchu Park, Hsinchu City Zoo, Shibajianshan, Qingcaohu; Hsinchu City Zoo; National Tsing Hua University; National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University; Hsinchu Science Park Bureau; Costco Taiwan store finder; city'super store locator (Big City address). Checked November 2026.