Insight Guides Taiwan by Guides Insight

Author:Guides, Insight [Guides, Insight]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Apa Publications
Published: 2017-06-30T16:00:00+00:00

The Neiwan Branch Railway (Neiwan Zhixian Tiedao) heads east from Hsinchu Railway Station into the mining towns of the central mountains. This is one of Taiwan’s four branch railways, all of which head from lowland into the hills, all popular with tourists. The Neiwan line’s original raisons d’etre: camphor, limestone, timber, and coal. It stretches 27.9km (17.3 miles) with travel one way taking 50 minutes. The small air-conditioned trains roll past a total of nine small stations, halting at the town of Neiwan.

In Neiwan, the first tourist site encountered is the attractive small wooden station itself, built in the 1950s. The town is home to the only wooden police substation still extant. Stepping into the old Neiwan Theater (Neiwan Xiyuan; daily 11am–2pm, 4–9pm) is like stepping through a time portal; the facility has been renovated, taking on its original appearance, and is now run as a nostalgia restaurant, brimming with period items and with old Taiwanese films screened at all times.

Hsinchu and Miaoli counties form a major area of Hakka settlement, and the Neiwan trains roll right through the rural Hakka heartland. Many culture-vultures specifically travel the route to experience Hakka existence first-hand – especially in the many town eateries serving up authentic Hakka cuisine.

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