History of Hsinchu
[1] Prior to the arrival of the Han Chinese, the area around Hsinchu was held by the Taokas, the Saisiyat, and the Atayal.In 1684, Zhuluo County was established during Qing Dynasty rule, initially encompassing the underdeveloped northern two-thirds of Taiwan.[citation needed] In 1825, these natural defenses were removed and replaced with brick and stone walls, except the East Gate.As part of the reorganization of Taiwan by Shen Baozhen, the viceroy of Liangjiang, Zhuqian Subprefecture (i.e., Tek-kham) was raised to the level of a county and renamed Hsinchu (i.e., Sin-tek or Xinzhu) in 1878.By the end of 1893, the railway from Keelung crossed the Taipei Bridge and regular service was opened over the entire 60 mi (97 km) line.From 1994 to 1999, as Taiwan made its transition from authoritarian rule to a representative democracy and the mostly pro forma provincial level of government began to be streamlined, regulations were established for the self-government of Hsinchu.Hsinchu is located in a favourable spot: it is about one hour from Taipei, Taoyuan International Airport, and Taichung.The Hsinchu Science and Industrial Park develops high-tech research and products, specialising in the areas of semiconductors, computers, information technology and optical engineering.