Neiwan Train Station - Taiwan
The Neiwan Line is the less famous brother of the Pingxi and Jiji (Chichi) branch lines, the only branch lines left in Taiwan (excluding Alishan) and all built during the Japanese occupation.
Neiwan, like Pingxi used to be a mining town but now exists mostly for tourists. As such, you can expect it to be packed during weekends and holidays so try and go off peak if you can.
In truth, there is little to distinguish Neiwan from any other small town in Taiwan. There are hot springs, food vendors, gift shops, coffee shops, a river and mountains.
However unless you are driving you might not have access to other small towns, and Neiwan is easy to get to and explore without needing to speak Chinese.
The branch line goes from Hsinchu station and takes about 50 minutes to reach Neiwan. With very little mountain scenery however, the Pingxi line beats the Neiwan line hands down.
There are however some things of interest. The old movie theatre that the Japanese built for the miners is still there, very close to the train station (on the left as you exit the station). The building (the Neiwan Theater) is now a restaurant, but the stage and screen are still in place and movies are screened as you eat. So you enjoy some traditional Hakka food and watch a Taiwanese film from the 70s, some even with English subtitles.
Breathtaking Neiwan * Scenic trip in Hsinchu
Breathtaking Neiwan * Scenic trip in Hsinchu
Neiwan Old Street (內灣老街) is in south-eastern Hsinchu county’s Hengshan township (橫山) and next to Jianshi (尖石鄉) the beautiful Atayal area known for its mountains and rivers. The village is quite remote and is part of the reason I like it so much. It is nestled in the mountains next to a beautiful river and is quiet for at least five days of the week. On weekends the old street comes alive and is jam packed with tourists sampling many of the treats the street is famous for as well as the Hakka culture that is so prevalent in the area.
The origins of the town are quite similar to what we have seen with my previous posts in Daxi and Sanxia where historically the town was set up as a way-point in the logging and mining industry. This brought a lot of prosperity and opportunity to the people of the bustling little village which quickly became a self-sustaining town with banks, post offices and movie theatres. When the mine closed in the 1960s the town slowly transformed into a backwater and it fell out of public consciousness almost until the turn of the century when the it started to be marketed as a popular tourist destination becoming one of Taiwan's “old streets” (老街) and a strategy was devised to keep tourists coming to visit.
While most of Taiwan’s old streets are known for the architecture of the houses lining the streets being constructed with “baroque” designs, the Neiwan old street isn't like that at all - The town became prosperous much later than the others and that style had already faded by that time and wasn't very practical in such a remote area. The architectural style of the houses along the street is pretty much the same as what you'd see in many of the older neighbourhoods around Taiwan.
So without the old street feeling, how has Neiwan become so attractive to tourists? I believe that it is in part because of the Hakka culture and cuisine, the quaintness of the town and also because of the special railway line that brings tourists into the small village making it quite special and differentiating itself from other old streets.
Neiwan Township Taiwan
Enjoying pleasant weather, Neiwan Scenic Area is encircled by tall hills and run through with Youluo River. Angling in Neiwan is among the eight spectacles in Hsinchu. Neiwan Branch line is among the three infamous train branches in Taiwan. The Neiwan Branch Line of the Taiwan Railway will suspend operation from February 28, 2007, and reenter service in three and a half years. Visitors can take the Neiwan Branch train at Zhudong Township and go on a reminiscent trip.
The limpid Youluo River before your eyes is 100 meters in width. Looking down from the riverside highway at the riverbank, the picturesque scenery of the emerald green woods and spectacular suspension bridges is as enchanting as a heaven on earth in movies. Neiwan is known far and near for the five suspension bridges over the riverbank. Under suspension bridges, visitors can enjoy catching shrimp and crabs in shallow areas by the riverbank or swimming until their hearts' content in the stream, while the sandy beach serves as a perfect spot for barbecuing, camping, and holiday outings.
The scenic spots of Guangji Temple, the train station, and the theater on the Old Street as well as NeiWan suspension bridges are full of a reminiscent atmosphere. Take a stroll here and there and you will remember some charitable past memories. You will also see the lively characters of Brother A-San and Great Auntie, which have long been symbols of NeiWan. Funny comics along the street and recent popular special products, such as ginger lily-flavored glutinous rice, further add to hospitality and friendliness on the Old Street.
neiwan #GlassBRidGe
the Place that your stress out.. its a nice view...
#OFWLiFe
Neiwan- Magical Taiwan- Miracles- Fun, Travel, Adventure
This is a travel video log of my 7 weeks in Taiwan as an exchange student. Here i have compiled beautiful images of what you can expect to see when you visit Neiwan (Hsin Chu Country)
Neiwan Hakka village
wild ginger dumplings
Comic Artist Liu Hsing-ching
Hengshan Caifeng Guan
cinema theatre
Hilltop café -- Xin guang liu yi
Hakka Lei Cha pounded tea
YAM (Taro)
wild dogs
Jian Shi's Lavender cottage
milk desserts
fireflies
go-karting
homestay
mountains, rivers
cactus ice cream
homemade beancurd with taro balls and pearls
cock
train station
taiwan wild boar sausages
community
司馬庫斯三日遊橫山鄉內灣老街7/14內灣車站 Neiwan Old Street, Hengshan Township (Taiwan)
內灣車站不論是外觀或內部設施,皆保有古樸的風味,進出站仍採取柵欄管制和人工驗票,簡樸的設施更能讓人體會當年克難的景況.車站正面右側有漫畫家劉興欽的浮雕作品,並提有:「彩雲瀰漫櫻花開,火車遨遊賽神仙,大嬸婆婆來做伴,世外桃源在內灣.」內容有趣,描述出內灣耐人尋味的風情.
Neiwan Old Street
A brief look at the Neiwan Old Street in Taiwan
新竹 內灣 內灣戲院 戲院 wy-2s ky1490 2012-06-06 美的因
ky1490 2012-06-06 美的因 新竹 內灣 內灣戲院 戲院 wy-2s.mpg
內灣戲院用餐
彰化社區大學
內灣支線輕旅行一日遊
領隊：楊忠誠老師
攝影：李國信