Zhunan

Zhunan Township[1] is an township in northern Miaoli County, Taiwan. Its city centre forms a continuous urban area with Toufen.

Zhunan Township
竹南鎮
Township/city
Zhunan Township in Miaoli County
LocationMiaoli County, Taiwan
Area
 • Total37.56 km2 (14.50 sq mi)
Population
 (January 2017)
 • Total85,005
Zhunan Township
Chinese竹南鎮
Hanyu PinyinZhúnán Zhèn
Wade–GilesChu2-nan2 Chen4
Pha̍k-fa-sṳTsuk-nàm-chṳ́n
Hokkien POJTek-lâm-tìn

Name

Literally, Zhúnán (竹南) means "bamboo south" but in this context, zhú is short for "Hsinchu". Thus, Zhunan lies south of Hsinchu (cf. Zhubei which lies north [běi] of Hsinchu). A previous name of the area was Tiong-káng (中港), literally "central port", a name preserved in Zhonggang (中港), one of the 25 constituent villages of Zhunan. The present name was adopted under Japanese rule in 1920.

Geography
  • Area: 37.56 square kilometres (14.50 sq mi)[2]
  • Population: 85,005 (January 2017 estimate)[3]

Administrative divisions

The township comprises 25 villages:[2] Dacuo, Dapu, Dingpu, Gangqi, Gongguan, Gongyi, Haikou, Jiaxing, Kaiyuan, Longfeng, Longshan, Qiding, Shanjia, Shengfu, Tianwen, Xinnan, Yingpan, Zhaonan, Zhengnan, Zhonggang, Zhonghua, Zhongmei, Zhongying, Zhunan and Zhuxing.

Institutions

Sights and facilities

Zhunan was traditionally a beach and fishing community, and is closely associated with the sea goddess Matsu. Zhunan's main tourist attraction is its largest Matsu Temple. The temple has a statue of the deity that is over 100 feet tall.

Zhunan is now part of Taiwan's computer sector and has a large Science Park.

Zhunan has wide open beaches and some cycling routes that run parallel to the beaches. Beach access was difficult until a bridge connecting the harbour and the beaches opened in 2008. It is a favourite spot among locals for surfing, kiteboarding, and windsurfing due to the year-round winds. Mountains overlook the town and are within a 20-minute drive.

Infrastructures

Transportation
Zhunan Station

Zhunan is served by National Highway No. 3 (Taiwan) and Provincial Highway No. 61. The township is accessible from Zhunan Station and Qiding Station of Taiwan Railways.[5]

Notable natives

References
  1. 臺灣地區鄉鎮市區級以上行政區域名稱中英對照表 Glossary of Names for Administrative Divisions. Ministry of the Interior. 26 March Minguo 104 (2015). Retrieved 1 February 2018. (in Chinese)
  2. 地理環境 [Geography & Environment]. chunan.gov.tw (in Chinese). Zhunan Township Office. Retrieved 2017-02-25.
  3. 106年一月份人口統計下載區 [January 2017 Population Statistic Downloads]. mlhr.miaoli.gov.tw (in Chinese). Miaoli County Government Household Registration Service. January 2017. Retrieved 2017-02-25.
  4. "Zhunan Township". miaolitravel.net. Culture and Tourism Bureau, Miaoli County. Retrieved 2017-02-25.
  5. 交通狀況 [Transportation]. chunan.gov.tw (in Chinese). Zhunan Township Office. Retrieved 2017-02-25.
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