24°41′N 120°53′E / 24.683°N 120.883°E
Zhunan Township
竹南鎮 Jhunan | |
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Location | Miaoli County, Taiwan |
Area | |
• Total | 37.56 km2 (14.50 sq mi) |
Population (September 2023) | |
• Total | 89,420 |
Website |
www |
Zhunan Township | |
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Chinese | 竹南鎮 |
Hanyu Pinyin | Zhúnán Zhèn |
Wade–Giles | Chu2-nan2 Chen4 |
Tongyong Pinyin | Jhúnán Jhèn |
Pha̍k-fa-sṳ | Tsuk-nàm-chṳ́n |
Hokkien POJ | Tek-lâm-tìn |
Zhunan Township [1] is an urban township in northern Miaoli County, Taiwan. Its city centre forms a continuous urban area with Toufen.
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.
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.
The township is part of Miaoli County Constituency I electoral district for Legislative Yuan.
This section needs additional citations for
verification. (February 2017) |
Zhunan was traditionally a beach and fishing community, and is closely associated with Goddess Mazu, who is the Goddess of Sea and Patron Deity of fishermen, sailors and any occupations related to sea/ocean. Zhunan's main tourist attraction is its prominent Mazu Temples like Zhonggang Cihyu Temple and Hotsu Longfong Temple which has a statue of the Goddess 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.
Zhunan is served by National Freeway 3 and Provincial Highway 61. The township is accessible from Zhunan Station and Qiding Station of Taiwan Railways. [5]