Neiwan Old Street

Neiwan is the terminus of a branch railway built to carry timber and coal out of the Hsinchu hills, and when the industries closed the town turned to visitors instead. It is Hakka country, and the street sells Hakka food: rice dumplings, ginger duck, dried persimmon and mugwort cakes. The 1950s Neiwan Theatre survives as a restaurant, and a suspension bridge crosses the Youluo river below the town.

What you actually see

• The branch railway - the line from Hsinchu ending at the town, part of the trip.
• The 1950s theatre - the old cinema, now serving Hakka food under its screen.
• The suspension bridge - a footbridge over the Youluo below the street.
• The Hakka food - rice dumplings, ginger duck and persimmon along the street.

When to go

Year round; weekends are crowded and the train fills. April and May bring fireflies to the valley in the evenings. Weekday mornings are quiet.

Honest expectations

Weekend crowds are heavy and the street is short. Much of the food is the same from stall to stall. The train is slow and standing room only at peak times.

Nearby

Lion's Head Mountain is south, and Smangus is far up the mountain road.