Hsinchu Travel: Visiting Hukou Old Street

Travel Date: 2023/11/04

It had been a long time since we last visited Hukou, and while we were in the area, we decided to explore the Persimmon Farm in Xinpu and include a visit to Hukou. In my memory, the old street was incredibly beautiful, but I didn't recall it being this long. I feel it's one of the longest and best-preserved old streets in Taiwan. The weather today was really nice.

We drove along a mountain road from Xinpu to Hukou, passing numerous tea farms. Although the view might not compare to Alishan or other high mountains, I find the tea farms in Hukou quite picturesque. Along the road, there were plenty of cypress trees, though it wasn't their season, and they appeared lush green at this time.

Historically, Hukou served as a military base. Along the nearby roads, you can spot a few old tanks and bunkers, and there are several trails in the area.

The old street was bustling today, with at least six tour groups present upon our arrival. It was challenging to capture videos or pictures due to the crowd. If you appreciate the architecture of Hukou Old Street, I'd also recommend visiting Daxi Old Street. We had planned to visit a few months back but faced difficulty finding parking in the town, so unfortunately, we couldn't make it that time. I hope to revisit soon to take better pictures and perhaps make a video.

For more insights, you can check out a post from 2018: HERE

Additionally, explore the Persimmon Farm in Xinpu: HERE

Hukou Old Street (湖口老街)

Hukou Old Street, built during the Japanese era around the 1890s, exhibits Japanese and Baroque architectural styles. The rise and decline of this old street is closely related to the railway. The railway in Hukou was established in 1892, fostering local development. Although the railway route from Taipei to Taoyuan changed significantly during the Japanese period, the section from Dahukou to Hsinchu remained largely the same. In 1908, the entire line was completed, transforming Dahukou into a commercial town in Hsinchu. Subsequently, in 1916, Hukou Old Street was constructed to the southeast of the station.

The Japanese believed that the slope of the road between Hukou and Yangmei was too steep, causing instability in the railroad. Consequently, the Hukou station shifted closer to the coast due to the newly completed Ocean Line. The construction of the new railroad contributed to the decline in commercial activity on the street.

The railway divided Hukou into Old Hukou and New Hukou. Old Hukou features an old street, temple, church, and an old theater. New Hukou, situated around the station, comprises modern houses. In Hukou, all the old buildings were preserved, presenting a similar style to Daxi Old Street. The nearby temple displays pig decorations during the Chinese New Year.

At the end of the street stands the San Yuan Temple. In 1904, two individuals donated land and raised funds to build the temple. Despite funding difficulties, the project was completed in 1919. The temple is dedicated to the Three Officials: water, earth, and heaven. In May 2001, this Temple was declared a county monument.

Address:

303新竹縣湖口鄉湖口老街

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Hsinchu Travel: Tea Farms and Hukou Old Street

It's nice weather today, so after finishing baking my cakes, we went outside. Initially, we wanted to see the Yellow Trumpet Flowers blossom in Xinpu. Yesterday, we saw a pink trumpet tree in bloom, so I thought it was already the season. After driving there, we discovered that there were no flowers yet and we needed to wait for one more month. Since there wasn't much to see in Xinpu, we decided to visit Hukou Old Street.

We drove along a mountain road, where we saw many bald cypresses, cherry blossoms, and tea farms. Those hills were covered with plenty of tea trees, which made the view really beautiful. It's a pity we didn't come here earlier. Now, the bald cypresses have lost almost all their leaves and don't look very attractive. Some of the Taiwanese cherries growing there have already blossomed, and the tea was also in bloom. 

In the past, Hukou was a military base. On the nearby roads, you can also see a few old tanks.

      

Hukou Old Street (湖口老街)

Hukou Old Street was built during the Japanese era, around the 1890s, with Japanese and Baroque styles. The rise and fall of this old street is related to the railway. The railway in Hukou was built in 1892, which promoted local development. After entering the Japanese period, the railway route from Taipei to Taoyuan was drastically changed, but the section from Dahukou to Hsinchu didn't change much. In 1908, the entire line was finished, making Dahukou a commercial town in Hsinchu. In 1916, Hukou Old Street was built in the southeast of the station.

The Japanese thought that the slope of the road between Hukou and Yangmei was too steep, which made the railroad unstable. The Hukou station moved closer to the coast due to the newly completed Ocean Line. The construction of the new railroad led to the decline of commercial activity on the street.

The railway is what divided Hukou between Old Hukou and New Hukou. In Old Hukou, you can see an old street, temple, church, and old theater. New Hukou is a newer area with modern houses built around the station. In Hukou, all the old buildings were preserved, and you can see a similar style to Daxi Old Street. The nearby temple has some pig decorations for Chinese New Year.

At the end of the street, you will also find San Yuan Temple. In 1904, two people donated land and raised funds to build the temple. The project was completed in 1919, despite funding difficulties. This Temple is dedicated to the Three Officials: water, earth, and heaven. The Sanyuan Palace also houses other gods like Guanyin Bodhisattva, Mazu, Yinsheng Nangniang, Wenchang Emperor, Wucai When, and Bogong. In May 2001, this Temple was announced as a county monument.

When we visited the old street, it was quite empty. Only a part of it had a few shops, and not many people were walking around. Nearby, you can also see an old church that was built where the original train station was. In recent years, the Old Street has undergone renovations and a greening project. The stone road, building archways, and shop pavilion were all renovated, but it didn't help much, and the street remains quite empty.

See also: Guanxi Old Street 

 

 

 

 

Address:

303新竹縣湖口鄉湖口老街

Read More