![[ 100 Fahrenheit Fun! ] HsinChu Coastal River Bike Path Ride Part 1 新竹海河單車道騎之一](http://modernblackhand.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/hsinchu-coastal-river-bike-path-1.jpg "[ 100 Fahrenheit Fun! ] HsinChu Coastal River Bike Path Ride Part 1 新竹海河單車道騎之一")
- HsinChu Coastal River Bike Path Ride Summary
- Background
- Starting Point: ZhuNan Industry Park
- 7 km River Bank Road
- HsinChu Country Side Region
- ShiTouShan Scenic Area
- Continue to Part 2!
- Also Recommended:
- Taiwan Bike Routes Map
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HsinChu Coastal River Bike Path Ride Summary
- Self Ride
- Starting/ending Location: near Zhunan Industrial Park (竹南工業區)
- Bike Length: ~ 110 km. Elevation gain: ~ 500 m.
- Hill profile: Flat, rolling small hills.
- Good for: Base training.
- CAUTION:
- One no signal crossing of Provincial Highway #1. Traffic was few in the morning so it should be fine.
- Expect scooters on bike path! Slow down at turns.
- Route Highlights:
- Zhunan Brewery 竹南啤酒廠
- DaPu Reservoir complex 大埔水庫
- ShiTouShan Temple 獅頭山勸化堂
- BeiPu Old Street 北埔老街
- BaoShan 1st and 2nd Reservoir 寶山水庫
- TouQian River Bike Path [Start End] 頭前溪自行車道
- HsinChu Coastal Bike Path [ Start End ] 新竹海岸線自行車道
- QiDing Tunnels 崎頂隧道
Background
The HsinChu Coastal River Bike Path Ride was the 3rd effort after TaiChung’s GaoMei TaiChung Wetland Ride, to develop near 100 km Taiwan shore riding route.
Designing a 100km coastal route at densely populated HsinChu was particularly challenging: Taiwan’s two major National Highways #1 and #3, as well as Provincial Highways #1, #3, and #15, all go through HsinChu. Even worse was the absence of bike paths information online.
This HsinChu Coastal River Bike Path Ride hopes to provide clear south HsinChu bike path information, as well as a way to connect them all together for a more challenging ride.
Starting Point: ZhuNan Industry Park
Our HsinChu Coastal River Bike Path Ride started at ZhuNan Industry Park (竹南工業區) for easy parking, and a visit to Taiwan Beer’s ZhuNan brewery.
Park road sign.
Hmm, is this a factory or a temple?
Brewery parking lots.
Beer towing trucks.
“ZhuNan Brewery.”
Entrance.
Factory was not opened yet 🙁
Office.
Having enough of the brewery, we rode through the remaining industrial area and headed towards a great 7 km river bank road.
Cool tiles art of a cleaning factory.
Local road welcome sign.
Some sort of melons.
Crossing Provincial Highway #13 here was then the river bank road!
River bank road entrance on the other side.
7 km River Bank Road
This 7 km river bank road was a great connector from coastal area into remote HsinChu hilly region. Although not a strict bike path, the road had almost no cars and few scooters.
Just be aware that while it was labeled as a single lane, scooters might come from the wrong direction.
Great river bank view!
If you look closer you could see cows below the bridge!
HsinChu Country Side Region
After the river bank road our HsinChu Coastal River Bike Path Ride turned south onto hilly, rural areas.
Through small town.
Here onto country road.
Cool local temple.
Green hills.
Green hills and blue mountains.
Soon we passed Provincial Highway #3 on top and entered DaPu Reservoir area, with old town and a big Buddhism complex we visited before.
Even a small town had a great looking temple.
Old tea factory, now a museum.
Tug of war street art.
Nice hair.
Red bean cake street car.
Suspension bridge entrance to reservoir’s other side.
The big Buddha statue from behind.
Common water hyacinth, an invasive species causing issues for aquatic ecosystem.
Cleaning common water hyacinth with earth mover.
Local farm.
DaPu Reservoir view.
Abandoned church.
ShiTouShan Scenic Area
Going further south, our HsinChu Coastal River Bike Path Ride entered ShiTouShan Scenic Area (獅頭山風景區), an area with many old temples on hillside as well as old trails.
Scenic area sign.
Old trail entrance.
Cool bridge at local town.
Secret water playing place. Really good for this weather!
Road entrance to the hillside temple.
2nd gate.
… not sure what this was.
3rd gate.
The main temple building.
Buddha statue in the shade.
Crane statues with water.
The far end valley led to NanZhuang Old Street (南庄老街), a cool Hakka old street.
Sunday music.
After visiting the temple, we went down and continued on the hilly road towards north, hitting Provincial Highway #3 again.
Another ShiTouShan gate.
I smelled copyright infringement…
Ending at Emei town gate.
