Zhunan


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

Name

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

Geography

The township comprises 25 villages: 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

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

Notable natives