Zhunan

Not to be confused with Zhu Nan, the 26th son of Ming Dynasty Hongwu Emperor.

24°41′N 120°53′E

Zhunan Township 竹南鎮 Jhunan
Urban township
Zhunan Township in Miaoli County
Location	Miaoli County, Taiwan
Area
• Total	37.56 km2 (14.50 sq mi)
Population  (September 2023)
• Total	89,420
Website	www.chunan.gov.tw (in Chinese)

Zhunan Township
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.

Name

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.

Geography

• Area: 37.56 square kilometres (14.50 sq mi)^[2]
• Population: 89,420 (September 2023 estimate)^[3]

Administrative divisions

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.

Politics

The township is part of Miaoli County Constituency I electoral district for Legislative Yuan.

Institutions

• National Health Research Institutes

Sights and facilities

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.

• Longfeng Fishing Port
• Qiding Tunnels
• Zhonggang Cihyu Temple
• Hotsu Longfong Temple
• Northern Miaoli Art Center
• Ten Ren Tea Culture Museum
• Zhunan Brewery^[4]

Infrastructures

• Miaoli County Refuse Incineration Plant

Transportation

Zhunan Station

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]

Notable natives

• Kang Shih-ju, member of Legislative Yuan (2009–2012)
• Tsai Wan-lin, former businessman
• Tsai Wan-tsai, former banker