Hsinchu Science Park (新竹科学园区), established in 1980, is Taiwan's "Silicon Valley", home to TSMC (台积电), UMC, MediaTek (联发科) and most of the firms that make Taiwan the world's dominant chip fabricator.
history
The name 新竹 ("new bamboo") replaced the earlier indigenous-derived name 竹堑 in 1878 during the Qing dynasty. Hsinchu is also famous for 米粉 (rice noodles) and strong year-round winds, hence the nickname 风城 ("Windy City").
