Hsinchu is a medium-sized city, so it's smaller and less crowded than Taipei. Chubei is a suburb of Hsin chu. The cost of living in this area is much lower and the variety of housing is more varied than that of Taipei, yet it is only an hour and a half by train from the resources of Taipei.

Hsinchu is located in a special economic zone so many multinational corporations have their factories here. Hsinchu is often referred to as 'the Silicon Valley of Taiwan' as it is the center of computer technology here. It is best known for its Science Industrial Park where only the highly educated are allowed to live and work. Much of Taiwan's computer industry and many of its national universities are located in Hsinchu. The two best technical institutions are Chiaotung University and Chinghua University.

Hsinchu has its own domestic airport for domestic flights within Taiwan and out to some of the smaller islands, and is only about 30 minutes from the International Airport near Taoyuan.