Hsin-tien

Hsin-tien, Pinyin Xindian, former city (shih, or shi), northern Taiwan. In 2010 it became a city district of the special municipality of New Taipei City when the former T’ai-pei county was reorganized administratively.

Hsin-tien lies in the northernmost portion of Taiwan’s western coastal plain on the right bank of the Hsin-tien River, about 5 miles (8 km) southeast of Taipei special municipality. It is the centre of a region producing tea, rice, and citrus fruits. Woodworking, glassmaking, and the manufacture of small machinery are Hsin-tien’s major industries, and coal is mined nearby. The district is linked by railway with Taipei, and is also an important junction on the road between Taipei and I-lan (Yilan) to the southwest. Tourist and recreational facilities have been developed around Hsin-tien, which has one of the major camping grounds in Taiwan, and there is boating at Pi-t’an (Bitan, or Green) Lake, just to south. Hsien-tan is the seat of the Academia Historica, an institute containing national archives and other historical documents. Pop. (2015 est.) 300,267.