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 Hsinchu City is a city in northern Taiwan. Hsinchu is popularly nicknamed "The Windy City" for its windy climate. Hsinchu City is administered as a provincial city of Taiwan Province in the Republic of China. The city is bordered by Hsinchu County to the north and east, Miaoli County to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the west. Hsinchu City is composed of three districts: North District, East District, and Siangshan District.
The city of Hsinchu was originally known as Zhuqian. In 1733, a bamboo wall was built around the city under Danshui vice prefect Hsu Chih-min. In 1826, Cheng Yung-hsi and other members of the local gentry successfully petitioned the Qing emperor for permission to rebuild the wall, work on which began the following year. The new wall was 2,838 meters in circumference, 4.6 meters high, and 4.9 meters wide. It had four gates: the "Yingxi Gate" in the east, the "Yishuang Gate" in the west, the "Gexun Gate" in the south, and the "Gongchen Gate" in the north. All but the eastern gate were torn down in 1902 to make way for road construction.
Once marking the main entry to Hsinchu, the East Gate sits on a granite base pierced by an arched walkway. On the upper half of the gate is a building originally constructed of wood and later rebuilt in concrete. The building is supported by 24 columns on which sit a double-eaved roof with a short upturned ridge that adds to the power of the design. In front of the gate is a stone stele recounting the history of the construction of the Hsinchu City wall. There is also a public square that joins both traditional and modern elements at the front of this major Hsinchu landmark.
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