Baoshan, Hsinchu County

Baoshan Township (traditional Chinese: 寶山鄉; pinyin: bao3shan1xiang1) is located in western Hsinchu County, Taiwan. The name Baoshan means "Treasure Mountain" in Mandarin Chinese. It is ostensibly a suburb of Hsinchu City to the north and west, and is also bounded by Zhudong City to the east, Beipu and Emei Towns to the south, and Miaoli County to the west.

The town is predominantly comprised of people of Hakka ethnicity, and is part of "the Greater Daai Area -- the largest Hakka area in northern Taiwan" along with Beipu and Emei. [http://www.chinapost.com.tw/travel/detail.asp?ID=51788&GRP=g] However, recent suburbanization has probably led to a large increase in the proportion of non-Hakka people due to its proximity to Hsinchu City, which is mostly Minnan Taiwanese.

Baoshan is a hilly, semi-mountainous area with an urban and suburban part in the northern part nearest Hsinchu City. A significant and growing part of the Hsinchu Science Park is located in Baoshan. The rest of the town is predominantly agricultural, particularly plentiful in hillside orchards of tangerines and lychee nuts.

A large interchange called Hsinchu System is located here, which is a major junction which connects Freeways No.1 and No.3. Baoshan Town is also the location of Baoshan Reservoirs (traditional Chinese: 寶山水庫; pinyin: bao3shan1shui3ku4) I and II, which supply drinking water to the city of Hsinchu and cooling water to the Science Park's foundries.

*Area 64.8433 km²
*Population 13,761 people