Current Time in Neihu, Taiwan

Neihu is one of the twelve districts of Taipei, occupying a green and hilly area in the north east of the Taiwanese capital. Its name means inner lake, a reference to the basin ringed by low mountains in which the district developed, and water remains one of its defining features, from the Keelung River along its southern edge to the ponds of Dahu and Bihu that sit among residential streets. Wooded ridges rise directly behind the built up areas, so hiking trails begin only minutes from office towers.

Around a quarter of a million people live in Neihu, making it one of the most populous districts of the city. Its importance is above all economic, because the Neihu Technology Park has become one of the largest concentrations of business in Taiwan, home to hundreds of technology, biotechnology, logistics and media companies. Several of the country's leading television networks broadcast from here, and large shopping and warehouse complexes serve the whole northern part of the island.

For most of its history the area was farmland, tea terraces on the slopes and coal mining country, linked to Taipei by river boats and narrow roads. Settlers from Fujian arrived in the eighteenth century and built the temples that still stand on the hillsides. Under Japanese rule Neihu supplied bricks, coal and vegetables to the growing capital, and it was formally incorporated into Taipei in 1968. The transformation into a technology hub began in the 1990s, when farmland and light industry gave way to the modern business park.

Dahu Park is the best known public space, with a lake, willow trees and an elegant Chinese style moon bridge that appears in countless photographs, especially when lit at night. Bishanyan Kaizhang Shengwang Temple, high on the hillside, offers one of the finest panoramic views over the Taipei basin and the distant tower of Taipei 101. The Baishihu suspension bridge, the strawberry farms of Bishan, the rocky ridge of Jinmian Mountain and the riverside cycle paths are all popular with residents at weekends.

Entertainment is concentrated at the Miramar complex, whose rooftop Ferris wheel has become a landmark of the eastern skyline, and along the main avenues, where restaurants, cafes and night market stalls serve the daytime workforce. A large sports park, community theatres and temples that hold lively festivals through the lunar year round out local life, giving the district a friendly, family oriented atmosphere quite different from the crowded centre.

The Wenhu Line of the Taipei Metro, a driverless elevated system, runs the length of the district and connects it with the city centre and Taipei Songshan Airport, while expressways and river bridges carry heavy commuter traffic. Neihu also hosts the National Defense Medical Center and a major military hospital, an important centre for medical training and research.

Neihu shows a side of Taipei that surprises many visitors, combining a modern working city with lakes, temples and mountain trails within easy reach of everyday life.