Chutung, Taiwan

        Chutung has a population of about 80,000 people. A township not far from the west coast, it is located in the northern part of Taiwan.  It is about 40 miles away from Taipei, Taiwan’s capital.  The nearest big city, Hsinchu which is located on the west coast, is a thirty-minute bus ride away. The mass-transportation is fairly convenient.  Buses go to Taipei or Hsinchu, every ten to fifteen minutes. 

        30 minutes drive from town, the famous Science Park is located in the nearby Hsinchu City. Many people in Chutung, work for computer factories/companies in the Science Park.

There is a river along the northern part of Chutung, and the southern part is surrounded by mountains.  Both of the river and the mountains are within walking distance from the school or the teacher’s apartment.

        Chutung is a long area surrounded by mountains.  It takes about 30 to 40 minutes by scooter to go to the nearest beach.

        Shops in Chutung and Hsinchu provide a wide variety of groceries, toiletries, and clothing, and American brand-name products.  For entertainment, there are video rental shops, two bowling alleys, 24- hour pool halls, and indoor and outdoor swimming pools open year round.  The night- life in Chutung is limited to small pubs or Karaoke bars but Hsinchu night life is abundant.  There is also a small public library with some quiet reading rooms nearby, and English books can be purchased in the Hsinchu bookstores.

        There are two senior high schools, four junior high schools and seven elementary schools in Chutung. The nearest universities, Ching Hwa, Jiao Tung, Zhonghua and Yuan-zi University are about twenty-minute bus ride away.

        Most of the people in Chutung believe in Buddhism or Taoism but there are some Christians and Catholics.  There are many temples and a few Christian churches and a Catholic church.

        Most of the towns in Taiwan are safe.  You can walk from the school back to the teacher’s apartment at 12:00 midnight without being disturbed at all.

        The weather in Chutung is mild all year round.  It is between 25 to 34 degree Celsius in the summer and 15 to 23 degree in the winter.  The temperature hardly gets below 15 degrees.  However, sweaters and jackets are necessary for winter because when there are cold currents coming from the North-Eastern Asia, the temperature could be around 10 degrees.  It is humid in the summer but the school, public transportation and the majority of apartments are air-conditioned.