30-second overview: Once mockingly called a "ghost city," Linkou New Town has undergone enormous transformation over the past half century — from tea fields and brick kilns to AI-smart industrial parks. Following the opening of the Airport MRT, this youngest district of New Taipei City added more than 14,000 residents in five years and became a relocation hotspot in northern Taiwan. Yet freeway congestion and a cold, damp climate remain challenges that cannot be ignored.
In the 1970s, the Taiwanese government chose the Linkou plateau for a "Linkou New Town" plan, in order to balance regional development and ease population pressure on central Taipei 1. The grand urban-planning project was initially modeled on Britain's "garden city" concept, aiming to create a modern town blending residence, industry, and greenery 5. But this red-soil plateau, sitting 240 to 260 meters above sea level, suffered from poor transportation and inadequate amenities in its early years, earning it the nickname "ghost city" for a while.
📝 Curator's note: A city's journey from blueprint to maturity often takes more than a generation of patience. Linkou's story is a microcosm of the tug-of-war between Taiwan's regional development vision and on-the-ground reality.
From tea plantations and brick kilns to the garden-city vision
Thanks to its red soil and humid climate, the Linkou plateau was once a center of tea and red-brick production. During the Qing era, the area was named "Shulin-kou" (Forest Mouth) for its dense woods; during the Japanese colonial period, the founding of a "Tea Industry Training Institute" turned it into a cradle for Taiwan's tea-industry talent 1. In the 1960s, as Taipei's metropolitan construction boom took off, Linkou's brick-kiln industry hit its peak, and the towering chimneys became a distinctive local landscape 1. In 1978, the development of Linkou New Town and the construction of public housing were listed among Taiwan's national "Twelve Major Construction Projects." That same year, the entire Sun Yat-sen Freeway opened to traffic, and the establishment of the Linkou interchange laid the transportation foundation for everything that followed 1 3.
But the new town did not develop smoothly. In the early phase, financing difficulties and obstacles to land acquisition meant that public housing fell short of plan, while the central business district and industrial zone development progressed slowly, failing to meet expectations 1. As a result, Linkou's population grew slowly for a long stretch, and public infrastructure and commercial activity could not keep pace with residents' needs.
Chang Gung Memorial Hospital: the anchor of regional development
The founding of Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital was a watershed in Linkou's history. Established in 1976, Linkou Chang Gung is one of the largest comprehensive hospitals in the Far East, with over 10,000 beds, and played a critical role at a time when Taiwan's medical resources were severely lacking 13. The hospital's arrival directly catalyzed the formation of the surrounding "Chang Gung living circle," drawing in large numbers of medical staff and patients' families and becoming Linkou's earliest mature commercial zone — a stable cornerstone for the region's growth. Its Yong-Qing advanced medical campus also houses Asia's largest proton radiation therapy center, reinforcing Linkou's position as an international medical hub 13.
Hwa-Ya Technology Park: the magnet effect of high-tech industry
Beyond a medical foundation, the Linkou plateau is also tightly linked with the Hwa-Ya Technology Park in Guishan, Taoyuan. As the industrial core of the "Industrial Zone Five" area on the Linkou plateau, the Hwa-Ya Technology Park clusters large tech firms such as Quanta, Micron, AUO, and WIN Semiconductors, providing roughly 25,000 high-tech jobs 22 23 24. Together with Chang Gung's medical workforce, this employment base of nearly 40,000 stable jobs in and around Linkou strongly supports the housing market and population growth in Linkou and the Guishan A7 redevelopment area 23 25. The clustering effect at Hwa-Ya has made Linkou one of the hot relocation spots for high-tech talent in northern Taiwan.
📝 Curator's note: From a "ghost city with electricity but no fish" to a population-bonus hot zone, Linkou shows that infrastructure and industry investment together are the twin engines of regional development.
International education and film-and-TV media: a confluence of diverse cultures
Beyond improvements in healthcare and transportation, Linkou's degree of internationalization in education is also striking. The area hosts an unusually high concentration of international schools, including Kang Chiao International School (Linkou campus), American Academy in Asia (AAIA), and Morrison Academy (formerly Bethany American School) 14 15. These schools attract a large number of foreign nationals, returning overseas Taiwanese, and elite families seeking international education, creating a unique "international city" atmosphere and driving demand for high-quality housing nearby 16.
In industry transformation, Linkou is actively developing film, TV, and digital media. The "Linkou Film City" project, promoted by the New Taipei City Government, has already attracted FTV (Formosa Television) and TVBS for its first phase. Although FTV's original studio plan faced adjustments, its headquarters has settled in Linkou 17 18. Furthermore, the "Linkou Media Park," jointly invested NT$24 billion by Mitsui Fudosan, Eastern Broadcasting, and SETI, is moving forward, with Eastern's global headquarters expected to land in Linkou. This will combine film and TV production, digital media, and shopping — further strengthening Linkou's position in Taiwan's screen industry 19 20.
Social housing and microclimate: the other side of livability
Linkou has also taken important strides toward housing justice. The 2017 Taipei Universiade athletes' village was successfully converted post-Games into Linkou Social Housing, becoming one of the largest social housing complexes in Taiwan 26 27. The policy provides affordable housing for young families and commuters, and has further driven Linkou's population growth and demographic diversification 28.
That said, the Linkou plateau's distinctive microclimate — heavy fog and humidity — remains an environmental constraint residents must adapt to 6 12. While this was once part of the source of the "ghost city" reputation, many local residents say that as long as you keep the rooms ventilated and use a dehumidifier appropriately, the dampness is manageable; in fact, the new Linkou redevelopment area sees plenty of wind and good ventilation, and humidity isn't necessarily worse than in Xizhi 29 30 31. This unique climate has also shaped a distinctive local way of life.
Greenery and culture: the lifestyle aesthetic of a plateau
The Linkou plateau also offers rich natural and leisure resources. Trails such as Laogongqi, Linkou Forest (Dingfu Forest), and Taiping Coastal give residents accessible doses of nature 21. Linkou is also one of the highest-density golf-course areas in Taiwan, including Linkou Golf Club and Miramar Golf Club, and these high-end leisure venues are a draw for senior business executives looking to settle in the area 21.
As young residents have moved in, Linkou has cultivated a distinctive cafe culture. Many specialty cafes — "The Cafe' by Xiang Linkou," "Liubai Plan," and others — have become favorite spots for residents to gather; even the National Archives has an arts cafe inside, enriching the everyday atmosphere of the city 32 33 34 35. The arrival of Mitsui Outlet Park has also changed Linkou's consumer profile, providing diverse shopping and dining options and becoming an important commercial landmark 8.
Challenges and outlook: a Linkou still transforming
Although Linkou New Town has shed its "ghost city" reputation and risen to become an emerging metropolis in northern Taiwan, real challenges remain. Foremost among them is transportation. Despite freeway access and the Airport MRT, traffic congestion on National Highway 1's Linkou section during commute hours remains severe — a daily pain point 10.
"Linkou's story is, in fact, a microcosm of Taiwan's regional development. From the garden-city vision of the 1970s to the AI-smart parks and international media center we see today, this nearly 50-year arc has been full of twists, challenges, and hope," one observer noted in analyzing Linkou's development 9.
Looking ahead, Linkou New Town will continue to attract talent and resources through industrial upgrading and infrastructure improvements. The arrival of Taiwan's first National Archives building in 2025, for instance, will inject rich humanistic and intellectual depth into Linkou 1. How to keep optimizing transport, improving housing quality, and preserving the city's unique charm amid rapid growth will be key questions for Linkou New Town's future.
Further reading
- Taiwan urban development and the rural-urban divide (台灣都市發展與城鄉差距) — situating Linkou New Town's development curve within a regional planning framework.
- Beida Special District — for a parallel reading of another emerging redevelopment zone driven by transportation, school districts, and the housing market.
- Taiwan transportation system (台灣交通系統) — extended reading on how the Airport MRT, freeways, and urban commutes shape new towns.
References
Footnotes
- National Archives Administration, NDC: Linkou's transformation — from tea plantations and brick kilns to a rising new town — provides background, figures, and event context cited in this article. ↩
- UDN: "Lin-Tan-San Xin": yesterday's ghost cities turn around — experts say redevelopment zones need time — provides background, figures, and event context cited in this article. ↩
- Merit Times: Historical drops — Linkou's transformation from tea plantations and brick kilns to a rising new town — provides background, figures, and event context cited in this article. ↩
- Vocus: Linkou's transformation — from tea plantations and brick kilns to a rising new town — provides background, figures, and event context cited in this article. ↩
- Chinese Economy Net: Same redevelopment zone — how is Linkou developing? — provides background, figures, and event context cited in this article. ↩
- Yahoo News: "Lin-San-Tan" sheds the ghost-city label, but two fatal flaws are hard to fix — experts urge caution — provides background, figures, and event context cited in this article. ↩
- TCP Taiwan: Linkou New Town rises as a northern Taiwan emerging metropolis, population breaks 138,000 — a new high — provides background, figures, and event context cited in this article. ↩
- Economic Daily News: The Linkou living circle attracts younger residents — provides background, figures, and event context cited in this article. ↩
- YouTube: Linkou New Town's redevelopment makeover — the rise of a tech-talent cluster — provides background, figures, and event context cited in this article. ↩
- China Times: Linkou population surges by 50,000 in 7 years — Hou You-yi pushes transit to drive livability and industry — provides background, figures, and event context cited in this article. ↩
- My Housing: Housing market keeps surging — Linkou's medical resources are abundant, population growth is highly anticipated — provides background, figures, and event context cited in this article. ↩
- Storm Media: As houses multiplied — when I first arrived, Linkou's heavy fog stunned me; I still remember that first winter — provides background, figures, and event context cited in this article. ↩
- Chang Gung Medical Foundation: About Chang Gung — provides background, figures, and event context cited in this article. ↩
- Mobile01: The second American school in Linkou holds opening ceremony — provides background, figures, and event context cited in this article. ↩
- YouTube: Linkou is actually rich in international schools! — provides background, figures, and event context cited in this article. ↩
- MK Studio: Linkou international city — multiple international schools build a blueprint for elite education — provides background, figures, and event context cited in this article. ↩
- Yahoo News: Setbacks for media studio cities — FTV studio falters, Sanli temporarily on hold, TVBS uses land for mosquito-feeding for 14 years — provides background, figures, and event context cited in this article. ↩
- YouTube: "Linkou Media Studio City" expected to be completed in 5 years — FTV News — provides background, figures, and event context cited in this article. ↩
- 591 News: NT$24 billion invested in Linkou Media Park — full-area development targeted within 5 years — provides background, figures, and event context cited in this article. ↩
- Line Today: Eastern Group invests NT$10 billion, headquarters to land in Linkou — international media park planning details revealed — provides background, figures, and event context cited in this article. ↩
- GoWithMark: 2026 recommended Linkou attractions — a one-day Linkou itinerary and food guide — provides background, figures, and event context cited in this article. ↩
- HouseFeel: Where is Hwa-Ya Technology Park? What industries are there? Hwa-Ya land development? — provides background, figures, and event context cited in this article. ↩
- Economic Daily News: The Linkou living circle attracts younger residents — provides background, figures, and event context cited in this article. ↩
- LeJu: The trillion-dollar layout of Linkou, Guishan A7, and the Hwa-Ya tech park — provides background, figures, and event context cited in this article. ↩
- Liberty Times: High employment at Chang Gung and Hwa-Ya boosts Linkou home buying — provides background, figures, and event context cited in this article. ↩
- National Housing and Urban Renewal Center: Linkou Universiade Athletes' Village social housing — provides background, figures, and event context cited in this article. ↩
- National Housing and Urban Renewal Center: Linkou Universiade Athletes' Village social housing in Linkou District, New Taipei City — provides background, figures, and event context cited in this article. ↩
- Real-estate Information Platform, Ministry of the Interior (.pdf): Linkou Universiade Athletes' Village social-housing rental — provides background, figures, and event context cited in this article. ↩
- Mobile01:
Asking residents living in or near Linkou… — provides background, figures, and event context cited in this article. ↩ - Line Today: Moving to Linkou because Xizhi is too damp? Netizens push back: don't leave the near for the far — provides background, figures, and event context cited in this article. ↩
- Kyoto-do TCM Clinic: How to handle Linkou dampness? TCM analysis of rheumatism, headaches, and commuter temperature swings — provides background, figures, and event context cited in this article. ↩
- Gomaji: Linkou is more than just outlets — 10 dreamy cafes recommended by Instagrammers — provides background, figures, and event context cited in this article. ↩
- TVBS: Linkou cafes — top 10 highly rated picks — provides background, figures, and event context cited in this article. ↩
- Yahoo News: Linkou's newest arts landmark — the WALK IN cafe inside the National Archives — provides background, figures, and event context cited in this article. ↩
- Facebook: Newly opened cafe exploration — CAFE!N Linkou Wenhua location — provides background, figures, and event context cited in this article. ↩