Linkou - The new Tianmu?

Much as I’ve disliked living in Linkou for the past six years, there can be no denying that it’s acquiring many advantages that could soon make it, in many people’s eyes, one of the most desirable places to live in Taiwan. In fact, the latest addition to its attractions has set me thinking that Linkou could actually become the new Tianmu, attracting a high proportion of expatriates and wealthy Taiwanese. The following are some of the main attributes that I think could combine to make this happen.

  1. International schools. The construction of New Taipei’s first international school, the AIT approved Huamei International American School, broke ground yesterday, and is expected to admit students next September. A few days earlier, it was announced that Bethany School has won the bidding to set up an international school on a substantial plot of public land designated for that purpose by the local government, and the result of bidding for another school on a similar plot of land is due to be announced very soon (the wife thinks it will be announced today). So within the near future, Linkou could become an international school hub with no fewer than three big international schools.

  2. Including the Guishan side of the Linkou Plateau, across the New Taipei-Taoyuan border, Linkou is home to five university campuses. These include the Linkou Campus of NTNU (Shi-Da) and National Sport University (NSU). The former is one of the greenest and most pleasant campuses in Taiwan, a very nice place for jogging and taking children to play, while NSU has excellent facilities that are open to the general public. A lot of money has recently been pumped into upgrading and supplementing NSU’s facilities in preparation for the World Student Games in 2017 (the athletes will all be housed in the so-called “athletes’ village” that’s currently being built here, and many of the games will take place here).

  3. The biggie, of course, and what we’re all waiting for most eagerly, is the completion and opening of the airport MRT line. Though the recent news of another delay is greatly disheartening, we can still look forward to having it in operation as soon as next February, just over half a year away. The MRT will give us a direct fast link not just to Taoyuan airport but also to central Taipei and to the high-speed railway in Taoyuan. With that plus our location on Freeway #1, there’ll be nowhere in Taiwan offering greater convenience for frequent international travelers, or for those who travel around Taiwan a lot. If Songshan Airport is eventually closed down, with its domestic, cross-strait and regional short-haul flights relocated to Taoyuan, that advantage will be magnified.

  4. The completion of the big Outlet Park, originally due by the end of this year but probably not ready to open until the first quarter of next year, will make Linkou a magnet for shoppers. Along with its many shops and eateries, it will also have a multiplex movie theatre, giving us two such after the opening of our first one earlier this year.

  5. Two major hotels are under construction. The one on the Guishan side across from Changgeng Hospital is almost ready for opening, and the one across from our MRT station is rapidly taking shape.

  6. The large TVBS media production center is in an advanced state of construction, and Formosa TV should start construction of a similar facility very soon. In conjunction with the major studios that are already located here, Linkou should become Taiwan’s main hub for TV and film production, so a lot of the people involved in that industry are likely to move here. The local government has also announced plans to establish what it calls an “international media center” on a plot of land (part of the old air base) close to the MRT station, though that plan seems to be still on the drawing board.

  7. The huge number of high-rise and townhouse communities that have recently been completed or are under construction provide a big choice of top-quality housing for people interested in moving here. The well-heeled, in particular, can choose among many luxurious apartments or houses that are as good as anything you’ll find in Taiwan, but still a great deal cheaper than anything in Taipei.

  8. Many new public amenities are being built to match Linkou’s growing population and rising status. These include a large sports and leisure facility that’s under construction, and several new public schools. The so-called “bilingual” Touhu Elementary School, the newest of our current five public elementary schools, with very attractive buildings and facilities, has been hugely popular since it opened, and has a long waiting-list for places. Construction companies are featuring it prominently in their sales brochures for new developments in its vicinity, which is rather dishonest, since new home purchasers have little chance of getting their kids into it. But the next new elementary school, due to start construction soon, will likely offer even greater attractions.

  9. Since most of Linkou’s new development is taking place on rezoned agricultural land plus the old Japanese and American airbase, the urban planners have had a large, flat and empty expanse of land to work with, and have been able to lay out a decent grid of wide straight roads, with good-sized sidewalks and well interspersed with little parks. Although they have colluded with greedy developers to allow apartment buildings to be squeezed much too closely together in every little pocket of land, it is still a better environment than the generally haphazard mess of most urban areas in Taiwan.

  10. Linkou is surrounded by golf courses, including some of the best in Taiwan, making it a paradise for ardent golfers.

  11. Linkou’s Changgeng Hospital is generally regarded as one of the biggest and best in Taiwan, and reputedly has the country’s best pediatric unit (they certainly did a good job of treating my then 1-year-old daughter when she was hospitalized for more than a week with a severe salmonella infection). Rather than going to the main hospital across from A8 MRT station, I usually go to the big new annex that’s a 5-minute drive away, where parking is very easy, it’s far less crowded, and the facilities are first-class).

  12. Linkou’s biggest natural advantage is its relatively cool summer climate. It’s always several degrees cooler than Taipei and other surrounding areas at lower elevations, and since it’s usually also quite breezy, it generally feels a lot more comfortable to be outside in the summer.

Those are some of the main reasons why Linkou might hope to soon displace Tianmu as the first choice of home for high-income locals and expatriates. Its main disadvantage in my eyes is that it’s relatively cut off from Taiwan’s best natural beauty. That’s why I’d much prefer to live in Xindian, where I’d have easy and speedy access to favourite places such as Wulai, Pinglin, Pingxi, Sanxia, Ilan and the northeast coast. But although driving on almost all roads to and from Linkou is nightmarishly awful, you can get reasonably quickly to some nice places in the rural areas of Taoyuan, Hsinchu and Miaoli, and onto the northern cross-island highway, if you don’t mind driving on the freeway (which I personally hate), so it’s not entirely bad in that respect.

So what do others think? Does that make Linkou sound like the kind of place you’d be interested in moving to? Can we really become the new Tianmu?

Sounds exciting ! But isn’t it pretty windy up there ? And isn’t it a plateau? How does the MRT get up there?

Admittedly, I know nothing. The last time I was there, Moses was parting the Red Sea.

Well, it’s certainly improving from what you write, but the schools there will hardly replace the popular American and European and Japanese schools in Tianmu. For me and 99% of parents it is of no consequence whatsoever as Id rather my kids go to the local elementary school to learn Chinese and can’t afford the fees for those schools anyway.

As a place for expats, hmmm, not many expats around in Tianmu either these days!

There are other nice new areas dotted around Taiwan now, in Taibung, Hsinchu, Kaoshiung and Ilan, although I agree Linkou is a relative rarity in the Taipei area, which is mostly a mess of old concrete structures.

The new MRT line will certainly be a boon for the area.

I think more money is going overseas these days or into the East coast which is the place to be, but Im sure that LInkou will continue to be slowly built up.

As I am renting now I have thought about moving further out for a bigger place and more urban space but we also like our quick access to the city and like you said it’s easy to drive on the 3 up north or down south. My main concern long term is not development but jobs, I always feel Taiwan is a difficult place to guarantee income in unless having some successful business or family money. Even if you wanted to buy in Linkou it’s a substantial mortgage.

Linkou has some really nice, European style “private” neighbourhoods (I’m saying this because they enclose a number of buildings and gardens with fences and security guards… well, guard the entrances). When I found those I was really surprised.

However, it’s still surrounded by factories, warehouses, and shit…

Maybe in 20 years, but for now Linkou still sucks. :popcorn:

Linkou in the summer reminds me of Paris. I dread a few years from now when it’s discovered and becomes the new playground for the rich and famous. For now it still has that hometown feel

Linkou is a good place, I brought my flat out there a few years ago and have certainly seen big improvements in the last few months, especially with the opening of the cinema complex.

Lots of expats live here from all over, mainly small businessmen, students, office workers, web designers and a lot of English teaching professionals.

Linkou has a couple of nice bars called Cheers and Abi`s which are both ran by expats.

Guishan is also just down the road with lots more bars, restaurants and a world gym.

If you are planning on moving here I would advise on getting a car as the MRT has not yet started operating and taking the bus is not that convenient.

Can’t tell if the last poster is serious. Paris. :noway:

Anyway…I checked the rent591.com.tw for sales of Linko residences, woah, there are a lot of places for sale, thousands are listed in fact. Many communities have over 10 apartments for sale in each building. If Omni’s thesis was correct it would be optimum time to negotiate hard and to load up on those apartments for well off individuals.

[quote=“headhonchoII”]Can’t tell if the last poster is serious. Paris. :noway:

Anyway…I checked the rent591.com.tw for sales of Linko residences, woah, there are a lot of places for sale, thousands are listed in fact. Many communities have over 10 apartments for sale in each building. If Omni’s thesis was correct it would be optimum time to negotiate hard and to load up on those apartments for well off individuals.[/quote]

I think the part where “watch your step else, you could step on a dog poo-Paris” .

But yeah, I think Linkou more hospitable than some (most) parts of Taipei City proper, other than it takes hours to take a bus to the city. :smiley:

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Linkou was built on a Field of Dreams…build it, and they(residents) will come. Many of the apartment buildings are “ghost buildings,” the little cousins of the Ghost Cities in China. The place is overbuilt and overpriced. But like I said before, maybe in 20 years it could resemble Tiamu. :2cents:

They can build as many shoddily built “luxury” dwellings clad with statues of David and other “European” aesthetic crap all they want. Linkou will be nothing more than a polluted, flat, ugly, dirty, industrial cesspool and never offer anything even close to the quality of environment Tianmu has to offer in 20 years or 200 :2cents:

Are there any luxury watch stores in Linkou selling Rolex, Grand Seiko, Tudor or Omega watches?

Just went though linkou yesterday it’s nothing like you describe. And Tianmu has old and shoddy housing too lol.

Probably in the old center.