Miaoli County
First Taiwan oil (1877), now 60% of strawberries and Hakka cultural center. Buffer between Hsinchu semiconductors and Taichung machinery. By 2026, land scarcity spillover tests agricultural/cultural preservation vs. industrialization.
Oil was discovered in Miaoli in 1877—Taiwan's first petroleum extraction—but the county never became an energy hub. Instead, Miaoli developed as agricultural and handicraft center, producing strawberries (60% of Taiwan's output), ceramics, and traditional Hakka cultural products. This path-dependence created resilience against industrial volatility.
Positioned between Hsinchu's semiconductor cluster and Taichung's machinery center, Miaoli serves as buffer zone. Some tech manufacturing spillover reaches the county, but distance from Science Park limits transformation. The Hakka cultural identity (over 60% of population) shapes economic choices—preservation of traditional industries, resistance to rapid industrialization.
The county faces Taiwan's demographic challenges intensely: aging population, youth out-migration, shrinking rural communities. Strawberry farms increasingly rely on Southeast Asian migrant workers. Cultural tourism (Hakka villages, hot springs, mountain scenery) offers alternative economic model.
2026 trajectory: Limited semiconductor expansion reaches Miaoli as land scarcity in Hsinchu/Taichung intensifies. The county must decide whether to embrace industrialization or double down on agriculture and cultural identity. Transportation investment determines accessibility to metropolitan job markets.