A dinosaur hugs a star, a turtle carries shaved ice, and the bookshop characters are ready for a nap. Six illustrators turn six shop windows in Hsinchu's old town into a month-long street gallery. Follow them from the pavement, with coffee, stationery and secondhand books along the way. This walk starts and ends at Hsinchu railway station.
Plan the walk
October 31–November 30. For the windows and a chance to go inside every shop, start around 14:00 on Friday–Monday and allow 2–3 hours. Reach CHOCCY before its weekday 17:00 close and OR Coffee before 18:00. The station loop is about 3.8 km, roughly 55 minutes of walking before you add looking, ice and books.
Take a TRA train to Hsinchu station and leave from the front, towards the old town. Somsugar at 196 Shengli Road is about 620 m / 9 minutes away. From the final bookshop, allow about 1.2 km / 18 minutes back to the station. Each stop has its own exact map and walking directions, so you can split the route around a meal.
Stop 1
Macaron TOE × Somsugar: a dinosaur opens the walk
Walk — From Hsinchu station: about 620 m / 9 minutes on foot.
A blue dinosaur hugs a star inside the white arch, while a moon peers through the high window. Macaron TOE uses the different openings as panels: the strange story starts before you step inside. The shop also hosts a Macaron TOE pop-up. Shop hours: 13:00–19:30, closed Thursday.
Illustration: Macaron TOE. Window preview published by Somsugar Creative Shop. Editorial use.
Walk — From the previous stop: about 660 m / 10 minutes on foot.
Watermelon heads, pudding hats and a turtle carrying shaved ice occupy the wooden windowpanes. A pink-and-green miniature town grows below. After this window, ordering dessert hardly counts as an impulse decision. Shop hours: daily 13:00–20:30.
Illustration: HAHA SARAH. Window preview published by Somsugar Creative Shop. Editorial use.
Walk — From the previous stop: about 230 m / 4 minutes on foot.
White line drawings curl around the broad pane: rings, a hammer, small creatures and blue coils bring the metalworking shop onto the glass. People and worktables remain visible behind them. Little Room Studio has given the room a lively illustrated border. Shop hours: 11:00–17:00; until 19:00 on weekends and holidays.
Illustration: Little Room Studio. Window preview published by Somsugar Creative Shop. Editorial use.
Walk — From the previous stop: about 150 m / 2 minutes on foot.
Starry-eyed blue creatures carry a bag and bubble tea, sharing the window with Hsinchu's East Gate. NUOMI shrinks a city outing to window size; the café also has a Hsinchu-themed NUOMI exhibition. Shop hours: 10:00–18:00, closed Tuesday and Wednesday.
Illustration: NUOMI. Window preview published by Somsugar Creative Shop. Editorial use.
Mr. Teabag × Highlight Stationery: autumn on the glass
Walk — From the previous stop: about 530 m / 8 minutes on foot.
Faces emerge from the orange treetop; little creatures sit on stumps or fly on leaves, with pretzels drifting nearby. Mr. Teabag's Autumn chill draws the pink wall and yellow door into the scene. Your eyes get a small park before your stationery shopping begins. Shop hours: 14:00–21:00, closed Tuesday and Wednesday.
Illustration: Mr. Teabag. Window preview published by Somsugar Creative Shop. Editorial use.
懶惰朽吉 × Rose-Coloured Books: permission to get sleepy
Walk — From the previous stop: about 400 m / 6 minutes on foot.
A rainbow flag hangs behind the old panes. A pink-braided character closes their eyes while another in a pointed hat grins below. Stars, flowers and little treats scatter across the glass. Finish by slowing down, browsing the shelves and choosing a book for the train. Shop hours: 12:00–21:00, closed Thursday.
Illustration: 懶惰朽吉. Window preview published by Somsugar Creative Shop. Editorial use.
