近年來全球化進程急速，各國文化趨向同質性發展，臺灣面臨外來強勢的文化、消費與休閒產品之影響，地方產業深受衝擊，中央與地方政府因此極力推展在地文化之重現、整合地方相關資源、活化地方特色產業，以提高地方競爭力、協助地方永續經營、以及提升居民的生活水平。「文化產業」的概念因此應運而生。在此概念之下，文建會又提出「文化產業化」和「產業文化化」之運作方式。前者意味以文化為核心，發展成可帶來經濟效益的產業；後者強調以地方文化特色做為產業的包裝，為產業附加文化價值。在眾人推動「文化產業」的過程中，對於「文化」與「文化產業」之定義卻是眾說紛紜，各自表述，其定義之釐清對於各地文化產業之統整與相關研究實屬必要。本研究之緣起乃在接受新竹縣文化局之委託，進行新竹縣文化產業專輯彙編，因而嘗試從「文化」之定義與觀點來探討「文化產業」，並以此為基礎將新竹縣十三個鄉鎮市現有的文化產業歸類為文化展演設施、古蹟文物產業、農漁文化產業、民俗宗教活動、社區特色產業、飲食文化產業等，並列舉論述之。

The Speed of globalization is speeding up recently and national cultures are tending towards unified development. Taiwan's local cultural and leisure industries are facing serious assault from this strong foreign consumerism from abroad. Accordingly, local central governments waste no efforts in promoting local culture by coordinating local resources and developing local specialties and thereby increasing local competitiveness, helping continuous development and raising the living standard of residents. Consequently the concept of "Cultural industries" is born. Under this concept the Committee for Culture Development advanced the slogans "Industrization of Culture" and "Culturization of Industries" as its mode of operation. The former means turning culture into industries that bring economic benefits. The latter emphasizes developing industries with local cultural characteristics which would give them add on values. IN the process of promoting "Cultural industries", there are many different views concerning the definition of "Culture" and "Cultural industries". The clarification of their definitions and Collecting of data on cultural industries have yet to be studied. Entrusted by the Hsinchu County Development of Culture to collect data and edit a special collection on cultural industries in Hsinchu, we proceeded to accomplish the task from the "Cultural" point of view. Based on our definition of "Culture", we grouped the existing cultural industries in the 13 townships of Hsinchu County into the following: cultural exhibition places, historical sites and relics, fishing and agriculture, local religious and cultural activities, special products unique to an area, Local food and drink culture, etc., and descriptions of each are given.