TAIPEI, April 23 (Reuters) - Taiwan's quake-hit eastern

county of Hualien was rattled by more than 200 aftershocks late

on Monday and early on Tuesday, but only minor damage was

reported and no casualties and major chipmaker TSMC said it saw

no impact on operations.

Largely rural and sparsely populated Hualien was hit by a

7.2 magnitude earthquake on April 3 that killed at least 17

people, and there have been more than 1,000 aftershocks since.

Buildings across large parts of northern, eastern and

western Taiwan, including in the capital, Taipei, swayed

throughout the night, with the largest quake measuring a 6.3

magnitude. All were very shallow.

"Especially at 2 a.m., it shook very strongly. In fact, for

a moment even I thought about rushing downstairs, but as we live

on the sixth floor, I felt it a bit troublesome to go down,"

said Taipei resident Aden Peng, 44, a medical researcher.

"Then again, according to my previous experience, I thought

it should be fine and hoped it would be fine," Peng added. "And

because I was very tired, I just continued to sleep, hoping for

the best."

Taiwan's Central Weather Administration said the spate of

earthquakes starting Monday afternoon - which it put at more

than 200 - were aftershocks from the large April 3 quake.

Seismological Centre Director Wu Chien-fu told reporters

that the aftershocks were a "concentrated release of energy" and

that more could be expected, though perhaps not as strong.

With heavy rain predicted for all of Taiwan this week,

people in Hualien need to be prepared for further disruption, he

added.

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, writing on her Facebook page,

called on people to avoid the mountains and to stay alert.

"When an earthquake occurs, don't panic. Master the

principle of 'duck, cover, stay put'," she wrote.

The Hualien fire department said two buildings, already

uninhabited after being damaged on April 3, suffered further

damage and were leaning.

There were no reports of casualties.

The world's largest contract chipmaker, Taiwan Semiconductor

Manufacturing Co ( TSM ) , whose factories are

on the island's western coast, said some staff at a small number

of factories were evacuated, but facility and safety systems

were functioning normally and all personnel were safe.

"Currently, we do not expect any impact on operations," it

said in an email.

Investors brushed off concerns about the quake, with

TSMC's Taipei-listed shares closing up 1.6% on Tuesday.

In mountainous Hualien county, some road closings following

rockfalls were reported, and the government suspended work and

school for the day.

Taiwan lies near the junction of two tectonic plates and is

prone to earthquakes.

More than 100 people were killed in a quake in southern

Taiwan in 2016, while a 7.3 magnitude quake killed more than

2,000 people in 1999.