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103-667: Located in the Taichung Basin , the city was initially developed from several scattered hamlets helmed by the Taiwanese indigenous peoples . It was constructed to be the new capital of Taiwan Province and renamed " Taiwan-fu " in the late Qing dynastic era between 1887 and 1894. During the Japanese era from 1895, the urban planning of present-day Taichung was performed and developed by the Japanese. The urban area of Taichung

206-575: A broad saddle between two mountains, the area also contains the marshy Datun Pond. To the southeast of the city lie the Songshan Hills and the Qingshui Ravine, which form a barrier of lush woods. Taipei has a humid subtropical climate ( Köppen : Cfa ). Summers are long-lasting, very hot and humid, and accompanied by occasional heavy rainstorms and typhoons; while winters are short, generally warm and generally very foggy due to

309-509: A continuing Republic of China. Taipei expanded greatly in the decades after 1949, and as approved on 30 December 1966, by the Executive Yuan , Taipei was declared a special municipality on 1 July 1967. In the following year, Taipei City expanded again by annexing Shilin , Beitou , Neihu , Nangang , Jingmei , and Muzha . At that time, the city's total area increased fourfold by absorbing several outlying towns and villages and

412-538: A garrison was established in 1721 near the site of present-day Taichung Park by Lan Ting-chen. North of the city, on the Dajia River , an aboriginal revolt broke out in 1731 after Chinese officials moved in and compelled them to provide labor. The revolt spread through the city as far south as Changhua County in May 1732 before the rebels were chased into the mountains by Qing forces. In 1786, another rebellion against

515-635: A high-tech industrial area. Railways , highways , airports and bus lines connect Taipei with all parts of the island. The city is served by two airports – Songshan and Taoyuan . The municipality is home to architectural and cultural landmarks, including Taipei 101 (which was formerly the tallest building in the world), Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall , Dalongdong Baoan Temple , Hsing Tian Kong , Lungshan Temple of Manka , National Palace Museum , Presidential Office Building , Taipei Guest House and Zhinan Temple . Shopping districts including Ximending as well as several night markets dispersed throughout

618-535: A historic cinema, and the Red House Theater . Modern structures house karaoke businesses, art film cinemas, wide-release movie cinemas, electronic stores, and a wide variety of restaurants and fashion clothing stores. The pedestrian area is especially popular with teens and has been called the " Harajuku " of Taipei. The newly developed Xinyi District is popular with tourists and locals alike for its many entertainment and shopping venues, as well as being

721-469: A large number of temples, many of which hold historic and cultural value. According to a 2018 survey by the city government, Taichung is home to 1,012 registered temples, of which 774 are Taoist and 208 are Buddhist . The Goddess Mazu is one of the most popular Deity . Jenn Lann Temple is the starting point of the annual Dajia Mazu Pilgrimage , one of two largest such pilgrimages in Taiwan (along with

824-464: A new administrative entity of the Qing dynasty. Having been established adjoining the flourishing townships of Bangka , Dalongdong , and Twatutia , the new prefectural capital was known as Chengnei ( Chinese : 城內 ; pinyin : chéngnèi ; Pe̍h-ōe-jī : siâⁿ-lāi ), "the inner city", and government buildings were erected there. From 1875 until the beginning of Japanese rule in 1895, Taipei

927-566: A railway through the city. However, the provincial capital was ultimately moved to Taipei . After the Qing dynasty lost the Sino-Japanese War in 1895, Taiwan was ceded to Japan by the Treaty of Shimonoseki , and the name of the city was changed to Taichū ( Japanese : 臺中 ) . The Japanese sought to develop the city to make it the first "modern" area of Taiwan and invested in roads, dams, and levees. In 1901, Taichū Chō ( 臺中廳 )

1030-509: A range of multimedia displays. The Taipei Fine Arts Museum was established in 1983 as the first museum in Taiwan dedicated to modern art . The museum is housed in a building designed for the purpose that takes inspiration from Japanese designs. Most art in the collection is by Taiwanese artists since 1940. Over 3,000 art works are organized into 13 groups. The National Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall near Taipei 101 in Xinyi District

1133-875: A relatively small area around the Neo19, ATT 4 FUN and Taipei 101 buildings. The thriving shopping area around Taipei Main Station includes the Taipei Underground Market and the original Shin Kong Mitsukoshi department store at Shin Kong Life Tower . Other popular shopping destinations include the Zhongshan Metro Mall , Dihua Street and the Guang Hua Digital Plaza . The Miramar Entertainment Park

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1236-528: A result of the 28 February Incident , which began with incidents in Taipei but led to an island-wide crackdown on the local population by forces loyal to Chiang. Two years later, on 7 December 1949, Chiang and the Kuomintang forces were forced to flee mainland China after the defeat by Communist revolutionaries. The KMT-led national government that fled to Taiwan declared Taipei to be the provisional capital of

1339-505: A specialized lane, a first in Taiwan. The system began operation in July 2014; however, it did little to ameliorate traffic congestion, and was terminated within a year. The lane and specialized bus stops are currently used as a general bus lane, with bus lines 300-310 running through it. Taichung International Airport is the third and newest international airport in Taiwan. It occupies the western corner of Ching Chuan Kang Air Base (CCK) and

1442-501: Is Taiwan 's oldest, founded on 24 October 1908 by Taiwan's Japanese colonial government (1895–1945) as the Taiwan Governor's Museum. It was launched with a collection of 10,000 items to celebrate the opening of the island's North–South Railway. In 1915 a new museum building opened its doors in what is now 228 Peace Memorial Park . This structure and the adjacent governor's office (now Presidential Office Building ), served as

1545-589: Is 1.3 trillion NTD, second largest after Taipei (5.8 trillion NTD) in Taiwan. Taichung is most famous for its suncakes . Taichung's Chun Shui Tang teahouse ( 春水堂 ) is where bubble tea was invented. Two railways run parallel to each other in Taichung: the Taichung Line , which passes through the urban areas in the interior, and the West Coast Line , which passes through rural areas closer to

1648-659: Is 5th highest in East Asia, behind Tokyo, Singapore, Osaka, and Hong Kong, but ahead of Seoul, as well as London and Paris, according to The Economist . GDP per capita based on Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) in Taipei in 2015 was US$ 44,173, behind that of Singapore (US$ 90,151 in 2016 from the IMF) and Hong Kong (US$ 58,322 in 2016 from the IMF; also based on PPP). The Financial Times ranked Taipei highly in economic potential (2nd, behind Tokyo) and business friendliness (4th) in 2015. The city

1751-573: Is Google's biggest engineering site in Asia. IBM also announced in 2018 that it will develop a cloud research lab and expand its R&D center in Taipei with eyes on artificial intelligence, blockchain technology, and cloud computing. According to the 2016 Global Entrepreneurship Development Index, Taipei's entrepreneurial spirit ranks 6th worldwide and 1st in Asia. Taipei has more than 400 startups and numerous incubation centers, accelerators, venture capitals, and angel investors. The city's startup ecosystem

1854-550: Is a crucial part of many Chinese cultures. In Taichung, there are two historic major temples dedicated to Wenchang Dijun , the patron deity of literature: Beitun Wenchang Temple and Nantun Wenchang Temple . The Taichung Confucian Temple is a large and relatively new complex dedicated to Confucius himself. There are also several ancestral shrines in Taichung, notably the Lin Family Ancestral Shrine ,

1957-418: Is a unicameral 46-member City Council. Each member is elected from one of six member districts where each voter has only one vote. Taichung consists of 29 districts, 28 districts and 1 mountain indigenous district. Inner Taichung refers to the eight former districts of Taichung City before the merger with Taichung County on December 25, 2010. Colors indicate statutory language status of Hakka language in

2060-609: Is about 20 kilometers (12 mi) from downtown Taichung City. The current airport replaced Shuinan Airport as Taichung's airport in 2004. In 1915, the Taichung Middle School (台灣公立台中中學校) (now Taichung Municipal Taichung First Senior High School ) was established as the first school for young people in Taiwan. In 1943, the Advanced Academy of Agronomy and Forestry (now National Chung Hsing University ) became an independent entity and moved to Taichung. It

2163-414: Is also known for its bicycle manufacturing. Notable business located in Taichung include Giant Bicycles , SRAM , and TRP Brakes. Taichung's financial center and central business district is the 7th Redevelopment Zone , where many corporation offices are located. The retail sector is another main industry in Taichung. Almost a quarter of all Taichung employees work in the retail sector., Its output value

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2266-404: Is composed of four major ethnic subgroups: Hoklos , Waishengren , Hakkas , and aborigines . Although Hoklos and Waishengren form the majority of the population of the city, in recent decades many Hakkas have moved into the city. The aboriginal population in the city stands at 16,713 at the end of 2018 (<1%), concentrated mostly in the suburban districts. Foreigners (mainly from Indonesia ,

2369-425: Is extremely common and there is poor visibility throughout the city after rainless days. Motor vehicle engine exhaust, particularly from motor scooters, is a source of air pollution in Taipei. There are higher levels of fine particulate matter and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the mornings because of less air movement; sunlight reduces some pollution. While Taipei City is home to 2,524,393 people (2022),

2472-664: Is home to 30 billionaires, the 16th most in the world, ahead of many global cities such as Los Angeles and Sydney. Business Insider also ranks Taipei the 5th most high-tech city globally, the highest in Asia, in 2017. While the IESE Cities in Motion Index 2017 ranks Taipei as the smartest technology city globally. Taipei's main development fields include the information and communications technology (hardware and software), biotechnology, general merchandizing (wholesale/retail), financial services, and MICE industries. Most of

2575-508: Is home to many factories, while nearby World Trade Center Taichung hosts many industrial conventions every year. Taichung is also home to the Central Taiwan Science Park , known for the many semiconductor factories located there, most notably TSMC . Some other famous companies located in Taichung included Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation , HIWIN , Largan Precision , and Pou Chen Corporation . Taichung

2678-557: Is housed in a building that formerly housed Taipei City government offices. Taipei 101 is a 101-floor landmark skyscraper that claimed the title of world's tallest building when it opened in 2004, a title it held for six years before the Burj Khalifa in Dubai was completed. Designed by C.Y. Lee & Partners and constructed by KTRT Joint Venture , Taipei 101 measures 509 m (1,670 ft) from ground to top, making it

2781-478: Is in the Taichung Basin along the main western coastal plain that stretches along the west coast from northern Taiwan almost to the southern tip. The city borders Changhua County , Nantou County , Hualien County , Yilan County , Hsinchu County and Miaoli County . The Central Mountain Range lies just east of the city. Rolling hills run to the north leading to Miaoli County , while flat coastal plains dominate

2884-447: Is in the process of implementing Hanyu Pinyin on road signs throughout the city. However, there are still signs displaying spellings from previously used romanization systems, as well as Tongyong Pinyin and systems that do not conform to any standard system. Unlike Taipei , which uses a capital letter at the beginning of every syllable, Taichung City uses the standard form of Hanyu Pinyin on street signs erected in recent years. However,

2987-529: Is named in honor of a founding father of the Republic of China , Sun Yat-sen . The hall, completed on 16 May 1972, originally featured exhibits that depicted revolutionary events in the Republican period of China . Today it functions as multi-purpose social , educational , concert and cultural center for Taiwan's citizens. In 2001 a new museum opened as Museum of Contemporary Art Taipei . The museum

3090-478: Is near the Shilin Night Market and houses three theaters for events with multi-week runs. The architectural design, by Rem Koolhaas and OMA , was determined in 2009 in an international competition. The same design process is also in place for a new Taipei Center for Popular Music and Taipei City Museum . Taipei is known for its many night markets , which include the Shilin Night Market in

3193-496: Is still in use today. The Japanese undertook a north–south island railway project. Taichū Train Station was completed and began operation in 1917, and still operates today. Taichū City was officially declared by Japanese authorities in 1920, and Taichū City Hall was completed in 1924 after eleven years of construction. Kōkan Airport ( 公館空港 ) , now known as Taichung Airport , was constructed during Japanese rule. Taichū Middle School (now known as Taichung First Senior High School )

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3296-606: Is the capital and a special municipality of Taiwan . Located in Northern Taiwan , Taipei City is an enclave of the municipality of New Taipei City that sits about 25 km (16 mi) southwest of the northern port city of Keelung . Most of the city rests on the Taipei Basin , an ancient lakebed. The basin is bounded by the relatively narrow valleys of the Keelung and Xindian rivers , which join to form

3399-399: Is the beginning of higher education in Taichung. In 1955, Tunghai University was established, becoming the first private university in Taiwan. Currently, there are 17 universities, 50 high schools, 71 junior high schools, and 235 elementary schools in Taichung. In addition, there are four special schools, three international schools , and nine community colleges in the city. Taichung City

3502-482: Is valued at US$ 580 million by Startup Genome in 2018. Tourism is a small but significant component of the local economy with international visitors totaling almost 3 million in 2008. Taipei has many top tourist attractions and contributes a significant amount to the US$ 6.8 billion tourism industry in Taiwan. Tourism is a major part of Taipei's economy. In 2013, over 6.3 million overseas visitors visited Taipei, making

3605-709: The Allies during 1945, effective control of Taiwan was handed to the Republic of China (ROC) . After facing defeat from Communist forces, the ruling Kuomintang relocated the ROC government to Taiwan and declared Taipei the provisional capital of the ROC in December 1949. Taiwan's Kuomintang rulers regarded the city as the capital of Taiwan Province and their control as mandated by General Order No. 1 . In 1990, Taipei provided

3708-490: The Baishatun Mazu Pilgrimage ). Each year, worshippers carry a litter containing a statue of Mazu and travel 340 km (210 mi) on foot to Xingang, Chiayi and back. Lecheng Temple hosts a similar Eighteen Villages Pilgrimage, where the temple's "Hanxi Mazu" is paraded through eighteen villages for good luck. Other notable Mazu temples include Wanhe Temple and Haotian Temple . Confucianism

3811-504: The Executive Yuan approved the plan to merge Taichung City and Taichung County to form a larger Taichung City. On 25 December 2010, the city was merged with the surrounding Taichung County to create a special municipality of 2.65 million people spread across 2,214 km (855 sq mi). In 2020, Taichung was classified as a "Gamma" level global city by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network . Taichung City

3914-1082: The Flash Wolves esports team is known as the Taichung Flash Wolves, the team competed in the Special Force II Pro League (SF2PL) based in Taipei. Taichung is home to Taichung City FC, a club which strives to represent Taichung in soccer tournaments as well as charitable events. In 2015, after the CTBC Holdings took ownership of the Brother Elephants and renamed the team CTBC Brothers , they made Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium their home as part of Taiwan's CPBL 's effort to establish home fields in all major Taiwanese cities. Taichung Basin The Taichung Basin ( Chinese : 臺中盆地 ; pinyin : Táizhōng Péndì ), located in

4017-490: The Kingdom of Middag , occupying the western part of present-day Taichung. In 1684, Zhuluo County was established, encompassing the underdeveloped northern two-thirds of Taiwan. Modern-day Taichung traces its beginnings to a settlement named Toatun ( Chinese : 大墩 ; pinyin : Dàdūn ; Wade–Giles : Ta-tun ; Pe̍h-ōe-jī : Toā-tun ; lit. 'large mound') in 1705. To strengthen Qing control,

4120-592: The Kuomintang and have lost much of their original character. As settlement for losing the First Sino-Japanese War , China ceded the island of Taiwan to the Empire of Japan in 1895 as part of the Treaty of Shimonoseki . After the Japanese takeover, Taipei, romanized into English as Taihoku following the Japanese language pronunciation, was retained as the capital. It subsequently emerged as

4223-416: The Kuomintang in 2001 and 2005). Similarly, the Kuomintang majority in the city council is not as large as it is in other cities, and is only negligible when one excludes Beitun District , which is solidly pro-Kuomintang. The incumbent Mayor of Taichung is Lu Shiow-yen of the Kuomintang . Taichung City's executive branch is headed by mayor Lu Shiow-yen of the Kuomintang. Taichung's legislative branch

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4326-622: The Olympics . The spellings Taipei and Tʻai-pei derive from the Wade–Giles romanization Tʻai²-pei³ which means the North of Taiwan in Chinese. The name could be also romanized as Táiběi according to Hanyu Pinyin and Tongyong Pinyin . The city has also been known as Tai-pak (derived from Taiwanese Hokkien ) and Taipeh . During the Japanese rule from 1895 to 1945, Taipei

4429-463: The Pan-Blue political camp, and the southern cities of Kaohsiung and Tainan that are solidly Pan-Green , Taichung is more balanced, with the urban city center area leaning Blue and the suburban and rural areas leaning Green. In fact, both major political parties have won a mayoral election among the last four with at least 49 percent of the vote ( Democratic Progressive Party in 1997 and 2014 and

4532-486: The Philippines , and Japan ) numbered 71,858 at the end of 2022. As Taiwan's business, financial, and technology hub, Taipei has been at the center of rapid economic development in the country and has now become one of the global cities in technology and electronics. This development is part of the so-called Taiwan Economic Miracle which has seen dramatic growth in the city following foreign direct investment in

4635-526: The Shilin District . The surrounding streets by Shilin Night Market are extremely crowded during the evening, usually opening late afternoon and operating well past midnight. Most night markets feature individual stalls selling a mixture of food, clothing, and consumer goods. Ximending has been an area for shopping and entertainment since the 1930s. Historic structures include a concert hall,

4738-558: The South China Sea occasionally pose a threat to the city, as evidenced by Typhoon Wayne in 1986, which struck Taiwan's west coast near Taichung. Taichung's population was estimated to be 2,816,667 in March 2020. There are slightly more females in the city (50.97%) than males. 24.32% of residents are children, while 16.63% are young people, 52.68% are middle-age, and 6.73% are elderly. According to Ministry of Interior statistics,

4841-417: The Taipei Basin as well as differing times of settlement and differing degrees of economic development of its districts, Taipei's population is not evenly distributed. The districts of Daan , Songshan , and Datong are the most densely populated. These districts, along with adjacent communities such as Yonghe and Zhonghe , contain some of the most densely populated neighborhoods in the world. In 2008,

4944-545: The Tamsui River along the city's western border. The municipality of Taipei is home to an estimated population of 2,494,813 (March 2023), forming the core part of the Taipei–Keelung metropolitan area , also known as "Greater Taipei", which includes the nearby cities of New Taipei and Keelung with a population of 7,047,559, the 40th most-populous urban area in the world—roughly one-third of Taiwanese citizens live in

5047-722: The Zhang Family Temple , and the Zhang Liao Family Temple . Many other deities are worshipped in the city, including: Taichung has several open-air night markets that feature local food and diversions: Taichung has a famous hot spring, Guguan hot spring , located in Heping District. The Sinon Bulls was a professional baseball team playing in the four-team Chinese Professional Baseball League . While they were identified with Taichung City, many of their “home games” were played outside of

5150-675: The central region of western Taiwan , is the third largest metropolitan area in Taiwan. It occupies parts of Taichung City , Nantou County and Changhua County . The basin borders the Choshui River in the south; the hill lands of Nantou in the east; the Tatu Plateau in the northwest; and the Pakua Plateau in the southwest. A notch connecting the Taichung Basin to the seacoast of Taichung City stretches between

5253-406: The crude birth rate stood at 7.88%, while the mortality rate stood at 5.94%. A decreasing and rapidly aging population is an important issue for the city. By the end of 2009, one in ten people in Taipei was over 65 years of age. Residents who had obtained a college education or higher accounted for 43.48% of the population, and the literacy rate stood at 99.18%. Like the rest of Taiwan, Taipei

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5356-586: The 1940s as a result of the Chinese Civil War . The National Palace Museum in Taipei now boasts a truly international collection while housing one of the world's largest collections of artifacts from ancient China. The Shung Ye Museum of Formosan Aborigines stands just 200 m (660 ft) across the road from the National Palace Museum. The museum offers displays of art and historical items by Taiwanese aborigines along with

5459-453: The 1960s. Taiwan is now a creditor economy, holding one of the world's largest foreign exchange reserves of over US$ 403 billion as of December 2012. Despite the Asian financial crisis , the economy continues to expand at about 5% per year, with virtually full employment and low inflation. The city's GDP stand at US$ 327 billion in 2014. As of 2013 , the nominal GDP per capita in Taipei city

5562-876: The Fazi River on the outskirts of the city, while Freeway 3 runs along the Dadu River to the coastal plains on the west, where it then runs parallel to the coastline. Freeway 4 begins in Qingshui District and terminates in Fengyuan District . Highway 74 , known as the Taichung Ring Expressway circles the outskirts of the city, while Highway 63 , known as the Zhongtou Expressway, runs from Taichung southward to Caotun , Nantou . Many other highways run through

5665-611: The Japanese defeat following the nuclear bomb destruction of Hiroshima and its consequent surrender in August 1945, the Kuomintang (Chinese Nationalist Party) assumed control of Taiwan. Subsequently, Taipei was established as a provincial city and a temporary Office of the Taiwan Province Administrative Governor was established in it. In 1947 the Kuomintang (KMT) government under Chiang Kai-shek declared island-wide martial law in Taiwan as

5768-418: The Japanese reading of the two characters. The writing in Chinese characters remained unaltered. Under Japanese rule, the city was administered under Taihoku Prefecture . Taiwan's Japanese rulers embarked on an extensive program of advanced urban planning that featured extensive railroad links. A number of Taipei landmarks and cultural institutions date from this period. Following the surrender of Japan to

5871-404: The Japanese rule . The city has been the national seat of the ROC central government since 1949, it became the nation's special municipality (then known as Yuan-controlled municipality) on 1 July 1967 from provincial city status. Taipei is the economic , political , educational and cultural center of Taiwan. It has been rated an "Alpha − City" by GaWC . Taipei also forms a major part of

5974-574: The Pacific Ocean, it is affected by the Pacific typhoon season, which occurs between June and October. In comparison to other Asian cities, Taipei has "excellent" capabilities for managing air quality in the city. Its rainy climate, location near the coast, and strong environmental regulations have prevented air pollution from becoming a substantial health issue, at least compared to cities in southeast Asia and industrial China. However, smog

6077-529: The Qing, known as the Lin Shuangwen rebellion , began as an attempt to overthrow the government and restore the Ming dynasty . Unfortunately, as the rebels moved northward, they turned to slaughter and looting. They were eventually defeated by a coalition of Qing forces, Hakka , Quanzhou Fujianese descendants, and aboriginal volunteers. When Taiwan Province was declared an independent province in 1887,

6180-427: The Taipei Basin in 1709. In the late 19th century, the Taipei area, where the major Han Chinese settlements in northern Taiwan and one of the designated overseas trade ports, Tamsui , were located, gained economic importance due to the booming overseas trade, especially that of tea export. In 1875, the northern part of Taiwan was separated from Taiwan Prefecture and incorporated into the new Taipeh Prefecture as

6283-435: The area. In 1875, the northern part of the island was incorporated into the new Taipeh Prefecture . It was formerly established as Taipeh-fu and was the temporary capital of the island in 1887 when it was declared a province ( Fukien-Taiwan Province ). Taipeh was formally made the provincial capital in 1894. The romanized transcription of Taipeh was changed to Taihoku in 1895 when the Empire of Japan annexed Taiwan, based on

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6386-451: The area. Meanwhile, technology and electronics companies are often co-located in the Neihu Technology Park or the Nankang Software Park . The startup and innovation scene in Taipei is also very vibrant. In 2018 alone, Microsoft announced plans to invest US$ 34 million to create an artificial intelligence R&D center in Taipei, while Google announced it will hire 300 people and train 5,000 more in artificial intelligence for machines. Taipei

6489-459: The backdrop for the Wild Lily student rallies that moved Taiwanese society from one-party rule to multi-party democracy by 1996 . The city has served as the seat of Taiwan's democratically elected national government ever since. Prior to the 18th century, the region known as the Taipei Basin was home to Ketagalan tribes. Han Chinese colonists from Dabu County , Yongding County , Anxi and Tong'an of Southern Fujian began to settle in

6592-471: The city due to the inadequacies of the old Taichung Baseball Field . The team was expected to move into the newly completed Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium in 2008, but never did. At the end of the 2012 season, Sinon Corporation announced its intention to sell the team. By late December, an agreement was reached between Sinon Corporation and E-United Group, and the team was renamed EDA Rhinos and moved to Kaohsiung. The Special Force II division of

6695-430: The city the 15th most visited globally. The influx of visitors contributed US$ 10.8 billion to the city's economy in 2013, the 9th highest in the world and the most of any city in the Chinese-speaking world. The National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall is a monument, landmark and tourist attraction that was erected in memory of General Chiang Kai-shek , former President of the Republic of China . The structure stands at

6798-584: The city. Taichung Port , located on the coast in Taichung City, is the second largest cargo facility on the island capable of handling container shipping. Despite being the second largest port on the island of Taiwan, there are no passenger ferry services available and the port is closed to unauthorized personnel. Taichung City generally follows a radial road layout, with its center at Taichung railway station . Major roads start in Central District and run outwards, including Taiwan Boulevard, Xiangshang Road, Zhongqing Road, and Zhongshan Road. Freeway 1 runs along

6901-407: The city. Most road signs in the city have romanized spelling . The most frequently used public transportation system in Taichung is by bus, with 18 bus companies providing 275 routes that cover all districts. All station names are announced in both Mandarin and English, while some also provide Hokkien pronunciations. For local passengers using a contactless smartcard (for example, an EasyCard ),

7004-560: The city. Natural features include Maokong , Yangmingshan and hot springs . In English-language news reports, the name Taipei often serves as a synecdoche referring to the central government that controls the Taiwan Area . Due to the ambiguous political status of Taiwan internationally, the term Chinese Taipei is also frequently used as a synonym for the entire country, as when Taiwan's governmental representatives participate in international organizations or when Taiwan's athletes compete in international sporting events, including

7107-466: The coastal shore. Taichung railway station is located in the heart of the city in Central District and numerous bus companies provide connections to other towns by bus. The THSR Taichung Station is located in Wuri district , serving travel demands of both Taichung City and the northern parts of Changhua County. THSR Taichung Station is accessible by local trains and MRT Green Line through Xinwuri railway station as well as free shuttle buses into

7210-467: The country's major firms are based there including Acer Computers , Asus , CTBC Bank , Fubon Financial Holding , Tatung Company , D-Link , and others. 5 Global Fortune 500 companies are headquartered in Taipei. The city also attracts many multi-national corporations, international financial institutions, foreign consulates, and business organizations to set up base there. Thus, Taipei has nearly 3,500 registered foreign businesses and attracts over 50% of

7313-405: The daily temperature by 3 to 5 °C (5.4 to 9.0 °F), though temperatures rarely drop below 10 °C (50 °F). Extreme temperatures ranged from −0.2 °C (31.6 °F) on 13 February 1901 to 39.7 °C (103.5 °F) on 24 July 2020, while snow has never been recorded in the city besides on mountains located within the city limit such as Yangmingshan . Due to Taiwan's location in

7416-484: The east end of Memorial Hall Square, site of the National Concert Hall and National Theater and their adjacent parks as well as the memorial. The landmarks of Liberty Square stand within sight of Taiwan's Presidential Office Building in Taipei's Zhongzheng District . The National Taiwan Museum sits nearby in what is now 228 Peace Memorial Park and has worn its present name since 1999. The museum

7519-473: The fertility rate in Taichung City in 2007 was 1.165 for each woman. The city surpassed Kaohsiung to become the second largest city in Taiwan in July 2017, growing at the 2nd fastest rate in Taiwan from 2012 to 2017. Recent population increases have been attributed to natural population growth , more people moving to the city, and subsidized housing. Unlike Taipei in the north, which is solidly in

7622-605: The first 10 kilometers are free. In addition, some taxi served as bus routes in rural areas. The city currently has one MRT line, the Green line , which opened on April 25, 2021. A second line, the Blue line , was approved in 2024 and is expected to open in 2034. For a short period of time, the city operated a bus rapid transit system, named the BRT Blue Line , running down Taiwan Boulevard. It used articulated buses running

7725-557: The first mayor of Taichung County (which included Taichung City) was Lai Tien Shen. The position was appointed by the government to rule during the interim period. Taichung also served as the temporary capital of the exiled Jiangxi (Kiangsi) provincial government in 1949 after the Chinese Communist Party took control of the province. In 1950, Miaoli and Taoyuan were taken out from Taichung County area to form Miaoli County and Taoyuan County respectively. In June 2009,

7828-466: The first skyscraper in the world to break the half-kilometer mark in height. Built to withstand typhoon winds and earthquake tremors, its design incorporates many engineering innovations and has won numerous international awards. Today, the Taipei 101 remains one of the tallest skyscrapers in the world and holds LEED 's certification as the world's largest "green" building. Its shopping mall and its indoor and outdoor observatories draws visitors from all over

7931-420: The government intended to construct its capital city at the centrally located Toatun , which was also designated as the seat of Taiwan Prefecture . Thus the city took the title of "Taiwan-fu", meaning "capital city of Taiwan", from modern-day Tainan , which had held the title for more than 200 years. Qing official Liu Ming-chuan received permission to oversee development of the area, which included constructing

8034-466: The greater metropolitan area has a population of 7,047,559 people. Even though the population of the city has been decreasing in recent years, the population of adjacent New Taipei has been increasing. The population loss, while rapid in its early years, was slowed by lower density development and campaigns designed to increase the birthrate in the city in the 2010s. As a result, the population rose 2010–2015. Due to Taipei's geography and location in

8137-562: The highest (dormant) volcano in Taiwan in Yangmingshan National Park . The northern districts of Shilin and Beitou extend north of the Keelung River and are bordered by Yangmingshan National Park. The Taipei city limits cover an area of 271.7997 km (104.9425 sq mi), ranking sixteenth of twenty-five among all counties and cities in Taiwan . Two peaks, Qixing Mountain and Mt. Datun, rise to

8240-619: The historic Taichung Park , the Lin Family Gardens , and many temples . The Atayal aborigines as well as several Taiwanese Plains Aboriginal tribes (including the Taokas , Papora , Pazeh , Hoanya and Babuzas ) populated the plains that make up modern Taichung. They were originally hunter gatherers who later lived by cultivating millet and taro . In the 17th century, the Papora , Babuza , Pazeh , and Hoanya established

8343-603: The home of Taipei 101 , a prime tourist attraction. Malls in the area include the sprawling Shin Kong Mitsukoshi complex, Breeze Center, Bellavita, Taipei 101 mall, Eslite Bookstore 's flagship store (which includes a boutique mall), The Living Mall, ATT shopping mall, and the Vieshow Cinemas (formerly known as Warner Village). The Xinyi district also serves as the center of Taipei's active nightlife, with several popular lounge bars and nightclubs concentrated in

8446-640: The landscape to the south leading to Changhua County and the Taiwan Strait to the west. The Dadu Plateau lies to the northwest. Taichung has a warm humid subtropical climate ( Köppen Cwa ) bordering on a tropical monsoon climate , with an average annual temperature of 23.3 °C (73.9 °F). The highest temperature of the year occurs in July and August, while the lowest temperature occurs in January and February. Daytime temperatures remain warm to hot year-round, though night time temperatures during

8549-531: The members of this association were from Taichū and the surrounding area. The city became a center of Taiwanese culture and nationalism. From 1926 to 1945, Taichū Prefecture covered modern-day Taichung as well as Changhua County and Nantou County . After the handover of Taiwan from Japan to the Republic of China in October 1945, Taichung County was established, which consists of present-day area of Taichung City, Miaoli County and Taoyuan City . In 1947

8652-500: The metro areas. The name "Taipei" can refer either to the whole metropolitan area or just the municipality alone. Taipei has been the political center of the island since 1887, when it first became the seat of Taiwan Province by the Qing dynasty until 1895 and again from 1945 to 1956 by the Republic of China (ROC) government , with an interregnum from 1895 to 1945 as the seat of the Government-General of Taiwan during

8755-494: The municipal website uses the Taipei system. Most major intersections have at least one sign containing some form of romanization. Nearly every intersection in the downtown area has signs in Hanyu Pinyin. However, outside of the downtown area, while coverage by Hanyu Pinyin signs is improving, many intersections have signs in other romanization systems (especially Wade–Giles and MPS2) or no Romanized signs at all. Taichung has

8858-553: The northeast of the city. Qixing Mountain is located on the Tatun Volcanic Group ; its 1,120 m (3,670 ft)-high main peak renders it the tallest mountain at the rim of the Taipei Basin; 1,092 m (3,583 ft)-high Mt. Datun is a close runner up. These former volcanoes make up the western section of Yangmingshan National Park, extending from Mt. Datun northward to Mt. Caigongkeng ( 菜公坑山 ). Located on

8961-419: The northeasterly winds from the vast Siberian High being intensified by the pooling of this cooler air in the Taipei Basin. As in the rest of Northern Taiwan, daytime temperatures of Taipei can often peak above 26 °C (79 °F) during a warm winter day, while they can dip below that same level during afternoon showers and thunderstorms in the summer. Occasional cold fronts during the winter months can drop

9064-708: The political center of the Japanese Colonial Government. During that time the city acquired the characteristics of an administrative center, including many new public buildings and housing for civil servants . Much of the architecture of Taipei dates from the period of Japanese rule , including the Presidential Office Building which was the Office of the Governor-General of Taiwan . During Japanese rule, Taihoku

9167-440: The population continued to increase in the region surrounding the city, notably along the corridor between Taipei and Keelung . In 1990, Taipei's 16 districts were consolidated into the current 12 districts. Mass democracy rallies that year in the plaza around Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall led to an island-wide transition to multi-party democracy , where legislators are chosen via regularly scheduled popular elections, during

9270-406: The population increased to 1.56 million people. The city's population, which had reached one million in the early 1960s, also expanded rapidly after 1967, exceeding two million by the mid-1970s. Although growth within the city itself gradually slowed thereafter — its population had become relatively stable by the mid-1990s – Taipei remained one of the world's most densely populated urban areas, and

9373-486: The presidency of Lee Teng-Hui . Taipei City is located in the Taipei Basin in northern Taiwan . It is bordered by the Xindian River on the south and the Tamsui River on the west. The generally low-lying terrain of the central areas on the western side of the municipality slopes upward to the south and east and especially to the north, where it reaches the 1,120 m (3,670 ft)-tall Qixing Mountain ,

9476-672: The respective subdivisions. Note that Heping District is also an indigenous area of the Atayal people . Taichung is the center and the largest city in Central Taiwan . Its main industries are machinery and retail services. Taichung is home to many industries. It has six main manufacturing industries: tool machines, mechanical components, photoelectric panels, bicycles, woodworking machinery, and aerospace manufacturing. Taichung Industrial Park , located in Xitun District ,

9579-639: The total foreign investment in Taiwan. Foreign companies with offices or regional headquarters in Taipei include Google , Microsoft , IBM , Intel , HSBC , Citibank , Facebook , Amazon , Apple , JP Morgan , PwC , and many others. Most financial and foreign firms like to reside in the central business district of Taipei, the Xinyi Special District : Citi, JP Morgan, DBS Bank, Cathay Life Insurance, Shin Kong Commercial Bank, and Hua Nan Bank have all established skyscrapers in

9682-666: The two plateaus . Prior to Dutch and Chinese colonization in the 1600s, the Taichung Basin was inhabited by the Pazeh , Babuzabhb , Cou, and Hoanya indigenous Taiwanese peoples. 24°00′54″N 120°39′51″E  /  24.0150°N 120.6641°E  / 24.0150; 120.6641 This article about a location in Taiwan is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Taipei Taipei ( / ˌ t aɪ ˈ p eɪ / ; Chinese : 臺北 ; pinyin : Táiběi ), officially Taipei City ,

9785-538: The two most recognizable public buildings in Taiwan during its period of Japanese rule . The National Palace Museum is a vast art gallery and museum built around a permanent collection centered on ancient Chinese artifacts . It should not be confused with the Palace Museum in Beijing (which it is named after); both institutions trace their origins to the same institution. The collections were divided in

9888-579: The winter months are significantly cooler than those during the summer and the warm daytime temperature. Its average annual rainfall is just above 1,700 mm (67 in), relatively low compared to other major cities of Taiwan. The average humidity is 80%. Due to the protection provided by the Central Mountain Range to the east and the Miaoli hills to the north, Taichung is rarely severely affected by typhoons , but typhoons emerging from

9991-601: The world. Taipei 101's New Year's Eve fireworks display is a regular feature of international broadcasts. The National Theater and Concert Hall stand at Taipei's Liberty Square and host events by foreign and domestic performers. Other leading concert venues include Zhongshan Hall at Ximending and the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall near Taipei 101 . A new venue, the Taipei Performing Arts Center opened in 2022. The venue

10094-525: Was established as one of twenty local administrative districts on the island. In 1904, the town of Taichū had a population of 6,423, and Taichū District had more than 207,000. Taichū Park was completed in 1903. A tower marking the old north gate was moved to the new park where it stands today. The first market in Taichū was built in 1908, along Jiguang Road between the Zhongzheng and Chenggong Roads and it

10197-550: Was founded in 1915 by elite members of local gentry, including Lin Hsien-tang and his brother Lin Lieh-tang  [ zh ] , two wealthy Taiwanese intellectuals of the era. This was in an effort to teach children the culture of Taiwan and to foster the spirit of the Taiwanese localization movement . The Taiwanese Cultural Association , founded in 1921 in Taipei by Lin Hsien-tang, was moved to Taichū in 1927. Most of

10300-517: Was incorporated in 1920 as part of Taihoku Prefecture . It included Bangka , Twatutia , and Jōnai ( 城內 ) among other small settlements. The eastern village of Matsuyama ( 松山庄 , modern-day Songshan District, Taipei ) was annexed into Taihoku City in 1938. Taihoku and surrounding areas were bombed by Allied forces on several occasions. The largest of these Allied air raids, the Taihoku Air Raid , took place on 31 May 1945. Upon

10403-483: Was known as Taihoku , which is the pronunciation of the Chinese characters ( Kanji : 台北 ) for Taipei in Japanese. Prior to the significant influx of Han Chinese colonists, the region of Taipei Basin was mainly inhabited by the plains aborigines called Ketagalan . The number of Han colonists gradually increased in the early 18th century under Qing Dynasty rule after the government began permitting development in

10506-780: Was organized as a provincial city from the start of ROC rule in 1945 until 25 December 2010, when the original provincial city and Taichung County were merged into a new special municipality. The city is home to the National Museum of Natural Science , the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts , the National Taichung Theater , the National Library of Public Information , National Taiwan Museum of Comics , National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra , as well as many cultural sites, including

10609-474: Was part of Tamsui County of Taipeh Prefecture and the prefectural capital. In 1885, as work commenced to govern the island as a province, Taipeh was thus temporarily designated as a provincial capital. The city officially became the capital in 1894. Nowadays, all that remains from the historical period is the north gate. The west gate and city walls were demolished by the Japanese while the south gate, little south gate, and east gate were extensively modified by

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