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Taipei

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Geography of Asia

                                                          Taipei City (臺北市)


   Taipei City Flag Taipei City Seal
       City flag        City seal

                        Nickname: the City of Azaleas
                                                                 Government
   Official Website                                          City of Taipei
              Mayor                                            Ma Ying-jeou
   Capital District                                                   Xinyi
                                               Geographical characteristics
               Area

            - Total
          - % water
                                                 Ranked 16 of 25

                                                271.7997 km² (104.9 sq mi)
                                                            1.0%
         Population

            - Total
     ( July, 2006 )
          - Density
                                                             Ranked 2 of 25

                                                             2,625,757
                                                             9660.6/ km²
          Districts                                                      12
        Coordinates                                        25°02′N 121°38′E
          Time zone                                            CST ( UTC+8)
                                                                    Symbols
        City Flower                                                  Azalea
                                                  (Rhododendron nudiflorum)
          City Tree                                                  Banyan
                               (India laurel fig or Ficus microcarpaBanyan)
          City Bird                                    Formosan Blue Magpie
                                                        (Urocissa caerulea)
                                                         Location in Taiwan

     Location map of Taipei city, Taiwan

   Taipei City ( Traditional Chinese: 臺北市; Simplified Chinese: 台北市; Hanyu
   Pinyin: Táiběi Shì; Tongyong Pinyin: Táiběi Shìh; Taiwanese:
   Tâi-pak-chhī) is the de facto capital city of the Republic of China on
   Taiwan. It is Republic of China's centre of politics, commercial, mass
   media, education, and pop culture, and today also is widely considered
   to be one of the " Gamma world cities".

   The City of Taipei, Taipei County surrounding it, and nearby Keelung
   City form Taipei metropolitan area but are administered under different
   local government bodies. Taipei City is a special municipality
   administered directly under the ROC central government, while Taipei
   County and Keelung City are administered as part of Taiwan Province.
   Therefore, although Taipei is used to refer the whole metropolitan
   area, Taipei City specifically means the city proper only.

   According to the census data collected in July 2006, the total
   population in Taipei City (excluding Taipei County) is 2,625,757. The
   major industries in the city include electrical and electronic
   equipment, textiles, metals, ship-building, and motorcycles.

Administrative divisions

   Taipei City administers twelve districts (區):
   Hanyu Pinyin Chinese character( Hanzi) Wade-Giles  Tongyong Pinyin
   Sōngshān     松山區                       Sung-shan   Songshan
   Xìnyì        信義區                       Hsin-yi     Sinyi
   Dà'ān        大安區                       Ta-an       Da-an
   Zhōngshān    中山區                       Chung-shan  Jhongshan
   Zhōngzhèng   中正區                       Chung-cheng Jhongjheng
   Dàtóng       大同區                       Ta-t'ung    Datong
   Wànhuá       萬華區                       Wan-hua     Wanhua
   Wénshān      文山區                       Wen-shan    Wunshan
   Nángǎng      南港區                       Nan-kang    Nangang
   Nèihú        內湖區                       Nei-hu      Neihu
   Shìlín       士林區                       Shih-lin    Shihlin
   Běitóu       北投區                       Pei-t'ou    Beitou

Geography

   Taipei City is located in the Taipei Basin (台北盆地) in northern Taiwan
   and is bordered on the south by the Sindian (Hsintien) River (新店溪), and
   the Tamsui River (淡水河) on the west. The northern districts of Shilin
   and Beitou extend north of the Keelung River (基隆河) and are bordered by
   Yangmingshan National Park (陽明山國家公園).

   Because of its location in a valley, the city commonly experiences high
   temperatures and humidity during the summer months, a problem enhanced
   by the high population density and the use of air conditioning. The
   climate is subtropical.

History

   The region known as the Taipei basin was home to Ketagalan tribes
   before the 18th century. Han Chinese began to settle in Taipei Basin in
   1709.

   In the late 19th century, the Taipei area, where the major Han
   settlements in northern Taiwan and one of the designated foreign trade
   port, Tamsui, were located, gained economic importance due to the
   boosting foreign trade, especially that of tea exportation. In 1875,
   the northern part of Taiwan was separated from Taiwan Prefecture (臺灣府)
   and incorporated into the new Taipei Prefecture (臺北府). Having been
   established adjoining the flourishing townships of Bangkah and
   Toa-tiu-tiann, the new prefectural capital was known as Chengnei (城內),
   "the inner city", and government buildings were erected there. From
   1875 (during the Qing Dynasty) until the beginning of Japanese rule in
   1895, Taipei was part of Danshui County (淡水縣) of Taipei Prefecture and
   the prefectural capital. Taipei remained a temporary provincial capital
   before it officially became the capital of Taiwan in 1894.

   As settlement for losing the Sino-Japanese War, China ceded the entire
   island of Taiwan to Japan in 1895. After the Japanese take-over,
   Taipei, called Taihoku in Japanese, emerged as the political centre of
   the Japanese Colonial Government. Much of the architecture of Taipei
   dates from the period of Japanese rule, including the Presidential
   Building which was the Office of the Taiwan Governor-General (台灣總督府).

   During the Japanese rule, Taihoku was incorporated in 1920 as part of
   Taihoku Prefecture (台北州). It included Bangka, Dadaocheng, and Chengnei
   among other small settlements. The eastern village Matsuyama (松山庄) was
   annexed into Taihoku City in 1938. Upon the Japanese defeat in the
   Pacific War and its consequent surrender in August 1945, Taiwan was
   taken over by Chinese troops. Subsequently, a temporary Office of the
   Taiwan Province Administrative Governor (臺灣省行政長官公署) was established in
   Taipei City.

   On December 7, 1949, the Kuomintang government under Chiang Kai-shek
   established Taipei as the provisional capital of the ROC after the
   Communists forced them to flee mainland China. Taipei was also the
   capital of Taiwan Province (臺灣省) until the 1960s when the provincial
   administration was moved to Jhongsing Village (中興新村) in central Taiwan.
   (The PRC does not recognize this move and still regards Taipei as the
   provincial capital of Taiwan.)

   As approved on December 30, 1966 by Executive Yuan, Taipei became a
   centrally administered municipality on July 1, 1967. In the following
   year, Taipei City expanded again by annexing Shilin, Beitou, Neihu,
   Nangang, Jingmei, and Muzha. In 1990, 16 districts in Taipei City were
   consolidated into the current 12 districts.

Government and politics

   Taipei 101, the current world's tallest building (509 m) since its
   completion in 2004
   Enlarge
   Taipei 101, the current world's tallest building (509 m) since its
   completion in 2004

   The current mayor of Taipei City is Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), who is also the
   chairperson of the Central Committee of the Kuomintang (中國國民黨; KMT) and
   widely regarded as the strongest candidate for his party to run in the
   next presidential election in 2008.

   The mayor of Taipei City had been an appointed position since Taipei's
   conversion to a centrally-administered municipality in 1967 until the
   first public election was held in 1994. The position is of a four-year
   term. The first elected mayor was Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) of Democratic
   Progressive Party (民主進步黨; DPP), who is currently the president of
   Republic of China. Ma Ying-Jeou took the office in 1998 and is now in
   his second term as mayor.

   Based on the outcomes of previous elections in the past decade, the
   vote of the overall constituency of Taipei City shows a slight
   inclination towards the pro-KMT camp (so-called the "Blue" camp);
   however, the supporters of the pro-DPP camp (so-called the "Green"
   camp) also represent a considerable section of the whole constituency.

   As the city that hosts the presidential office, the central
   legislature, and other major administrations, Taipei is intermittently
   tormented with the frequent occurrence of large-scale political
   campaigns and fortuitous clashes between supporters of different camps.
   The mass movement and consequent disorder on Ketagalan Boulevard in
   front of the presidential office building after the 2004 presidential
   election is a representative instance that reflects such a political
   tension.

Festivities and events

   There are many yearly festivals that commonly are held in Taipei
   including the Lantern Festival and Double Tenth Day. A common location
   for festivities in Taipei is the square in front of the Chiang Kai-shek
   Memorial Hall. Recently, some of the major festivals normally held in
   Taipei (specifically, the Double Tenth Day fireworks) have been moved
   to others cities in Taiwan.

Education

   Main campus of National Taiwan University
   Enlarge
   Main campus of National Taiwan University

Universities

   Taipei currently has eighteen universities:
     * National Taiwan University
     * National Chengchi University
     * National Taipei University
     * National Yang Ming University
     * National Taiwan Normal University
     * National Taiwan University of Science and Technology
     * National Taipei University of Technology
     * National Taipei University of Education
     * Taipei Municipal University of Education
     * Taipei National University of the Arts
     * Ming Chuan University
     * Chinese Culture University
     * Shih Chien University
     * Shih Hsin University
     * Soochow University
     * Taipei Medical University
     * Tatung University
     * China University of Technology

Colleges

   In addition, there are six colleges:
     * National Taipei College of Nursing
     * National Taipei College of Business
     * China Institute of Technology
     * Northern Taiwan Institute of Science and Technology
     * Taipei Physical Education College
     * Takming College

Chinese Language schools

   Major Chinese Language schools:
     * International Chinese Language Program (ICLP), formerly Stanford
       Center and Inter-University Centre (IUP), at National Taiwan
       University
     * Centre for Chinese Language and Cultural Studies (CCLC), formerly
       Mandarin Training Centre (MTC), at National Taiwan Normal
       University

Museums

     * National Palace Museum
     * Nation Museum of History
     * Shung Ye Museum of Formosan Aborigines
     * Su Ho Memorial Paper Museum
     * Taipei Fine Arts Museum
     * Taipei Museum of Puppetry
     * Taipei Astrology Museum
     * Taipei Museum of Hot Springs
     * Taipei Post Museum
     * National Taiwan Museum
     * Taipei 228 Memorial Museum
     * Taipei Science Museum

Libraries

     * National Central Library
     * Taipei Public Library (60 branches troughtout the city)

Transportation

   All scheduled international flights are served by Taiwan Taoyuan
   International Airport in nearby Taoyuan County. Songshan Airport at the
   heart of the city serves mostly domestic flights, with the exception of
   some charter flights.
   The Taipei Main Station , located in the Zhongzheng District in
   Downtown Taipei.
   Enlarge
   The Taipei Main Station , located in the Zhongzheng District in
   Downtown Taipei.

   Taipei's public transport system MRT (Mass Rapid Transit), now also
   known as Metro Taipei, incorporates a light rail system based on VAL
   technology with its conventional metro. Both are currently undergoing
   significant expansion. Unlike most rail transport in Taiwan which
   follow the Japanese practice and have trains running on the left, the
   Taipei public transport system runs its trains on the right.

   Taipei Main Station is the largest Taiwanese railway station and also
   functions as the nexus for the MRT system.

   An extensive city bus system runs throughout the city to serve areas
   not covered by the MRT system. Sometimes buses require payment upon
   boarding, sometimes upon exiting. Many routes, due to their length,
   could require payment upon both boarding and exiting. Riders of the
   city MRT system are able to use their MRT passes on buses, making the
   bus system effectively an extension of the MRT system. The pass, known
   as an Easy Card, contain credits that are deducted each time a ride is
   taken. The Easy Card, Taipei's equivalent to Hong Kong's Octopus Card,
   is extremely convenient since it is read via proximity sensory panels
   on buses and in MRT stations, thus eliminating the need for the
   passenger to remove the card from his or her wallet or purse.

   A quintessential form of transportation in Taipei (and much of Taiwan)
   is the ubiquitous motor-scooter, somewhat analogous to the motorcycles
   found in other industrialized nations. However, motor-scooters are not
   subject to all conventional traffic laws, and generally thread between
   cars and occasionally through oncoming traffic. A loophole in Taipei's
   motor vehicle laws ensures that in any accident between a motor-scooter
   and another vehicle, the other vehicle is at fault. For these reasons,
   scooters are perhaps the most convenient way for locals to navigate
   through their city.

Tourism

   While Taipei is not a major tourist destination and is visited
   principally by business travelers, there are a number of attractions
   for the visitor within Taipei City:
   The Longshan Temple , an example of architecture with southern Chinese
   influences commonly seen in older buildings in Taiwan.
   Enlarge
   The Longshan Temple , an example of architecture with southern Chinese
   influences commonly seen in older buildings in Taiwan.
     * The Taipei 101 (台北101) is a new financial centre in Taipei. The
       Guinness Book of Records certified it as the world's tallest
       building in October 2003.

     * The Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall (中正紀念堂)
     * The Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall (國父紀念館)
     * The National Palace Museum (故宮博物院)
     * The Grand Hotel (圓山飯店)
     * The Presidential Building of the Republic of China(中華民國總統府)
     * The Longshan Temple (龍山寺)
     * The Shilin Night Market (士林夜市)
     * The Yangmingshan National Park (陽明山國家公園)
     * The Taipei Zoo (台北木柵動物園)
     * The Taipei Underground Market (台北地下街)
     * The Taipei Taiwan Temple(台北聖殿) of The Church of Jesus Christ of
       Latter-day Saints
     * The Dihua Street (迪化街)
     * The East District "Dong Qu" (東區)
     * The Ximending (西門町)
     * The Da-an Forest Park (大安森林公園)
     * The Guanghua Bazzar (光華商場)
     * The Xinyi District (信義商圈)
     * The Maokong (貓空)

   The suburbs of Taipei City (in Taipei County)
     * Tamshui (淡水)
     * Bitan (碧潭)
     * Wulai (烏來)

Pronunciation note

   The spelling Taipei derives from the Wade-Giles romanization T'ai-pei,
   in which "p" is pronounced like the English "p" in the word "spay" (the
   unaspirated "p" may sound like a "b" to the layman).

   Both Hanyu Pinyin, which is used both in the PRC and is mandated by KMT
   Taipei City government, and Tongyong Pinyin, which is mandated by the
   DPP central government, reflect this pronunciation, romanizing Taipei
   as Taibei, a spelling that is closer to the Mandarin pronunciation.
   However, this romanization is very rarely seen.

   Though Taipei City has converted many of its street signs to Hanyu
   Pinyin, it has retained the original spelling of "Taipei" as an
   exception since this form has been well-known and heavily used.

Sister cities and regions relationships

   The following places are sister cities to Taipei City:
     * Houston, USA (1961)
     * Lome, Togo (1966)
     * Manila, Philippines (1966)
     * Cotonou, Benin (1967)
     * Seoul, South Korea (1968)
     * Quezon city, Philippines (1968)
     * Saigon, South Vietnam (now Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam) (1968)
     * San Francisco, USA (1970)
     * Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic (1970)
     * Guam, USA (1973)
     * Tegucigalpa, Honduras (1975)
     * Cleveland, USA (1970)
     * Cincinnati, USA
     * Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (1978)
     * Indianapolis, USA (1978)
     * Marshall, USA (1978)
     * Phoenix, USA (1979)
     * Los Angeles, USA (1979)
     * Atlanta, USA (1979)
     * Oklahoma City, USA (1981)
     * Johannesburg, South Africa (1982)
     * Gold Coast, Australia (1982)
     * Pretoria, South Africa (1983)
     * San José, Costa Rica (1984)

     * Lilongwe, Malawi (1984)
     * Versailles, France (1986)
     * Asunción, Paraguay (1987)
     * Panama City, Panama (1989)
     * Managua, Nicaragua (1992)
     * San Salvador, El Salvador (1993)
     * Warsaw, Poland (1995)
     * Ulan-Ude, Russia (1996)
     * Boston, USA (1997)
     * Dallas, USA (1997)
     * Dakar, Senegal (1997)
     * Banjul, Gambia (1997)
     * Bissau, Guinea-Bissau (1997)
     * Mbabane, Swaziland (1997)
     * Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia (1997)
     * San Nicolás de los Garza, Mexico (1997)
     * La Paz, Bolivia (1997)
     * Guatemala City, Guatemala (1998)
     * Monrovia, Liberia (1998)
     * Vilnius, Lithuania (1998)
     * Majuro, Marshall Islands (1998)
     * Perth, Western Australia, Australia (1999)
     * Riga, Latvia (2001)

   The large number of sister cities, possibly the most of any city, may
   be due to the Republic of China's lack of formal diplomatic relations
   with most states in the world, necessitating international relations to
   be performed at the municipal level.

Gallery

   Taipei City at night, with Taipei 101 at the far left side.

   A view of Taipei by day, with Shilin Night Market to the right, and the
   Jiantan metro station in the middle-left.

   The Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall in Taipei City

   The entrance gate to the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall

   The Grand Hotel of Taipei

   The Seven Star Mountain with hot springs on the side in Yangmingshan
   National Park.

   The ZhongxiaoFuxing Station, Taipei Rapid Transit System

   The Kunyang station exit N° 1, Taipei Rapid Transit System

   View of Taipei from Taipei 101

   The Taipei City Hall in Xinyi District

   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taipei"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
   of authors and sources) and is available under the GNU Free
   Documentation License. See also our Disclaimer.
