Taichung - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Taichung City population by year (as provincial city)
1949	192,889
1985	674,936
1995	853,221
2000	965,790
2005	1,032,778
2010	1,082,163

Taichung County population by year
1990	1,285,029
1995	1,378,000
2000	1,510,480
2009	1,562,162

Taichung’s population was an estimated 1,040,725 in August 2006. 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.

Fertility rate in Taichung City for women of childbearing age in 2007 was 1.165 for each woman according to Ministry of Interior

Ministry of the Interior (Republic of China)

The Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of China is a cabinet level executive yuan agency responsible for home affairs and security throughout the Free Area of the Republic of China...

statistics.

Educational Attainment

According to the Ministry of Interior, there are 846,863 residents over the age of 15. Of those, educational attainment is as follows: graduate degrees - 33,371 (3.9%); university or college degrees - 136,076 (16.1%); junior college degrees - 122,442 (14.5%); senior high school - 55,432 (6.5%); vocational high school - 168,349 (19.9%); junior high school - 78,729 (9.3%); junior vocational school - 1,949 (0.2%); primary school - 80,004 (9,4%). The official literacy rate for the city is 99.04%.

Early history

Taiwanese aborigines

Taiwanese aborigines is the term commonly applied in reference to the indigenous peoples of Taiwan. Although Taiwanese indigenous groups hold a variety of creation myths, recent research suggests their ancestors may have been living on the islands for approximately 8,000 years before major Han...

, including the Babuza people, populated the plains that make up modern Taichung City. They lived by cultivating millet

Millet

The millets are a group of small-seeded species of cereal crops or grains, widely grown around the world for food and fodder. They do not form a taxonomic group, but rather a functional or agronomic one. Their essential similarities are that they are small-seeded grasses grown in difficult...

and taro

Taro

Taro is a common name for the corms and tubers of several plants in the family Araceae . Of these, Colocasia esculenta is the most widely cultivated, and is the subject of this article. More specifically, this article describes the 'dasheen' form of taro; another variety is called eddoe.Taro is...

and were hunter gathers. Several local names in central Taiwan, including Shalu

Shalu, Taichung

- Taichung Airport :Shalu is home to the Taichung Airport, which serves various domestic and regional destinations.- Education :* Providence University...

Township and Lukang Township

Lugang, Changhua

Lukang is an urban township in northwestern Changhua County, Taiwan . The township is on the west coast of Taiwan, facing the Taiwan Strait. The township's name came from the port's trade of deerskins during the Dutch colonial period. Its old Taiwanese name was Lo̍k-á-káng...

in Changhua County contain the word for “deer.”

Taichung was founded in 1705 as a part of Changhua County with the name of Dadun (ch: 大墩; p: Dàdūn; w: Ta-tun; lit. "large mound"). At this point in history, the Qing Dynasty

Qing Dynasty

The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....

, formed by invading Manchus in the 1640s, was consolidating its hold on western Taiwan, which it had wrested from the Cheng

Koxinga

Koxinga is the customary Western spelling of the popular appellation of Zheng Chenggong , a military leader who was born in 1624 in Hirado, Japan to Zheng Zhilong, a Chinese merchant/pirate, and his Japanese wife and died in 1662 on the island of Formosa .A Ming loyalist and the arch commander of...

family in 1682. As a part of strengthening its control, a garrison was founded in 1721 near the site of present-day Taichung Park

Taichung Park

Taichung Park is the most time-honored park in Taichung Taiwan. It is also called “Zhong-shan Park”, and is built when Taiwan is under Japanese rule....

by Lan Ting-chen.

All was not peaceful for Qing authorities in central Taiwan. North of the city, at the Dajia River

Tachia River

The Dajia River is a river in north-central Taiwan. It flows through Taichung City for 124 km.The sources of the Dajia are: Hsuehshan and Nanhu Mountain in the Central Mountain Range...

, an aboriginal revolt broke out in 1731 after Chinese officials moved in and compelled them to provide labor. After being joined by other aboriginals, they drove as far south as the county seat of Changhua in May, 1732 before being chased into the mountains by Qing forces.

In 1786, another rebellion against the Qing authorities had its roots in the distriction of Dali

Dali City, Taichung County

Dali is a district in the eastern part of Taichung, Taiwan .The "Dali" names from 大里杙 .-Senior high schools:*National Dali Senior High School*****...

. Led by Lin Shuang-wen, it began as an attempt to overthrow the Manchu government and restore the Ming Dynasty

Ming Dynasty

The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...

. Unfortunately, as they moved northward, they turned to slaughter and looting. They were eventually defeated by a coalition of Hakka

Hakka people

The Hakka , sometimes Hakka Han, are Han Chinese who speak the Hakka language and have links to the provincial areas of Guangdong, Jiangxi, Guangxi, Sichuan, Hunan and Fujian in China....

, Quanzhou

Quanzhou

Quanzhou is a prefecture-level city in Fujian province, People's Republic of China. It borders all other prefecture-level cities in Fujian but two and faces the Taiwan Strait...

Fujian

' , formerly romanised as Fukien or Huguing or Foukien, is a province on the southeast coast of mainland China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, and Guangdong to the south. Taiwan lies to the east, across the Taiwan Strait...

ese descendants, and Aboriginal

Taiwanese aborigines

volunteers who joined with the government to defeat the rebels.

Qing Dynasty rule era

Taiwan became a province of Qing-dynasty China in 1885, and the city, named Dadun at the time, was designated capital of Taiwan Prefecture, one of three prefectures in the newly created Taiwan Province

Taiwan Province

Taiwan Province is one of the two administrative divisions referred to as provinces and is controlled by the Republic of China . The province covers approximately 73% of the territory controlled by the Republic of China...

. It was also initially designated as the provincial capital, and Qing official Liu Ming-chuan received the authority from the Guangxu Emperor

Guangxu Emperor

The Guangxu Emperor , born Zaitian of the Aisin-Gioro clan, was the eleventh emperor of the Manchurian Qing Dynasty, and the ninth Qing emperor to rule over China. His reign lasted from 1875 to 1908, but in practice he ruled, under Empress Dowager Cixi's influence, only from 1889 to 1898...

to oversee development of the area. However, four years later, Liu was forced to “retire” by Empress Dowager Cixi

Empress Dowager Cixi

Empress Dowager Cixi1 , of the Manchu Yehenara clan, was a powerful and charismatic figure who became the de facto ruler of the Manchu Qing Dynasty in China for 47 years from 1861 to her death in 1908....

, and the provincial capital was moved to what is now known as Taipei

Taipei

Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...

Japanese colonial era

China lost the Sino-Japanese War

First Sino-Japanese War

The First Sino-Japanese War was fought between Qing Dynasty China and Meiji Japan, primarily over control of Korea...

in 1895. As a consequence, the Qing Dynasty was forced to surrender Taiwan to the Japanese in the Treaty of Shimonoseki

Treaty of Shimonoseki

The Treaty of Shimonoseki , known as the Treaty of Maguan in China, was signed at the Shunpanrō hall on April 17, 1895, between the Empire of Japan and Qing Empire of China, ending the First Sino-Japanese War. The peace conference took place from March 20 to April 17, 1895...

. The Japanese changed the name of the city from Dadun to 台中 (Taichū in Japanese), and began to develop the city, setting themselves out to make it the first “modern” area of Taiwan.

However, Taichū bore the brunt of early Japanese repression. There were many rebels who stated that they had accepted amnesty from the earlier period of rebellion when the Republic of Taiwan

Republic of Formosa

The Republic of Formosa was a short-lived republic that existed on the island of Taiwan in 1895 between the formal cession of Taiwan by the Qing Dynasty of China to the Empire of Japan by the Treaty of Shimonoseki and its invasion and occupation by Japanese troops...

was declared in 1895. However, many of those same people continued anti-Japanese activities. On May 25, 1902, some 360 rebels and their families accepted invitations to surrender and receive amnesty and rewards. Instead of receiving amnesty, once inside, the Japanese locked the doors and slaughtered the former rebels.

Taichung Park

Taichung Park

Taichung Park is the most time-honored park in Taichung Taiwan. It is also called “Zhong-shan Park”, and is built when Taiwan is under Japanese rule....

was completed in 1903. The old north gate, one of the few Liu-era structures to survive the Japanese reconstruction of the city was move to the new park. To this day, Taichung Park is one of the most popular places in the city for people to relax.

The first market in Taichū was built in 1908 along JiGuang Road between ZhongZheng and ChengGong Roads. It is still used today, and is a popular spot to purchase food and other items in downtown Taichung.
Taichung Middle School (now known as Taichung First Senior High School) was founded in 1913 by Lin Hsien-tang and his brother Lin Lie-tang, two wealthy Taiwanese intellectuals of the era. This was done in an effort to teach children the Culture of Taiwan

Culture of Taiwan

The culture of Taiwan is a blend of Confucianist Han Chinese, Japanese, European, American, global, local, and Taiwanese aborigines cultures, which are often perceived in both traditional and modern understandings...

and to foster a spirit of Taiwanese localization movement

Taiwanese localization movement

Taiwanization , also known as the Taiwanese localization movement, is a political term used in Taiwan to emphasize the importance of a separate Taiwanese culture rather than to regard Taiwan as solely an appendage of China...

.

Taichung Train Station was completed and began operation in 1917, and still operates today.

Taichung was officially designated as a city by Japanese Imperial authorities in 1920, and Taichung City Hall was completed in 1924 after eleven years of construction.

A Taiwanese cultural association founded in 1921 in Taipei by Lin Hsien-tang was moved to Taichū in 1927. Most of the members of this association were from Taichung and the surrounding area. The city became a center of Taiwanese culture and nationalism.

The newfound prosperity of Taichung was eventually squandered by the war effort. When World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

ended in 1945, Taiwan’s economy, like Japan’s, was in shambles.

Chinese Nationalist-rule era (1945-1996)

The Japanese were forced to surrender to Republic of China (ROC) forces on behalf of Allied forces on 25 October 1945, who came across the Strait on U.S. ships and accepted their surrender on behalf of the Allied Powers.

The early post-war era was one of transition and turmoil for Taiwan. Taiwanese nationalists

Taiwanese nationalism

Taiwanese nationalism is a political movement to establish Taiwan as a nation. It is closely linked to Taiwan independence but distinguished from it in that the independence movement seeks to eventually establish an independent Republic of Taiwan in place of or out of the Republic of China, while...

had divided into three prominent groups, one of which was known as the Taichung Clique. These were men with relatively high social standing during the Japanese era, such as Lin Hsien-t’ang, Yang Chao-chia, Yeh Jung-chung, and others. These men attempted to take what they believed to be their rightful place as the political leaders of the island. However, the administrator of the island, Chen Yi

Chen Yi (Kuomintang)

Chen Yi and later Gongqia , sobriquet Tuisu ; 1883 – June 18, 1950) was the Chief Executive and Garrison Commander of Taiwan after it was surrendered by Japan to the Republic of China, which acted on behalf of the Allied Powers, in 1945...

, opposed this faction as it contained many people, especially merchants and landlords, who had opposed his policies.

Under the authorities of the Republic of China, Taichung had become the center for organized crime and associated businesses.
(http://english.tccg.gov.tw/index.php?print=print&page=government_report_01&id=1)

The Kuomintang

Kuomintang

The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...

(KMT), also known as the Chinese Nationalist Party, relocated the government of the Republic of China

Republic of China

The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...

to Taiwan upon losing the Chinese Civil War

Chinese Civil War

The Chinese Civil War was a civil war fought between the Kuomintang , the governing party of the Republic of China, and the Communist Party of China , for the control of China which eventually led to China's division into two Chinas, Republic of China and People's Republic of...

to the Communists.

Taichung was declared a special municipality

Municipality

A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...

in 1949 by the ROC government

Government

Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...

Local Politics

Unlike Taipei

Taipei

in the north, which is solidly in the Pan-Blue (pro-unification

Chinese reunification

Chinese reunification refers to the bringing together of all of the territories controlled by the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China under a single political entity...

) political camp, and the southern cities of Kaohsiung

Kaohsiung

Kaohsiung is a city located in southwestern Taiwan, facing the Taiwan Strait on the west. Kaohsiung, officially named Kaohsiung City, is divided into thirty-eight districts. The city is one of five special municipalities of the Republic of China...

and Tainan that are solidly Pan-Green (pro-independence

Taiwan independence

Taiwan independence is a political movement whose goals are primarily to formally establish the Republic of Taiwan by renaming or replacing the Republic of China , form a Taiwanese national identity, reject unification and One country, two systems with the People's Republic of China and a Chinese...

) , Taichung is far more balanced with the city leaning Blue and the county leaning Green. In fact, each of the two major political parties has won a mayoral election among the last three with at least 49 percent of the vote (Democratic Progressive Party

Democratic Progressive Party

The Democratic Progressive Party is a political party in Taiwan, and the dominant party in the Pan-Green Coalition. Founded in 1986, DPP is the first meaningful opposition party in Taiwan. It has traditionally been associated with strong advocacy of human rights and a distinct Taiwanese identity,...

in 1997 and the Kuomintang

Kuomintang

in 2001 and 2005.) Similarly, the Kuomintang

Kuomintang

majority in the City Council

City council

A city council or town council is the legislative body that governs a city, town, municipality or local government area.-Australia & NZ:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council varies...

is not as large as it is in other cities, and is only negligible when one excludes Beitun District

Beitun District

Beitun District is the largest district of Taichung in Taiwan, the Republic of China. Located in the northern part of the city, it is a half mountainous, half urban area. Though Beitun District used to be considered part of the countryside, the new TaiYuan train station has urbanized it...

, which is solidly pro-Kuomintang

Kuomintang

. As a result of the relative moderate stand of the city residents, political upheaval and violence are far rarer in Taichung than in other large cities of the country.

Government

Taichung City’s executive branch is headed by mayor Jason Hu of the Kuomintang

Kuomintang

. Mayor Hu won re-election in December 2005 with more than fifty-eight percent of the vote. This makes him the first candidate to achieve more than fifty percent of the vote in the Democratic Era of Taiwan

Taiwan

Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...

, and represents an improvement of more than nine percent over his 2001 showing despite the fact that he was one of four candidates (as opposed to there being only three in 2001.) The 1997 election was won by Chang Wen-Ying of the Democratic Progressive Party
Taichung’s legislative branch is a unicameral 46-member City Council. Each member is elected from one of six multiple member districts where each voter has only one vote. Thus, none of the elected council members has anywhere close to a majority of votes in their electoral district.

Council member breakdown by electoral district

Electoral District	Municipal Districts	City Council Seats
One	Central(中區) and West(西區)	Six
Two	North(北區)	Seven
Three	East(東區) and South(南區)	Eight
Four	Xitun(西屯區)	Eight
Five	Nantun(南屯區)	Six
Six	Beitun(北屯區)	Ten
Special	Plains Aborigines	One

Council member breakdown by political party

Political Party	Alliance Affiliation	Elected Councilmembers
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT)	Pan-Blue	24
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)	Pan-Green	17
People's First Party (PFP)	Pan-Blue	2
Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU)	Pan-Green	1
Independents	None	2

Districts

Name	Hanzi	Population (2010)	Area (km²)
West District West District, Taichung West District is a district of Taichung. Taichung City Hall and part of Taichung City Government offices are located in this district.-Division:The West District of Taichung is divided into 25 Li :-Tourism:-Historic sites:...	西區	117,645	5.7042
Central District Central District, Taichung Central District is an urban district in the Taiwanese city of Taichung. It is both the smallest and the most densely populated district in the city....	中區	22,935	0.8803
East District East District, Taichung East District is an urban district in the Taiwanese city of Taichung. It was formerly a part of Taichung City before the City and County were amalgamated in 2010....	東區	73,839	9.2855
North District North District, Taichung North District is an urban district in the Taiwanese city of Taichung. It was formerly a part of Taichung City before the City and County were amalgamated in 2010....	北區	147,779	6.9376
South District South District, Taichung South District is an urban district in the Taiwanese city of Taichung. It was formerly a part of Taichung City before the City and County were amalgamated in 2010.- Provincial Highways :* Provincial Highway No. 1B* Provincial Highway No. 3...	南區	113,109	6.8101
Beitun District Beitun District Beitun District is the largest district of Taichung in Taiwan, the Republic of China. Located in the northern part of the city, it is a half mountainous, half urban area. Though Beitun District used to be considered part of the countryside, the new TaiYuan train station has urbanized it...	北屯區	245,817	62.7034
Nantun District Nantun District Nantun District is an urban district in the Taiwanese city of Taichung. It was formerly a part of Taichung City before the City and County were amalgamated in 2010....	南屯區	152,811	31.2578
Xitun District Xitun District Xitun District is the most populated district of Taichung in Taiwan, the Republic of China, located in the north-western part of the city. Though Xitun District used to be considered part of the countryside, the new City Hall will be built up in the Urban area of Xitun district.-Attractions:* Feng...	西屯區	205,408	39.8467
Dali District	大里區	197,460	28.8758
Fengyuan District	豐原區	165,457	41.1845
Taiping District	太平區	172,865	120.7473
Dajia District	大甲區	78,503	58.5192
Dongshi District	東勢區	53,313	117.4065
Qingshui District	清水區	85,580	64.1709
Shalu District	沙鹿區	81,470	40.4604
Wuqi District	梧棲區	55,198	18.4063
Da'an District	大安區	20,292	27.4045
Dadu District	大肚區	55,745	37.0024
Daya District	大雅區	89,715	32.4109
Heping District	和平區	10,730	1037.8192
Houli District	后里區	54,286	58.9439
Longjing District	龍井區	74,064	38.0377
Shengang District	神岡區	63,761	35.0445
Shigang District	石岡區	16,012	18.2105
Tanzi District	潭子區	100,181	25.8497
Waipu District	外埔區	32,052	42.4099
Wufeng District	霧峰區	63,864	98.0779
Wuri District	烏日區	68,654	43.4032
Xinshe District	新社區	25,618	68.8874

Beitun District
Beitun District
Beitun District is the largest district of Taichung in Taiwan, the Republic of China. Located in the northern part of the city, it is a half mountainous, half urban area. Though Beitun District used to be considered part of the countryside, the new TaiYuan train station has urbanized it...

(北屯區): Geographically, this is the largest district in the city, spreading from the north to the northeastern-most reaches of the city. It includes the comparatively rural area of Dakeng. It also includes the Taichung Folklore Park and Morrison Academy.
Central District
Central District, Taichung
Central District is an urban district in the Taiwanese city of Taichung. It is both the smallest and the most densely populated district in the city....

(中區): This is the smallest and most densely populated district in the city. It is home to the Taichung Train Station, Taichung Park
Taichung Park
Taichung Park is the most time-honored park in Taichung Taiwan. It is also called “Zhong-shan Park”, and is built when Taiwan is under Japanese rule....

, and a large number of traditional businesses in the downtown area. This district is home to the original suncake
Suncake
A suncake is a popular Taiwanese dessert originally from the city of Taichung in Taiwan. The typical fillings consist of maltose , and they are usually sold in special gift boxes as souvenirs for visitors. Some famous suncake pastry shops always have long lines of people waiting to buy boxed...

shop on Ziyou Road (自由路) and is where most of Taichung's major businesses used to be located.
East District
East District, Taichung
East District is an urban district in the Taiwanese city of Taichung. It was formerly a part of Taichung City before the City and County were amalgamated in 2010....

(東區): Literally on the other side of the tracks from the main part of the downtown area. The Taichung Central Department Store is located here.
Nantun District
Nantun District
Nantun District is an urban district in the Taiwanese city of Taichung. It was formerly a part of Taichung City before the City and County were amalgamated in 2010....

(南屯區): Occupies the southwestern-most portions of the city. There is still considerable farmland in this area, but since the High Speed Rail has opened in adjacent Wuri there is a growing number of residents. Currently, Nantun is most well-known for high property values and expensive, luxurious cottages, which have in turn attracted many large department stores into adjacent areas of Xitun District.
North District
North District, Taichung
North District is an urban district in the Taiwanese city of Taichung. It was formerly a part of Taichung City before the City and County were amalgamated in 2010....

(北區): Nestled between Central and Beitun Districts, it is home to the National Taichung First Senior High School
National Taichung First Senior High School
The National Taichung First Senior High School is the most prestigious and distinguished high school in Taiwan, Republic of China. TCFHS was the first high school founded by Taiwanese to educate their youngsters during the colonial days under Japanese rule Japanese occupation.-Overview:The...

and Yizhong Street
Yizhong Street
Yizhong Street is located in Bei District（北區）in Taichung city. It is ranged amid Sanmin Rd. , Yizhong St., Taiping Rd., Yucai St., Yucai South St. and Yucai North St....

(一中街), one of the best known shopping belt in the city. It is also home to the Natural Science Museum
Natural Science Museum
The Natural Science Museum is a museum located in Victoria, on the island of Gozo, Malta, open to public since 1991. Known as the Citadel of Victoria, the group of houses is which the museum is located date back to various ages: the older one, which was an inn to 1495, the other to the 17th...

, Chungyou Department Store, and Zhongshan Hall.
Xitun District
Xitun District
Xitun District is the most populated district of Taichung in Taiwan, the Republic of China, located in the north-western part of the city. Though Xitun District used to be considered part of the countryside, the new City Hall will be built up in the Urban area of Xitun district.-Attractions:* Feng...

(西屯區): This district spreads out to the western edge of the city and is home to Feng Chia
Feng Chia University
Feng Chia University is a private university in Taichung, Taiwan. It was named after Chiu Feng-Chia , one of the leaders of the military resistance against the Japanese invasion of Taiwan in 1895.-History:In the 1950s, some of the gentry in the central Taiwan area proposed to establish one...

and Tunghai
Tunghai University
Tunghai University was founded by Methodist missionaries in 1955 as a comprehensive university. It is a top-ranked private school and a leading institution in Taiwan. Moreover, Tunghai University was founded as the first private university making it the second oldest university in Taiwan, which...

Universities. It is also the location of many of the new, fashionable shopping areas in the city and is the area of greatest growth. The Taichung Industrial Park, World Trade Center, and the Chaoma Bus Station, a major embarkation point from the city. Major department stores include Idee, Shinkong Mitsukoshi, and Tiger City. The new City Hall is located near the eastern edge of this district on the major Taichung Port (Taizhonggang) Road.
South District
South District, Taichung
South District is an urban district in the Taiwanese city of Taichung. It was formerly a part of Taichung City before the City and County were amalgamated in 2010.- Provincial Highways :* Provincial Highway No. 1B* Provincial Highway No. 3...

(南區): Occupying the southernmost part of the city, it is home to National Chung Hsing University
National Chung Hsing University
National Chung Hsing University is a university in Taichung, Republic of China . According to Ministry of Education rankings, it is the best university in central Taiwan.-History:...

and the Taichung Industrial High School.
West District
West District, Taichung
West District is a district of Taichung. Taichung City Hall and part of Taichung City Government offices are located in this district.-Division:The West District of Taichung is divided into 25 Li :-Tourism:-Historic sites:...

(西區): West District is home to the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts as well as the Municipal Cultural Center. A lot of cultural activities were held here. This area is also known for its restaurants, which have attracted many people come with their reputation for exotic cuisine. Taichung's old City Hall is here, as is National Taichung University. Sogo Department store is in the northern part of the district.

Professional Sports

The Sinon Bulls

Sinon Bulls

Despite a nice start, this club had been performing poorly throughout its short history, mainly due to the controversial leading styles of Jungo Corporation's then chairman Chen I-ping...

is a professional baseball team playing in the four-team Chinese Professional Baseball League

Chinese Professional Baseball League

The Chinese Professional Baseball League , or CPBL, is the top-tier professional baseball league in Taiwan. The league was established in 1989. CPBL eventually absorbed the competing Taiwan Major League in 2003...

. While they are identified with Taichung City, many of their “home games” have been played outside of the city due to the inadequacies of the old Taichung Baseball Field

Taichung Baseball Field

The Taichung Baseball Field is a multi-purpose stadium in Taichung, Taiwan. Built in 1935 during the Taiwan under Japanese rule era, this stadium has been repeatedly refurbished and currently can seat 8,500 people...

. The team was expected to move into the newly completed Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium

Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium

Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium is located in Taichung, the third largest city in Taiwan. The first phase of the stadium's construction is nearly complete and officially opened on November 9, 2006 replacing the antiquated Taichung Baseball Field. The construction is basically finished...

in 2008, but it turns out that no CPBL games will be played in the newly built stadium, with the exception of the annual all-star game on July 20.

Other Sporting Activities

Taichung hosts two road races annually. The ING Marathon preparation 10K race is held every September in the Metropolitan Park. The Supau Cup Marathon is held on the city’s streets every autumn, either in October or November.

Museums and Cultural Centers

National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts: The National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts is located on the corner of Wuquan West Road and Meicun Road. It houses the world’s largest collection of Taiwanese art. There is a stream and nice outdoor area outside of the museum that is very popular with families when there is good weather.
National Museum of Natural Science
National Museum of Natural Science
The National Museum of Natural Science is a national museum in Taichung, Taiwan.-Overview:The museum covers and is a six-venue complex housing: the Space IMAX Theater, Science Center, Life Science Hall, Human Cultures Hall, Global Environment Hall, and Botanical Garden.The Research and Collection...

(NMNS): Located on Xitun Road, this is a popular local attraction with children. NMNS together with National Palace Museum
National Palace Museum
The National Palace Museum is an art museum in Taipei. It is the national museum of the Republic of China, and has a permanent collection of over 677,687 pieces of ancient Chinese artifacts and artworks, making it one of the largest in the world. The collection encompasses over 8,000 years of...

in Taipei
Taipei
Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...

and the National Science and Technology Museum
National Science and Technology Museum
The National Science and Technology Museum is a museum of applied science and technology in Kaohsiung in southwest Taiwan.Established in November 1997, is covers 19 hectares on Chiuju Road in Sanmin District...

in Kaohsiung
Kaohsiung
Kaohsiung is a city located in southwestern Taiwan, facing the Taiwan Strait on the west. Kaohsiung, officially named Kaohsiung City, is divided into thirty-eight districts. The city is one of five special municipalities of the Republic of China...

are called "the Museums of Taiwan". Across 22 acres (89,030.9 m²), the Museum is a six-venue complex housing the Space IMAX Theater, Science Center, Life Science Hall, Chinese Science Hall, Global Environment Hall and the Botanical Garden, excluding the Earthquake Museum in Wufong, which is dedicated to public education on seismology, located just 10 kilometers east of the main complex of NMNS. Over 30 permanent exhibit areas cover subjects on astronomy, space science, paleontology, ecology, gems and minerals, Taiwanese Aborigines, and tropical plants. Rotating special exhibits are a constant occurrence. It is also a place filled with hands-on exhibits that will delight children and adults of all ages.
Taichung Municipal Cultural Center: The Municipal Cultural Center is located on Yingcai Road on property adjacent to the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts.
Taichung Folklore Park: This park is dedicated to presenting a more traditional Taiwanese way of life. It includes a combination of authentic and recreated buildings and streets in an attempt to recreate a more rustic Taiwan.
Taichung Winery: Dating back to the Japanese-era, this still- operational winery also includes a Wine Museum, which has displays on wine-making and the history of the winery.
Stock 20: This converted railroad warehouse provides exhibition space for regular displays of modern art. Adjacent warehouses have been converted to provide studio space for local and foreign artists, and are frequently open to the public.
Wenying Hall: A frequent venue for local art exhibitions and events. It includes an art display area along with a folk art museum and Zhongzheng Hall.

Parkways

Jianxing Parkway (健行園道)
Meicun Parkway (美村園道)
Jingguo Parkway (經國園道)
Wuquan Parkway (五權園道, or 美術園道)
Chonglun Parkway (崇倫園道)
Shuyi Parkway (樹義園道)
Zhongming Parkway (忠明園道)
Xingda Parkway (興大園道)
Dongguang Parkway (東光園道)
ShuangShi Parkway (雙十園道)

Performance Venues

Zhongshan Hall: Zhongshan Hall is a popular venue for a variety of performances including musical, opera, ballet, dance, theatrical, and other performances. Seating capacity is 1,692.
Fulfillment Amphitheater
Fulfillment Amphitheater
Fulfillment Amphitheater is a large-scale outdoor Amphitheatre in Wen-Hsin Forest Park on Wenxin Road, Nantun district, Taichung. Every year, Taichung City government holds "MidTaiwan Lantern Festival" here.-Overview:...

: This recently completed outdoor venue is located in the Wenxin Forest Park and is suitable for a wide range of outdoor performances.*Zhongxing Hall at National Taichung Library

Temples

Temples can be found all over the city of Taichung. While many of them are of recent construction, others are considered historic and are indicative of the changing currents through Taichung’s history.

Confucius Temple
Martyr’s Shrine: Adjacent to the temple is the Martyr’s Shrine, dedicated to the hero’s of the Republic of China.
Pao Hueh Temple: This is a Buddhist temple which features the “Big Budda.” The gold, seven-floor Buddha is dedicated to Maitreya. The temple grounds also include a Japanese Shinto shrine.
ChengHuang Temple: This temple was established during the Qing Dynasty, and has since been renovated numerous times. Its main festival is the 15th day of the sixth lunar month.
WanChun Temple: Established during the height of the Qing Dynasty more than two hundred years ago, it is home to a couplet written by Emperor Kuangshu. It is also noted for its life-like carvings.
Li Ancestral Shrine:
Wen Chang Temple: Built around 1825, this temple is dedicated to the “Scholar God.” Students frequently come to pray prior to exams to get good scores.
LeCheng Temple: Over two hundred years old, the Le Cheng temple is dedicated to the goddess Mazu, and is known locally as the “Hanxi Mazu.” It includes an ancient cauldron and other artifacts.
WanHe Temple: This temple was built during the Qing Dynasty in thanks to the goddess Mazu. It is noted for exquisitely-designed carvings.

National and Municipal Historical Sites

National Category 3 Historical Sites

Chang-Liao Family Shrine, Wenchang Temples, Lin Family Shrine, Chang Family Ancestral Shrine, Wanhe Temple, Lecheng Temple

National Category 2 Historical Site

Taichung Train Station,

Municipal Historical Sites

Lake Pavilion in Taichung Park, Chishan Gate, Japanese-era Municipal Building

Unclassified

Taichung City Hall

Other Annual Activities

The Taichung Jazz Festival takes place annually through the month of October. It features a variety of acts at numerous venues throughout the city.

Economy

Taichung has a vibrant, diverse economy that incorporates traditional businesses, small family-run shops and factories, large industrial areas, and a thriving commercial sector.

The heart of Taichung’s economy has long been the small business. The small business sector still thrives in the city and is in most evidence in the downtown area with small eateries, traditional markets, and other various family businesses. Taichung's Chun Shui Tang teahouse (春水堂) is where bubble tea

Bubble tea

Bubble tea is the name for pearl milk tea and other similar tea and juice beverages that originated in tea shops in Taichung, Taiwan during the 1980s. Drink recipes may vary, but most bubble teas contain a tea base mixed with fruit and/or milk...

was invented, by a teahouse owner, Liu Han Chie (劉漢介). Taichung is most famous for its suncake

Suncake

A suncake is a popular Taiwanese dessert originally from the city of Taichung in Taiwan. The typical fillings consist of maltose , and they are usually sold in special gift boxes as souvenirs for visitors. Some famous suncake pastry shops always have long lines of people waiting to buy boxed...

s (taiyang bing).

Taichung is an important center for a number of key industries. The city is a major manufacturer of bicycles and related parts, and sporting goods. Small metalworking, mold and die enterprises abound. During the heyday of the Taiwanese Miracle, the city hosted the famous "Shoes Nest," hundreds of small firms involved in the shoe industry, which has since moved to China. Nike's Asian design center is located in Taichung.

Xitun District is the home of Taichung’s Industrial Zone. Taichung’s World Trade Center Building is the symbolic heart of the zone, where various trade shows and exhibitions are held throughout the year. Most of Taichung’s traditional manufacturing base is in this area, which is the area of Taichung City that is nearest the port.
In the northeast part of Xitun District, along the border with neighboring Taichung County

Taichung County

Taichung County was a county in central Taiwan, the Republic of China, that surrounded but did not include Taichung City. The name Taichung means "central Taiwan"...

, there is a science-based Industrial Park.

The growing prosperity of Taichung residents has resulted in the explosive growth of the upscale retail sector, with the opening of massive up-market department stores, as well as the construction of several luxurious condo complexes in the rapidly developing areas near a newly constructed government complex, as well as the growth of up-market neighborhoods in Beitun District.

Culture

People here are generally warm and easy to get along, so their pace of life is slower than Taipei.

Food and Drinks

Many famous drinks and cuisine are born in Taichung, such as "Bubble tea", "Pearl tea" and the "Tripodking". People here love to enjoy cuisine in anytime, anywhere they want, you can find many restaurant do not rest after the meal time, and people are walking and eating at the same time at night market.

Night Markets

Taichung has several open-air night market

Night market

Night markets or night bazaars are street markets which operate at night and are generally dedicated to more leisurely strolling, shopping, and eating than more businesslike day markets.-Geographical spread:...

s that feature local food and diversions:

Fengjia Shopping Town - located adjacent to Feng Chia University
Feng Chia University
Feng Chia University is a private university in Taichung, Taiwan. It was named after Chiu Feng-Chia , one of the leaders of the military resistance against the Japanese invasion of Taiwan in 1895.-History:In the 1950s, some of the gentry in the central Taiwan area proposed to establish one...
Zhong Hua Night Market - located in the heart of Central District, along ZhongHua (Jung Hua) Road.
Zhong Xiao Night Market - located south of the Taichung Railroad Station around the intersections of ZhongXiao, Taichung and GuoGuang roads.

Education

Taichung City offers a full range of educational opportunities for its residents. From kindergartens to national universities, Taichung has schools that fit nearly every need from bilingual kindergartens to world class public and private university education.

Below is an accounting of the schools that can be found in Taichung City:

3 public universities
6 private universities
3 junior colleges
7 public
Public
In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individuals, and the public is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the Öffentlichkeit or public sphere. The concept of a public has also been defined in political science,...

senior high schools
7 private
Private school
Private schools, also known as independent schools or nonstate schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students' tuition, rather than relying on mandatory...

senior high schools
4 vocational high schools
2 special education
Special education
Special education is the education of students with special needs in a way that addresses the students' individual differences and needs. Ideally, this process involves the individually planned and systematically monitored arrangement of teaching procedures, adapted equipment and materials,...

schools
25 public junior high schools
7 private junior high schools
58 public elementary schools
7 private elementary schools
3 international schools
3 Chinese language
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...

training centers (including Taichung County
Taichung County
Taichung County was a county in central Taiwan, the Republic of China, that surrounded but did not include Taichung City. The name Taichung means "central Taiwan"...

)
undeterminable number of kindergartens and cram school
Cram school
Cram schools are specialized schools that train their students to meet particular goals, most commonly to pass the entrance examinations of high schools or universities...

s

Transportation

Rail

In Taichung, there are two railways in parallel, one is Mountain Line which passes through urban area, and the other is Coastal line which passes through rural area.

Along Mountain Line, there are (from south to north):

Chenggong Station
Chenggong Station
Chenggong Station is a railway station of Taiwan Railway Administration Western Line located at Taichung, Taiwan.- Structure :- Nearby stations :Taiwan Railway Administration...

(成功車站)

Xinwuri Station (新烏日車站)

Wuri Station (烏日車站)

Daqing Station
Daqing Station
Daqing Station is a railway station of Taiwan Railway Administration Western Line located at Taichung, Taiwan.- Nearby stations :Taiwan Railway Administration TaichungWuri...

(大慶車站)

Wuchuan Station (五權車站) - under construction

Taichung Station
Taichung Station
Taichung Station is a railway station of Taiwan Railway Administration Western Line located in Central District, Taichung City, Taiwan.-Overview:...

(台中車站)

Jingwu Station (精武車站) - under construction

Taiyuan Station
Taiyuan Station
Taiyuan Station is a railway station of Taiwan Railway Administration Western Line located at Taichung City, Taiwan.- Nearby stations :Taiwan Railway Administration...

(太原車站)

Songzhu Station (松竹車站) - under construction

Toujiacuo Station (頭家厝車站) - under construction

Tanzi Station (潭子車站)

Fengnan Station (豐南車站) - under construction

Fengyuan Station (豐原車站)

Houli Station
Houli Station
Houli Station is a railway station of Taiwan Railway Administration Western Line located at Taichung, Taiwan.- Nearby stations :Taiwan Railway Administration...

(后里車站)

Tai'an Station (泰安車站)

Along Coastal Line, there are (from south to north):

Zhuifen Station (追分車站)

Dadu Station
Dadu Station
Dadu Station is a railway station of Taiwan Railway Administration Western Line located at Taichung, Taiwan.- Structure :*There is an island platform at the station....

(大肚車站)

Longjing Station
Longjing Station
Longjing Station is a railway station of Taiwan Railway Administration Western Line located at Taichung, Taiwan.- Structure :*There's an island platform at the station....

(龍井車站)

Shalu Station
Shalu Station
Shalu Station is a railway station of Taiwan Railway Administration Western Line , built in May 1919 located in, Shalu District, Taichung City, Taiwan.-References:...

(沙鹿車站)

Qingshui Station (清水車站)

Taichung Port Station (台中港車站)

Dajia Station
Dajia Station
Dajia Station is a railway station of Taiwan Railway Administration Western Line located at Taichung, Taiwan.- Nearby stations :Taiwan Railway Administration...

(大甲車站)

Rinan Station
Rinan Station
Rinan Station is a railway station of Taiwan Railway Administration Western Line located at Taichung, Taiwan.-Structure:One of five survival wooden Structure of sea line in Taiwan-Nearby stations:Taiwan Railway Administration...

(日南車站)

Taichung Station

Taichung Station

Taichung Station is a railway station of Taiwan Railway Administration Western Line located in Central District, Taichung City, Taiwan.-Overview:...

is located on Jianguo Road (建國路). There is a small square in the front of the station, and numerous bus companies have stations within a three-minute walk of the station. They provide comprehensive local bus service along with long-distance bus services, many of which are to towns not served by trains.

Taichung Station lies on the Taiwan Railway Administration

Taiwan Railway Administration

The Taiwan Railway Administration is an agency of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications of the Republic of China responsible for managing, maintaining, and running passenger and freight service on 1097 km of conventional railroad lines in Taiwan...

Mountain Line

Taichung Line

The Taichung Line is a line of the Taiwan Railway Administration. It is also known as the Mountain Line. It has a total length of 87.6 km, of which all but 2.1 km is double track....

, which splits from the coastal line from Changhua City

Changhua City

Changhua City is the county seat of Changhua County in Taiwan. For many centuries the site was home to a settlement of Babuza people, a coastal tribe of Taiwanese aborigines. The name of the city is derived from the aboriginal word Poasoa .Changhua is best known for its landmark statue of the Buddha...

to the south of Taichung, to Jhunan, near Hsinchu

Hsinchu

Hsinchu City is a city in northern Taiwan. Hsinchu is popularly nicknamed "The Windy City" for its windy climate.Hsinchu City is administered as a special municipality within Taiwan . The city is bordered by Hsinchu County to the north and east, Miaoli County to the south, and the Taiwan Strait...

, to the north.

The first southbound train departs for Pingtung at 6:05 in the morning while the first northbound train departs for Taipei at 6:10 am. The last trains in the early morning depart at 2:37 am and 2:46 for Pingtong

Pingtung Station

Pingtung Station is a railway station of the Taiwan Railway Administration Pingtung Line located in Pingtung City, Pingtung County, Taiwan.-Overview:...

and respectively.

There are two other local train stations within the city limits of Taichung. They are Taiyuan Station

Taiyuan Station

Taiyuan Station is a railway station of Taiwan Railway Administration Western Line located at Taichung City, Taiwan.- Nearby stations :Taiwan Railway Administration...

located in Beitun District

Beitun District

and Daqing Station

Daqing Station

Daqing Station is a railway station of Taiwan Railway Administration Western Line located at Taichung, Taiwan.- Nearby stations :Taiwan Railway Administration TaichungWuri...

in South District

South District, Tainan

South District is a district located in Tainan City, Republic of China ....

. Both are only serviced by local trains.

The new Taiwan High Speed Rail

Taiwan High Speed Rail

Taiwan High Speed Rail is a high-speed rail line that runs approximately along the west coast of the Republic of China from the national capital of Taipei to the southern city of Kaohsiung...

was recently completed, allowing travel to Taipei and Kaohsiung in 40 minutes. The THSR Taichung Station is located in Wuri

Wuri, Taichung

Wuri is a district in southern Taichung, Republic of China. Both of the two north-south freeways passes Wurih.Major Military soldiers of ROC training center called Chengkong Ridge located here.-Transportation:*THSR Taichung Station...

and is served both by local trains as well as free shuttle buses into the city.

Sea Port

Taichung Harbor, located on the coast in Taichung County, 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.

Inner City Traffic

Unlike other major cities, Taichung has no expressway crossing the city. The heaviest traffic congestion is on Taichung Harbor Road (台中港路), which can come to a stand still not only during rush hour, but also on weekends or late evenings as many of the most popular shopping centers and movie theaters are on that stretch of road. Other busy stretches of road include SanMin Road near Chungyou Department Store and Yizhong Street, especially during late evening, when local cram schools and baseball games typically let out.

The downtown area is roughly a grid pattern with Ziyou Road (自由路) and SanMin （三民路） running southwest to northeast while Zhongzheng Road (中正路) and Linsen Road (林森路) run northwest from the center of the city, in addition to the more narrow one-way roads that follow the grid pattern as well.

A large number of multi-lane roads lead out of the downtown area in all directions. Some of these roads are divided by a physical barrier or median to enhance safety. These roads include Taichung Harbor Road (台中港路), Wuquan West Road (五權西路), Beitun Road (北屯路), Taiyuan Road (太原路), Hanxi Road (旱溪路), Guoguang Road (國光路), Zhongqing Road (中清路,) Wuquan South Road (五權南路) and Wenxin South Road (文心南路).

Stop lights and lane indicators are generally observed on major streets, but are often viewed more as suggestions rather than legally enforced traffic rules unless traffic police officers are present. Speed limits are often not enforced, except where specifically designated speed detection cameras are present and marked with signs, making traffic conditions some of the most dangerous on the island. Most major intersections have traffic signs with Romanized names. However, despite the fact that Taichung City has recently declared Hanyu Pinyin the official romanization system for the city, there are numerous signs leftover from previous romanizations while the a large number of minor intersections have no romanization of any kind. Navigation in Taichung City is extremely difficult for those who are unable to read Chinese characters.

Mass Rapid Transit

The city currently does not have any type of rapid transit system, though construction on the first line of the municipal MRT system is scheduled to begin in October 2009 with completion of the Wurih-Beitun line schedule for completion in 2014 or 2015.

While a bus system exists covering parts of the city, it is not reliable in all places. Among the bus companies providing local service are Taichung Bus Company (台中客運), Fengyuan Bus Company (豐原客運), Changhua Bus Company (彰化客運), and Presidential Bus Company. While heavily congested areas have buses, other areas have intermittent to no service. While there is theoretically a schedule when buses are to arrive, they are often not reliable. Signs at bus stops are not bilingual, not complete and often, not current.

Freeways and Expressways

National Highway No. 1

National Highway No. 1 (Taiwan)

National Highway No. 1 is the first freeway in Taiwan. It begins in Keelung City at the intersection of Ziao 2nd Road and Jhong 4th Road and ends in Kaohsiung City at the intersection of Jhongshan 4th Road and Yugang Road, giving it a total length of 372.8 km...

(國道一號), also known as the Sun Yat-Sen Freeway, passes through the western part of the city and has three interchanges in Taichung City. One is at Zhongqing Road (中清路), another at Taichung Harbor Road (中港路) and the southernmost at Wuquan West Road (五權西路).

Taichung-Changhua Expressway (中彰快速道路,) is the main stretch of Provincial Highway No. 74

Provincial Highway No. 74 (Taiwan)

Provincial Highway No. 74 is an expressway, which begins in Changhua City on Zhangnan Road of and ends in Taichung City at the intersection of Songzhu Road and Huazhong Road. It is commonly known as Zhongzhang Expressway.-Intersections with other Freeways and Expressways:*National Highway No....

that runs from northwestern Taichung City through part of Taichung County into the northern part of Changhua City just to the south of Taichung. At some points, it is just a few dozen meters east of the Sun Yat-Sen

Sun Yat-sen

Sun Yat-sen was a Chinese doctor, revolutionary and political leader. As the foremost pioneer of Nationalist China, Sun is frequently referred to as the "Father of the Nation" , a view agreed upon by both the People's Republic of China and the Republic of China...

Freeway. While it does not connect directly to that highway, it does have an interchange with National Highway No. 3

National Highway No. 3 (Taiwan)

National Highway No. 3 is the second North-South freeway in Taiwan. It begins in Keelung City at Jijin Interchange on the Provincial Highway No. 2 and ends in Linbian, Pingtung on the Provincial Highway No. 17....

(國道三號) in Taichung County, where one can then access it in a couple of minutes.

Taichung-Nantou Highway (中投公路,) also known as Provincial Highway No. 63

Provincial Highway No. 63 (Taiwan)

Provincial Highway No. 63 is an expressway, which begins in Taichung City at the intersection of Guoguang Road and Zhongming South Road and ends in Caotun, Nantou on Bixing Road . It is commonly known as Zhongtou Expressway.-Length:The total length of the highway is 18.9 km...

, runs from Dali City (just south of the border from Taichung City) to Nantou County

Nantou County

Nantou County is the second largest county of Taiwan. It is also the only landlocked county in Taiwan. Its name derives from the Hoanya Taiwanese aboriginal word Ramtau. Nantou County is officially administered as a county of Taiwan....

. It can be accessed by driving out of Taichung City on Wuquan South Road, where it becomes the Taichung-Nantou Highway within a kilometer of the city line. While there is no direct interchange with National Highway No. 3

National Highway No. 3 (Taiwan)

, one can get off in Wufeng and, after about two minutes on surface roads, easily access the highway.

Taichung International Airport

The Taichung International Airport is the third and newest international airport in Taiwan. The Taichung International Airport civilian terminal is located on the western corner of Ching Chuan Kang Air Base

Ching Chuan Kang Air Base

Ching Chuan Kang Air Base is a Republic Of China Air Force base located on Taiwan. It is the home to the 3rd Tactical Fighter Wing, with three squadrons of Ching-kou air-defense /attack fighters...

(CCK), about 20 kilometers (12 mi

Mile

A mile is a unit of length, most commonly 5,280 feet . The mile of 5,280 feet is sometimes called the statute mile or land mile to distinguish it from the nautical mile...

) from downtown Taichung City. The main road linking Taichung and the airport is Zhongqing Road (Provincial Route 10). The airport is located within a kilometer (1,100 yd) of the Shalu (沙鹿) Exit on National Highway Number 3.

In 2002, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications

Ministry of Transportation and Communications (Republic of China)

The Ministry of Transportation and Communications of the Republic of China is a cabinet-level governmental body of the Executive Yuan. It is in charge of all policy and regulation of transportation and communications networks and administration of all transportation and communications operations...

began working on a plan to move air traffic from Taichung's ShuiNan Airport to the CCK Air Force base as a first step to converting CCK into a new international airport to facilitate larger aircraft.

The airport opened in early 2004, and the expanded facility at CCK Air Force Base has a much longer runway capable of handling larger aircraft. International charter flight service from the city began the same day.

The opening of The Taichung International Airport did spark a spat of partisan controversies about being incomplete and safety concerns were raised. The fact that Taiwan has more airports per capita than any other country in the region and prohibits private airplanes fell on deaf ears because the anticipated and protracted opening of direct links with the Chinese mainland

Mainland China

Mainland China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term that refers to the area under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China . According to the Taipei-based Mainland Affairs Council, the term excludes the PRC Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and...

are expected to require an increase in air traffic.

Taichung's airport currently handles daily scheduled flights between Taichung and the cities of Taipei and Hualian, as well as the offshore islands of Penghu (Pescadores) and Kinmen. Airlines operating out of Taichung include Mandarin and UNI. International air services are expected to continue growing to include charter flights between Taichung and South Korea, plus special charter flights to other destinations and possibly the Chinese mainland.

Romanization

Taichung City 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

Tongyong Pinyin

Tongyong Pinyin was the official Romanization of Mandarin Chinese in the Republic of China between 2002 and 2008. The system was unofficially used between 2000 and 2002, when a new romanization system for the Republic of China was being evaluated for adoption. The ROC's Ministry of Education...

and systems that do not conform to any standard system. Unlike Taipei

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, 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.

International relations

Taichung has signed sister city agreements with nineteen cities in nine countries since 1965. They are listed below along with the dates that the agreements were signed.
New Haven, Connecticut

New Haven, Connecticut

New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...

, USA (March 29, 1965) Chungju

Chungju

Chungju is a city in North Chungcheong province, South Korea. Namsan is a mountain located on the outskirts of the city.The city is famous for the annual martial arts festival held in October. Also of note, UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon grew up here....

, Republic of Korea (November 27, 1969) Santa Cruz de la Sierra

Santa Cruz de la Sierra

Santa Cruz de la Sierra, commonly known as Santa Cruz, is the capital of the Santa Cruz department in eastern Bolivia and the largest city in the country...

, Bolivia (November 21, 1978) Tucson, Arizona

Tucson, Arizona

Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...

, USA (August 31, 1979) Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Baton Rouge is the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is located in East Baton Rouge Parish and is the second-largest city in the state.Baton Rouge is a major industrial, petrochemical, medical, and research center of the American South...

, USA (April 18, 1980) Cheyenne, Wyoming

Cheyenne, Wyoming

Cheyenne is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Wyoming and the county seat of Laramie County. It is the principal city of the Cheyenne, Wyoming, Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Laramie County. The population is 59,466 at the 2010 census. Cheyenne is the...

, USA (October 8, 1981) Winnipeg

Winnipeg

Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...

, Manitoba

Manitoba

Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...

, Canada (April 2, 1982) Pietermaritzburg

Pietermaritzburg

Pietermaritzburg is the capital and second largest city in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It was founded in 1838, and is currently governed by the Msunduzi Local Municipality. Its "purist" Zulu name is umGungundlovu, and this is the name used for the district municipality...

, KwaZulu-Natal

KwaZulu-Natal

KwaZulu-Natal is a province of South Africa. Prior to 1994, the territory now known as KwaZulu-Natal was made up of the province of Natal and the homeland of KwaZulu....

, South Africa (December 9, 1983) San Diego, California

San Diego, California

San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...

, USA (November 19, 1983) Reno, Nevada

Reno, Nevada

Reno is the county seat of Washoe County, Nevada, United States. The city has a population of about 220,500 and is the most populous Nevada city outside of the Las Vegas metropolitan area...

, USA (October 8, 1985) Austin, Texas

Austin, Texas

Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...

, USA (September 22, 1986) Manchester, New Hampshire

Manchester, New Hampshire

Manchester is the largest city in the U.S. state of New Hampshire, the tenth largest city in New England, and the largest city in northern New England, an area comprising the states of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. It is in Hillsborough County along the banks of the Merrimack River, which...

, USA (May 8, 1989) North Shore City, New Zealand (December 17, 1996)Former North Shore City merged with Auckland

Auckland

The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...

on November 1, 2010. Tacoma, Washington

Tacoma, Washington

Tacoma is a mid-sized urban port city and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. The population was 198,397, according to...

, USA (July 19, 2000) Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands (July 19, 2002) San Pedro Sula

San Pedro Sula

San Pedro Sula is a city in Honduras. It is located in the northwest corner of the country, in the Valle de Sula , about 60 km south of Puerto Cortés on the Caribbean. With an estimated population of 638,259 people in the main municipality, and 802,598 in its metro area , it is the second...

, Honduras (October 28, 2003) City of Makati

Makati City

The City of Makati is one of the 17 cities that make up Metro Manila, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. Makati is the financial center of the Philippines and one of the major financial, commercial and economic hubs in Asia...

, Philippines (July 27, 2004) General Santos City

General Santos City

The City of General Santos is the southernmost port city of the Philippines. Being a highly urbanized first class city, GenSan is one of the most populous urban centers in the country with a population of 679,588 as per census data of 2010...

, Philippines (September 5, 2006) Columbus, Georgia

Columbus, Georgia

Columbus is a city in and the county seat of Muscogee County, Georgia, United States, with which it is consolidated. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 189,885. It is the principal city of the Columbus, Georgia metropolitan area, which, in 2009, had an estimated population of 292,795...

, USA (November 11, 2007)

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.