Taipei, Republic of China

Taipei City is the capital of Taiwan (also known as the Republic of China), an island country located 160 kilometers (100 miles) from the southeastern coast of the People’s Republic of China. Taipei City is located on the northern edge of Taiwan, and is the country’s fourth largest city.

The Ketagalans are the earliest known inhabitants of the Taipei basin. In 1661, Ming loyalist Zheng Chenggong, also known as Koxinga, landed in Taiwan and proceeded to reclaim the island from the Dutch. The island was taken over by the Qing in 1863 and made a prefecture in 1684. In 1709 Chinese settlers asked the Qing government for permission to settle in what is now part of Taipei. Chinese immigration increased during the eighteenth century, turning the area into a thriving center of trade. The Qing government established Taipei prefecture in 1875 and deemed Taipei a city in 1884.

Taipei is the center of political, administrative, educational and cultural society in Taiwan, and is one of the most populous cities in the world. Taipei is a popular destination for tourists from Asia, Europe, and the United States.

Landscape

The Taipei basin was formed from alluvial deposits at the site of a prehistoric lake. The basin, nestled within one of Taiwan’s largest mountain ranges, was settled by the indigenous people of Taiwan.

Taiwan sits along the Tropic of Cancer, which divides the island into tropical and sub-tropical zones. The climate of Taipei is subtropical, with an average temperature of 23 degrees Celsius (73 degrees Fahrenheit). The northern edge of Taipei City borders Yangminshan National Park, which contains the tallest mountain range in Taiwan. The southeastern edge of the city intersects with the Hsintien and Tamsui rivers. The Keelung River crosses the northeastern edge of the city.

Taipei City occupies 272 square kilometers (105 square miles) and is divided into twelve districts: Songshan, Xinyi, Daan, Zhongshan, Zhongzheng, Datong, Wenshan, Wanhua, Nangang, Neihu, Shilin, and Beitou. The city is completely surrounded by New Taipei, the largest municipality in Taiwan. New Taipei was known as Taipei County until 2010.

Taipei’s elevation increases in the northeast and southeast portions of the city. The surrounding hills are formed from volcanic deposits. Between the volcanic hills are river valleys and lowland plains. Due to climate change, Taiwan is being hit with more frequent and stronger typhoons that cause mudslides and other destruction.

People

In 2023, the population of Taipei City was estimated at 2.754 million. Taipei is one of the most densely populated cities in the world, with an estimated 10,000 people per square kilometer (2018). The greater Taipei metropolitan area, which includes Taipei City, New Taipei City, and Keelung, has a population of over 7 million (2022 estimate).

The population is composed of four major ethnic groups: indigenous Taiwanese groups, Hoklos, Hakkas, and mainland Chinese. Hoklos and Hakkas are both considered Taiwanese. The indigenous people of Taiwan are further organized into fifteen tribal groups; the Amis and Atayal are the two largest indigenous populations in Taipei City. The total indigenous population of Taipei was 16,148 in October 2016.

The major languages spoken in Taipei are Mandarin Chinese (putonghua), Taiwanese (also known as Taiwanese Hokkien, or Min Nan) and Hakka. The official language of the government is Mandarin Chinese. In addition, a variety of Chinese dialects and other Asian languages are also spoken in Taipei.

There are at least five hundred religious groups with organizations in Taipei City. Most Taiwanese residents practice some form of Buddhism, Taoism, or Confucianism, together accounting for 93 percent of the population. The Japanese religion of Tenrikyo and the alternative Chinese religion of Tien Te Chiao also have significant followings in Taipei.

Because Taipei hosts a diverse population, the cuisine is equally diverse, being a mixture of Chinese regional dishes, aboriginal cuisine, and Hakka cuisine. Restaurants in Taipei City also serve a variety of international cuisines.

Taiwanese natives are divided on the issue of allegiance to the People’s Republic of China, and relations with China are a major issue in Taiwanese politics. Since Taipei is the political center of the nation, Taiwanese independence movements and Chinese unification movements are both active in the city.

Taipei has over twenty universities and colleges, and hosts thousands of international students each year. Taipei is the center of Taiwan’s educational and artistic communities, and has become a popular destination for tourists.

Economy

Taipei is the economic center of Taiwan, and the city is home to nearly 20 percent of Taiwan’s local businesses. Over 80 percent of Taipei residents work in the service industries. Taipei’s market-driven economy is moving toward privatization, and is based largely on the production of technology.

One of Taipei’s largest industries is the manufacturing of components for computers. Taipei is the largest semiconductor manufacturer in the world, and one of the most successful information technology providers internationally. Taipei businesses supply computer products to hundreds of computer manufacturers, including Apple, Dell, and Hewlett-Packard.

In addition to electronics and technology, Taipei’s factories also export vehicles, chemicals, and textiles to countries around the world.

Taipei is a relatively wealthy city; in 2019 it ranked eighth in the world for number of inhabitants with a net worth of at least US$30 million.

Landmarks

Taipei contains ten historical sites designated by the Chinese government and an additional 118 historical sites designated by the local government. Historic sites include ancient shrines, temples, political buildings and monuments.

Tourists often visit the nineteenth-century Taipei City Gate, renowned for its architecture and beauty. Past the gate, the city is a mixture of ancient and modern architecture. The Dihua Street historic district has a variety of historic buildings as well as shops that sell Chinese and Taiwanese crafts.

At the northern edge of Taipei City, near the Keelung River, is a historic area containing a museum and historical sites related to the prehistoric Yuanshan culture, which lived in the area from 2400 to 1100 BCE.

There are historic Confucian, Buddhist and Taoist temples located throughout the city, including the Longshan Buddhist Temple, built by mainland Chinese immigrants in the 1700s. The Tainan Confucian Temple, built in the 1600s, is the oldest Confucian temple in Taipei, and played a role in introducing the Confucian religion in the region.

Downtown Taipei City includes a busy financial district that surrounds Taipei 101, which was the world’s tallest building when it was constructed in 2004. The building, which serves as a financial center, is 509 meters (1,671 feet) tall and features the fastest elevators in the world.

Though Taipei City is one of the world’s most crowded cities, the local government has set aside a large area of land for green spaces and parks. There are nearly 800 parks in Taipei.

For visitors interested in political history, Taipei offers a variety of military and governmental monuments, including Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, built to commemorate the life of the nationalist Chinese leader who moved the Republic of China to Taiwan. The memorial and surrounding park were opened to the public in 1980.

History

Over the centuries, the Taipei basin has evolved from a prehistoric lake into a rich cultural center surrounded by mountains, hills and farmland. In 1709, a group of farmers asked the Qing government for permission to establish a community in what is now central Taipei. The earliest Qing settlement was known as Manka (Mengjia), a farming and fishing community located along the banks of the Tamsui River.

By 1860, several other villages were established along the Tamsui. In 1875, the Qing dynasty established an official prefecture in Taipei. Qing officials created the city’s first government and built a large central city area for administrative buildings and financial institutions. Construction of this area was completed in 1884.

In 1895, at the end of the Sino-Japanese War (1894–95), the Japanese occupied Taiwan and took control of Taipei. The Japanese continued to build within the city limits and added distinctly Japanese architecture to the city.

The Japanese maintained administrative control over Taipei until 1945, when the Yalta Conference agreements officially returned Taiwan to Chinese control at the end of World War II.

At that time, China was in the midst of the Chinese Civil War (1926–49) between communist and nationalist factions. The nationalist government, under General Chiang Kai-shek, took control of Taiwan after a failed rebellion of native Taiwanese against the Nationalist Army in 1947. In 1949, after losing a battle on the Chinese mainland, Chiang Kai-shek and the remaining nationalists fled to Taiwan and made Taipei the capital of the nationalist government.

Chiang Kai-shek placed Taipei under martial law and intended to use the island as a staging ground to recapture control of the Chinese mainland. Despite repeated military conflicts with mainland forces, Taipei was never occupied by the People’s Republic of China. The Chinese government used political strategies to reduce Chiang Kai-shek’s international influence, resulting in Taiwan’s removal from the United Nations in 1971.

After Chiang’s death, the Taiwanese government gradually evolved, culminating in the late 1980s with the formation of opposition political parties and democratic elections.

Taipei remains the administrative center of Taiwan and the capital of the nation. Political relations between Taiwan and mainland China are a source of debate, as some consider Taiwan a territory of the Chinese government and others consider Taiwan an independent nation. The government of China insists Taiwan is a part of China. In March 2014 a group of university students in Taiwan took over the Legislature building in Taipei to protest a controversial service trade pact between Taiwan and mainland China, a deal that the protesters feared could hurt the Taiwanese economy and increase mainland China’s influence over Taiwan. In 2022 China conducted military exercises that encroached upon Taiwan's territorial waters.

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