Miaoli County 苗栗縣 | |
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 Top: A night view ofTongluo, Second left:Longteng Bridge, Second right: Liyu Reserve Lake, Third left: Chunhsiang Strawberry Farm Park, Third right: Hakka Cultural Park, Bottom left: Osmamthus Street in Nanchuang, Bottom right: Mount Huoyen | |
 Flag  Logo | |
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| Coordinates:24°33′48.29″N120°49′32.98″E / 24.5634139°N 120.8258278°E /24.5634139; 120.8258278 | |
| Country |  Republic of China (Taiwan) |
| Province | Taiwan Province(streamlined) |
| Region | Western Taiwan |
| Seat | Miaoli City |
| Largest city | Toufen |
| Boroughs | 2 cities, 16 (5 urban, 11 rural) townships |
| Government | |
| • County magistrate | Chung Tung-chin (Independent) |
| Area | |
• Total | 1,820.3149 km2 (702.8275 sq mi) |
| • Rank | 11 of 22 |
| Population (September 2023) | |
• Total | 535,011 |
| • Rank | 11 of 22 |
| • Density | 293.911/km2 (761.227/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+8 (National Standard Time) |
| ISO 3166 code | TW-MIA |
| Website | www |
| Symbols | |
| Bird | European magpie (Pica pica) |
| Flower | Camphor laurel (Cinnamomum camphora) |
| Tree | Tea olive (Osmanthus fragrans) |
| Miaoli County | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Traditional Chinese | 苗栗縣 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 苗栗县 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Miaoli[I] is acounty in westernTaiwan, bordered byHsinchu County andHsinchu City to the north,Taichung to the south, and theTaiwan Strait to the west. Miaoli is classified ascentral Taiwan by theNational Development Council andnorthern Taiwan by the TaiwanCentral Weather Bureau.Miaoli City is the capital of the county, and is also known asMountain Town, owing to the number of mountains nearby, making it a destination for hiking.
The nameMiaoli was coined by matching theHakka Chinese sound for the characters 貓貍 to the phonetically approximatePali (Bari) from theTaokas language. The resulting word (貓狸) is a widespread but non-orthodox variant referring toViverridae. In 1889, during lateQing rule, the name was modified from various forms (貓裏, 貓裡, 貓里) to its current form.
Evidence of settlement in Miaoli dates back a thousand years. Many archaeological artifacts have been found showing that during the prehistoric era, people lived in theriver terrace. They mainly led an agriculture life and engaged in hunting and fishing for extra food. About a thousand years ago, an indigenous group ofTaokas people settled here.
In the mid-17th century,Han Chinese began to migrate into the area, beginning a gradual process of deforestation and establishment of permanent settlement sites. Most inhabitants of Miaoli assimilated into the dominant Han population or migrated deeper into the mountainous areas. After several hundred years, Miaoli had become the home of people from different origins, such as theHakka,Hoklo,Atayal andSaisiat peoples.[2]
AfterKoxinga took over Taiwan from theNetherlands, he placed Miaoli inTian-sing County [zh] (天興縣) and started an immigration plan to develop the area.
After the lastTungning rulerZheng Keshuang surrendered to theQing Dynasty, Tian-sing County was renamedZhuluo County. In 1889,Miaoli Hsien [zh] (苗栗縣) was established as an independent county underTaiwan Prefecture. At the end of the 19th century, thousands of acres of high-quality fertile fields had been reclaimed in the area ofNanzhuang,Shitan,Dahu andZhuolan. Public and private schools were also established all over Miaoli which made the area a place of gathering intellectuals and elites in northern Taiwan.
The county was at first eliminated underJapanese Imperial rule.Byōritsu-chō (Japanese:苗栗庁) existed from c. 1901 to 1908, but was split overShinchiku-chō (新竹庁) andTaichū-chō (台中庁) in 1909. From 1920 to 1945, Byōritsu town (苗栗街), Enri town (苑裡街) and six villages were under the jurisdiction of Byōritsu District, underShinchiku Prefecture.
After thehandover of Taiwan from Japan to theRepublic of China on 25 October 1945, the present day area of Miaoli County was incorporated toHsinchu County. On 16 August 1950, the government re-established Miaoli County withMiaoli Township as thecounty seat. On 25 December 1981, Miaoli Township was upgraded from atownship to acounty-administered city.[3]
Miaoli County is considered to be located in the central northern part of the island of Taiwan, contiguous with Hsinchu county, Hsinchu City, and Taichung City. TheXueshan Range is located on the border between Miaoli county and Taichung City. Miaoli county north to south averages about 50 kilometers and east to west averages about 64 kilometers. It is roughly diamond-shaped in appearance. The overall coastline of Miaoli is about 50 kilometers long.
Miaoli has little flat lands (plateau) and very mountainous due to the Xueshan Range.[4] Miaoli has rich rainfall along with abundant rivers.
Miaoli County is divided into 2cities, 5urban townships, 10 rural townships and 1 mountain indigenous townships.[5][6] Miaoli County has the second highest number of urban townships afterChanghua County.Miaoli City is thecounty seat which houses theMiaoli County Government andMiaoli County Council. The incumbent Magistrate of Miaoli County is independentChung Tung-chin.
| Type | Name | Chinese | Taiwanese | Hakka | Area (km2) | Number of villages | Number of neighborhoods | Population | Density (per km2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| City | Miaoli City | 苗栗市 | Biâu-le̍kor Miâu-le̍k | Mèu-li̍t | 37.8872 | 28 | 716 | 86,327 | 2,401 |
| Toufen City | 頭份市 | Thâu-hūn | Thèu-fun | 53.32 | 32 | 570 | 106,310 | 1,925 | |
| Urban townships | Houlong | 後龍鎮 | Āu-lâng | Heu-liùng | 75.8072 | 23 | 368 | 34,120 | 506 |
| Tongxiao(Tongsiao) | 通霄鎮 | Thong-siau | Thûng-sêu | 107.768 | 24 | 394 | 31,377 | 343 | |
| Yuanli | 苑裡鎮 | Oán-lí | Yen-lî | 68.2472 | 25 | 362 | 43,812 | 712 | |
| Zhunan(Chunan; Jhunan) | 竹南鎮 | Tek-lâm | Tsuk-nàm | 37.5592 | 25 | 518 | 89,420 | 2,226 | |
| Zhuolan(Jhuolan) | 卓蘭鎮 | Tah-lân | Cho̍k-làn | 75.316 | 11 | 176 | 15,290 | 240 | |
| Rural townships | Dahu | 大湖鄉 | Tōa-ô͘ | Thai-fù | 90.8392 | 12 | 179 | 13,035 | 171 |
| Gongguan(Kungkuan) | 公館鄉 | Kong-koán | Kûng-kón | 71.452 | 19 | 281 | 31,327 | 488 | |
| Nanzhuang(Nanchuang; Nanjhuang) | 南庄鄉 | Lâm-chng | Nàm-chông | 165.4936 | 9 | 184 | 8,903 | 65 | |
| Sanwan | 三灣鄉 | Sam-oan | Sâm-vân | 52.296 | 8 | 93 | 5,992 | 136 | |
| Sanyi | 三義鄉 | Sam-gī | Sâm-ngi | 69.3424 | 7 | 161 | 14,995 | 249 | |
| Shitan(Shihtan) | 獅潭鄉 | Sai-thâm | Sṳ̂-thàn | 79.432 | 7 | 98 | 4,110 | 59 | |
| Tongluo | 銅鑼鄉 | Tâng-lô | Thùng-lò | 78.38 | 10 | 218 | 16,563 | 241 | |
| Touwu | 頭屋鄉 | Thâu-ok | Thèu-vuk | 52.504 | 8 | 120 | 9,835 | 217 | |
| Xihu(Sihu) | 西湖鄉 | Se-ô͘ | Sî-fù | 41.0752 | 9 | 108 | 6,284 | 185 | |
| Zaoqiao(Zaociao) | 造橋鄉 | Chō-kiô | Cho-khièu | 47.9976 | 9 | 115 | 11,639 | 280 | |
| Mountain indigenous townships | Tai'an(Tai-an; Taian) | 泰安鄉 | Thài-an | Thai-ôn | 614.5936 | 8 | 64 | 5,672 | 10 |
| County total | 1,820.3149 | 274 | 4,725 | 535,011 | 312 | ||||
Colors indicate the common language status ofHakka within each division. Note thatNanzhuang andTai'an are alsoindigenous areas of theAtayal people.
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 550,343 | — |
| 1990 | 547,609 | −0.5% |
| 1995 | 560,128 | +2.3% |
| 2000 | 559,703 | −0.1% |
| 2005 | 559,986 | +0.1% |
| 2010 | 560,968 | +0.2% |
| 2015 | 563,912 | +0.5% |
| Source:"Populations by city and country in Taiwan".Ministry of the Interior Population Census. | ||
The main population of Miaoli County comprises the Han Chinese and theTaiwanese aborigines. The Taiwanese aborigines constitute about 1.9% of the total population where the rural areas is where theHokkiens are the main group in western urban areas of Miaoli, while theHakkas comprise the main group of Han Chinese in the rural southern and central parts of Miaoli county
TheSaisiat currently reside inWufeng Township ofHsinchu County andNanzhuang Township of Miaoli County.[7] Due to oppression by initial Han immigrants, theAtayal aboriginal group and theNanzhuang Incident, the population of the Saisiat people has decreased to 5,000 people. It is the least populous Taiwanese aboriginal group after theThao people. The traditions and culture of the Saisiat is greatly impacted by the Atayal aborigines andHakka people in the region.
During theQing Dynasty, Miaoli was inhabited by Hokkiens in the coast and Hakka in the rural peasant mountainous areas. Currently, the inhabitants of the four coastal townships of Miaoli (Nanzhuang Township,Houlong Township,Tongxiao Township, andYuanli Township) consists of primarilyTaiwanese Hokkien speakers. With the exception of the four coastal townships andTai'an Township, the main population consists of Hakka.
The main sports and recreational structures in Miaoli include Miaoli Sports Hall, Miaoli County Tennis Court, and the Park of Zhunan Township. In Taiwan's National Athletic Games of 2011, Miaoli ranked 21 out of 22 teams with 1 gold, 1 silver, and 8 bronze medals.
Popular regional agriculture, food production and culture promoted by the government include strawberries from Dahu Township, Hakkazongzi, SanwanChinese pears, Touwudaikons, Sanyi wood sculptures, and Tai'anpersimmons.
In 2019, annual revenue of Miaoli County is NT$19.1 billion, while its annual expenditure is NT$18.9 billion.[8] Monthly,Miaoli County Government spends NT$600 million on their staff salaries and another NT$600 million for retirement obligations. As of July 2015, the county government has a debt of NT$64.8 billion.[9]
On revenue, the county government received NT$9,572,442,000 from tax revenue (49.92% of all of its total revenue), NT$8,845,859,000 from subsidy and financial assistance (46.13% of all of its total revenue) and NT$283,792,000 from fines and compensation (1.49% of all of its total revenue). On expenditure, the county government spent NT$7,239,103,000 on education, science and culture (38.21% of all of its total expenditure), NT$4,457,682,000 for general and administration (23.53% of all of its total expenditure) and NT$2,267,660,000 on social welfare (11.97% of all of its total expenditure).[8]
Education-related affairs in Miaoli County is regulated by Education Department of theMiaoli County Government. At the end of 2004, the population of people older than 15 years old was 451,128, among which 97.91% of them were literate. There were 108,052 college-educated, 156,870 senior high school or junior college graduates, 176,755 junior high school or lower graduates. The percentage of people receiving education higher than college was relatively low.[10]
Miaoli County houses several universities and colleges, such as theNational United University,Yu Da University and Jen-Teh Junior College of Medicine, Nursing and Management.
Miaoli County houses the gas-firedTunghsiao Power Plant inTongxiao Township, the second largest gas-fired power plant in Taiwan with a capacity of 1,815 MW. The county also houses Taiwan's first offshore wind power plant namedFormosa 1 Offshore Wind Farm.
TheMingde Dam inTouwu Township supplies water for irrigation and water supply for the county. The dam has a capacity of 17.1 million cubic meters.
Tourist arrivals to Miaoli in 2011 was 17,000,000 people.[11]
Nature tourism in Miaoli County includesFlying Cow Ranch,Longfeng Fishing Port,Shei-Pa National Park,Waipu Fishing Port andYongheshan Reservoir.
The county houses several museums, such asHuoyan Mountain Ecology Museum,Miaoli Ceramics Museum,Miaoli County Urban Planning Exhibition Center,Miaoli Railway Museum,Museum of Saisiat Folklore,Sanyi Wood Sculpture Museum,Taiwan Oil Field Exhibition Hall,Triangle Rush Exhibition Hall andZaochiao Charcoal Museum.
Cultural centers in the county include theMiaoli Park,Wu Chuo-liu Art and Cultural Hall,Wugu Cultural Village,Yingtsai Academy andHakka Round House.
Entertainment centers in the county areNanzhuang Theater andWest Lake Resortopia.
Temples in the county areZhonggang Cihyu Temple,Gongtian Temple,Shuntian Temple,Yuqing Temple,Miaoli Wenchang Temple,Xuanwang Temple andMaling Temple.
The various cultural festivals of Miaoli County include, Miaoli Marine Tourism, Meng-Hua Literary Award, Hakka Tung Hua Festival, Hakka folk song festival, and Miaoli international tourism festival.
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Miaoli Station of theTaiwan High Speed Rail is located inHoulong Township. The county is also served by theWestern Trunk Line andTaichung Line ofTaiwan Railway. Stations on the Western Trunk Line include:
Stations on the Taichung Line include theZhunan,Zaoqiao,Fengfu,Miaoli,Nanshi,Tongluo, andSanyi Stations.
BothNational Freeway 1 andNational Freeway 3 pass through Miaoli County.
Places adjacent to Miaoli County | ||||||||||||||||
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字詞 【苗栗縣】注音 ㄇㄧㄠˊ ㄌㄧˋ ㄒㄧㄢˋ漢語拼音 miáo lì xiàn
(in English)Cities and townships ofMiaoli County | ||
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| Cities | | |
| Urban townships | ||
| Rural townships | ||
| Mountain indigenous townships | ||
| International | |
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| National | |
| Geographic | |
| Other | |
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