The municipality of Taipei is home to an estimated population of 2,494,813 (March 2023),[10] forming the core part of theTaipei–Keelung metropolitan area, also known as "Greater Taipei", which includes the nearby cities of New Taipei and Keelung with a population of 7,047,559,[10][11] the 40th most-populous urban area in the world—roughly one-third of Taiwanese citizens live in the metro areas. The name "Taipei" can refer either to the whole metropolitan area or just the municipality alone. Taipei has been the political center of the island since 1887, when it first became the seat ofTaiwan Province bythe Qing dynasty until 1895 and again from 1945 to 1956 by theRepublic of China (ROC) government,[b] with aninterregnum from 1895 to 1945 as the seat of theGovernment-General of Taiwan duringthe Japanese rule. The city has been the national seat of theROC central government since 1949, and it became the nation's first special municipality (then known as Yuan-controlled municipality) on 1 July 1967, upgrading fromprovincial city status.
In English-language news reports, the nameTaipei often serves as asynecdoche referring to the central government that controls theTaiwan Area. Due to the ambiguouspolitical status of Taiwan internationally, the termChinese Taipei is also frequently used as asynonym for the entire country, as when Taiwan's governmental representatives participate ininternational organizations or when Taiwan's athletes compete in international sporting events, including theOlympics.
The spellingsTaipei andTʻai-pei derive from theWade–Giles romanizationTʻai²-pei³[14] which meansthe North of Taiwan in Chinese. The name could be also romanized asTáiběi according toHanyu Pinyin andTongyong Pinyin.[15][16][17]
Prior to the significant influx of Han Chinese colonists, the region ofTaipei Basin was mainly inhabited by theplains aborigines calledKetagalan. The number of Han colonists gradually increased in the early 18th century underQing dynasty rule after the government began permitting development in the area.[23] In 1875, the northern part of the island was incorporated into the newTaipeh Prefecture.
It was formerly established as Taipeh-fu and was the temporary capital of the island in 1887 when it was declared a province (Fukien-Taiwan Province).[24][25] Taipeh was formally made the provincial capital in 1894. The romanized transcription of Taipeh was changed to Taihoku in 1895 when the Empire of Japan annexed Taiwan, based on the Japanese reading of the two characters. The writing in Chinese characters remained unaltered. Under Japanese rule, the city was administered underTaihoku Prefecture. Taiwan's Japanese rulers embarked on an extensive program of advancedurban planning that featured extensive railroad links. A number of Taipei landmarks and cultural institutions date from this period.[26]
In 1990, Taipei provided the backdrop for theWild Lily student rallies that moved Taiwanese society from one-party rule to multi-partydemocracy by1996. The city has served as the seat of Taiwan's democratically elected national government ever since.
In the late 19th century, the Taipei area, where the major Han Chinese settlements in northern Taiwan and one of the designated overseas trade ports,Tamsui, were located, gained economic importance due to the booming overseas trade, especially that oftea export. In 1875, the northern part of Taiwan was separated fromTaiwan Prefecture and incorporated into the newTaipeh Prefecture as a new administrative entity of the Qing dynasty.[26] Having been established adjoining the flourishing townships ofBangka,Dalongdong, andTwatutia, the new prefectural capital was known asChengnei (Chinese:城內;pinyin:chéngnèi;Pe̍h-ōe-jī:siâⁿ-lāi), "the inner city", and government buildings were erected there. From 1875 until the beginning of Japanese rule in 1895, Taipei was part of Tamsui County of Taipeh Prefecture and the prefectural capital.[33]
In 1885, as work commenced to govern the island as a province, Taipeh was thus temporarily designated as a provincial capital. The city officially became the capital in 1894.[citation needed] Nowadays, all that remains from the historical period is the north gate. The west gate andcity walls were demolished by the Japanese while the south gate, little south gate, and east gate were extensively modified by theKuomintang and have lost much of their original character.[34]
Map of eastern Taipei (labeled as TAIHOKU) and nearby areas (AMS, 1944)TheTaihoku Prefecture government building in the 1910s (now theControl Yuan building)
As settlement for losing theFirst Sino-Japanese War, China ceded theisland of Taiwan to theEmpire of Japan in 1895 as part of theTreaty of Shimonoseki. After the Japanese takeover, Taipei, romanized into English asTaihoku following the Japanese language pronunciation, was retained as the capital. It subsequently emerged as the political center of the Japanese Colonial Government.[26] During that time the city acquired the characteristics of an administrative center, including many new public buildings andhousing for civil servants. Much of the architecture of Taipei dates from the period ofJapanese rule, including thePresidential Office Building which was the Office of theGovernor-General of Taiwan.
During Japanese rule, Taihoku was incorporated in 1920 as part ofTaihoku Prefecture. It includedBangka,Twatutia, andJōnai (城內) among other small settlements. The eastern village ofMatsuyama (松山庄, modern-daySongshan District, Taipei) was annexed into Taihoku City in 1938. Taihoku and surrounding areas were bombed by Allied forces on several occasions. The largest of these Allied air raids, theTaihoku Air Raid, took place on 31 May 1945.
Upon the Japanese defeat following the nuclear bomb destruction ofHiroshima andNagasaki, and its consequent surrender in August 1945, theKuomintang (Chinese Nationalist Party)assumed control of Taiwan. Subsequently, Taipei was established as aprovincial city and a temporary Office of theTaiwan Province Administrative Governor was established in it.[35] In 1947 theKuomintang (KMT) government underChiang Kai-shek declared island-widemartial law in Taiwan as a result of the28 February Incident, which began with incidents in Taipei but led to an island-wide crackdown on the local population by forces loyal to Chiang. Two years later, on 7 December 1949, Chiang and the Kuomintang forces were forced to flee mainland China after the defeat by Communist revolutionaries. The KMT-led national government that fled to Taiwan declared Taipei to be the provisional capital of a continuing Republic of China.[27][28]
Taipeiexpanded greatly in the decades after 1949, and as approved on 30 December 1966, by theExecutive Yuan, Taipei was declared aspecial municipality on 1 July 1967.[32] In the following year, Taipei City expanded again by annexingShilin,Beitou,Neihu,Nangang,Jingmei, andMuzha. At that time, the city's total area increased fourfold by absorbing several outlying towns and villages and the population increased to 1.56 million people.[32]
The city's population, which had reached one million in the early 1960s, also expanded rapidly after 1967, exceeding two million by the mid-1970s. Although growth within the city itself gradually slowed thereafter[35] — its population had become relatively stable by the mid-1990s – Taipei remained one of the world's most densely populated urban areas, and the population continued to increase in the region surrounding the city, notably along the corridor between Taipei andKeelung.[original research?]
In 1990, Taipei's 16 districts were consolidated into the current 12 districts.[36]Mass democracy rallies that year in theplaza around Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall led to an island-wide transition to multi-partydemocracy, where legislators are chosen via regularly scheduled popular elections, during the presidency ofLee Teng-Hui.[original research?]
Aerial panorama of Taipei's west from the perspective of Tamsui RiverThe city of Taipei, as seen fromMaokong in 2014
Taipei City is located in theTaipei Basin in northernTaiwan.[37] It is bordered by theXindian River on the south and theTamsui River on the west. The generally low-lying terrain of the central areas on the western side of the municipality slopes upward to the south and east and especially to the north,[9] where it reaches the 1,120 m (3,670 ft)-tallQixing Mountain, the highest (dormant)volcano in Taiwan inYangmingshan National Park. The northern districts ofShilin andBeitou extend north of theKeelung River and are bordered by Yangmingshan National Park. The Taipei city limits cover an area of 271.7997 km2 (104.9425 sq mi),[38] ranking sixteenth of twenty-five amongall counties and cities in Taiwan.
Two peaks, Qixing Mountain and Mt. Datun, rise to the northeast of the city.[39] Qixing Mountain is located on theTatun Volcanic Group; its 1,120 m (3,670 ft)-high main peak renders it the tallest mountain at the rim of the Taipei Basin; 1,092 m (3,583 ft)-high Mt. Datun is a close runner up. These former volcanoes make up the western section of Yangmingshan National Park, extending from Mt. Datun northward to Mt. Caigongkeng (菜公坑山). Located on a broad saddle between two mountains, the area also contains the marshy Datun Pond.
To the southeast of the city lie the Songshan Hills and the Qingshui Ravine, which form a barrier of lush woods.[39]
Taipei has ahumid subtropical climate (Köppen:Cfa).[40][41][42][43] Summers are long-lasting, very hot and humid, and accompanied by occasional heavy rainstorms and typhoons; while winters are short, generally warm and generally veryfoggy due to the northeasterly winds from the vastSiberian High being intensified by the pooling of this cooler air in the Taipei Basin. As in the rest of Northern Taiwan, daytime temperatures of Taipei can often peak above 26 °C (79 °F) during a warm winter day, while they can dip below that same level during afternoon showers and thunderstorms in the summer. Occasional cold fronts during the winter months can drop the daily temperature by 3 to 5 °C (5.4 to 9.0 °F), though temperatures rarely drop below 10 °C (50 °F).[44] Extreme temperatures ranged from −0.2 °C (31.6 °F) on 13 February 1901 to 39.7 °C (103.5 °F) on 24 July 2020, while snow has never been recorded in the city besides on mountains located within the city limit such asYangmingshan. Due to Taiwan's location in the Pacific Ocean, it is affected by thePacific typhoon season, which occurs between June and October.
Climate data for Taipei (normals 1991–2020, extremes 1896–present)
In comparison to otherAsian cities, Taipei has "excellent" capabilities for managingair quality in the city.[50] Its rainy climate, location near the coast, and strong environmental regulations have prevented air pollution from becoming a substantial health issue, at least compared to cities in southeast Asia and industrial China. However, smog is extremely common and there is poor visibility throughout the city after rainless days.
Motor vehicle engine exhaust, particularly from motor scooters, is a source ofair pollution in Taipei. There are higher levels of fineparticulate matter andpolycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the mornings because of less air movement; sunlight reduces some pollution.[51]
While Taipei City is home to 2,524,393 people (2022), the greatermetropolitan area has a population of 7,047,559 people.[10] Even though the population of the city has been decreasing in recent years, the population of adjacentNew Taipei has been increasing. The population loss, while rapid in its early years, was slowed by lower density development and campaigns designed to increase the birthrate in the city in the 2010s. As a result, the population rose 2010–2015.[10][57][58]
Due to Taipei's geography and location in theTaipei Basin as well as differing times of settlement and differing degrees of economic development of its districts, Taipei's population is not evenly distributed. The districts ofDaan,Songshan, andDatong are the most densely populated. These districts, along with adjacent communities such asYonghe andZhonghe, contain some of the most densely populated neighborhoods in the world.[57]
In 2008, thecrude birth rate stood at 7.88%, while themortality rate stood at 5.94%. A decreasing and rapidly aging population is an important issue for the city.[57] By the end of 2009, one in ten people in Taipei was over 65 years of age.[59] Residents who had obtained a college education or higher accounted for 43.48% of the population, and the literacy rate stood at 99.18%.[57]
Like the rest of Taiwan, Taipei is composed of four major ethnic subgroups:Hoklos,Waishengren,Hakkas, andaborigines.[57] Although Hoklos andWaishengren form the majority of the population of the city, in recent decades many Hakkas have moved into the city. The aboriginal population in the city stands at 16,713 at the end of 2018 (<1%), concentrated mostly in the suburban districts. Foreigners (mainly fromIndonesia, thePhilippines, andJapan) numbered 71,858 at the end of 2022.[57][60]
As Taiwan's business, financial, and technology hub, Taipei has been at the center of rapid economic development in the country and has now become one of the global cities in technology and electronics.[61] This development is part of the so-calledTaiwan Economic Miracle which has seen dramatic growth in the city followingforeign direct investment in the 1960s. Taiwan is now acreditor economy, holding one of the world's largestforeign exchange reserves of over US$403 billion as of December 2012.[62]
Despite theAsian financial crisis, the economy continues to expand at about 5% per year, with virtually full employment and low inflation. The city's GDP stand at US$327 billion in 2014.[63] As of 2013[update], the nominal GDP per capita in Taipei city is 5th highest in East Asia, behind Tokyo, Singapore, Osaka, and Hong Kong, but ahead of Seoul, as well as London and Paris, according toThe Economist.[64] GDP per capita based on Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) in Taipei in 2015 was US$44,173, behind that of Singapore (US$90,151 in 2016 from the IMF) and Hong Kong (US$58,322 in 2016 from the IMF; also based on PPP).[65] TheFinancial Times ranked Taipei highly in economic potential (2nd, behind Tokyo) and business friendliness (4th) in 2015.[66] The city is home to 30 billionaires, the 16th most in the world, ahead of many global cities such as Los Angeles and Sydney.[67] Business Insider also ranks Taipei the 5th most high-tech city globally, the highest in Asia, in 2017.[68] While the IESE Cities in Motion Index 2017 ranks Taipei as the smartest technology city globally.[69]
Taipei's main development fields include theinformation and communications technology (hardware and software), biotechnology, general merchandizing (wholesale/retail), financial services, andMICE industries. Most of the country's major firms are based there includingAcer Computers,Asus,CTBC Bank,Fubon Financial Holding,Tatung Company,D-Link, and others. 5 Global Fortune 500 companies are headquartered in Taipei.[70] The city also attracts many multi-national corporations, international financial institutions, foreign consulates, and business organizations to set up base there. Thus, Taipei has nearly 3,500 registered foreign businesses and attracts over 50% of the total foreign investment in Taiwan.[71] Foreign companies with offices or regional headquarters in Taipei includeGoogle,Microsoft,IBM,Intel,HSBC,Citibank,Facebook,Amazon,Apple,JP Morgan,PwC, and many others. Most financial and foreign firms like to reside in the central business district of Taipei, theXinyi Special District: Citi, JP Morgan, DBS Bank, Cathay Life Insurance, Shin Kong Commercial Bank, and Hua Nan Bank have all established skyscrapers in the area. Meanwhile, technology and electronics companies are often co-located in theNeihu Technology Park or theNankang Software Park. The startup and innovation scene in Taipei is also very vibrant. In 2018 alone, Microsoft announced plans to invest US$34 million to create an artificial intelligence R&D center in Taipei, while Google announced it will hire 300 people and train 5,000 more in artificial intelligence for machines.[72] Taipei is Google's biggest engineering site in Asia.[73] IBM also announced in 2018 that it will develop a cloud research lab and expand its R&D center in Taipei with eyes on artificial intelligence, blockchain technology, and cloud computing. According to the 2016 Global Entrepreneurship Development Index, Taipei's entrepreneurial spirit ranks 6th worldwide and 1st in Asia.[74] Taipei has more than 400 startups and numerous incubation centers, accelerators, venture capitals, and angel investors.[75] The city's startup ecosystem is valued at US$580 million by Startup Genome in 2018.[76]
Tourism is a small but significant component of the local economy[77][78] with international visitors totaling almost 3 million in 2008.[79] Taipei has many top tourist attractions and contributes a significant amount to the US$6.8 billion tourism industry in Taiwan.[80]
Tourism is a major part of Taipei's economy. In 2013, over 6.3 million overseas visitors visited Taipei, making the city the 15th most visited globally.[81] The influx of visitors contributed US$10.8 billion to the city's economy in 2013, the 9th highest in the world and the most of any city in the Chinese-speaking world.[82]
TheNational Taiwan Museum sits nearby in what is now228 Peace Memorial Park and has worn its present name since 1999. The museum isTaiwan's oldest, founded on 24 October 1908 by Taiwan'sJapanese colonial government (1895–1945) as the Taiwan Governor's Museum. It was launched with a collection of 10,000 items to celebrate the opening of the island's North–South Railway.[84] In 1915 a new museum building opened its doors in what is now228 Peace Memorial Park. This structure and the adjacent governor's office (nowPresidential Office Building), served as the two most recognizable public buildings in Taiwan during its period ofJapanese rule.[84]
TheNational Palace Museum is a vastart gallery andmuseum built around a permanent collection centered onancient Chinese artifacts. It should not be confused with thePalace Museum inBeijing (which it is named after); both institutions trace their origins to the same institution. The collections were divided in the 1940s as a result of theChinese Civil War.[85][86] The National Palace Museum in Taipei now boasts a truly international collection while housing one of the world's largest collections of artifacts from ancient China.[86]
TheShung Ye Museum of Formosan Aborigines stands just 200 m (660 ft) across the road from the National Palace Museum. The museum offers displays of art and historical items byTaiwanese aborigines along with a range of multimedia displays.
TheTaipei Fine Arts Museum was established in 1983 as the first museum in Taiwan dedicated tomodern art. The museum is housed in a building designed for the purpose that takes inspiration from Japanese designs. Most art in the collection is byTaiwanese artists since 1940. Over 3,000 art works are organized into 13 groups.
In 2001 a new museum opened asMuseum of Contemporary Art Taipei. The museum is housed in a building that formerly housed Taipei City government offices.[88]
Taipei 101 is a 101-floorlandmarkskyscraper that claimed the title ofworld's tallest building when it opened in 2004, a title it held for six years before theBurj Khalifa inDubai was completed. Designed byC.Y. Lee & Partners and constructed byKTRT Joint Venture, Taipei 101 measures 509 m (1,670 ft) from ground to top, making it the first skyscraper in the world to break the half-kilometer mark in height. Built to withstand typhoon winds and earthquake tremors, its design incorporates many engineering innovations and has won numerous international awards. Today, the Taipei 101 remains one of the tallest skyscrapers in the world and holdsLEED's certification as the world's largest "green" building. Its shopping mall and its indoor and outdoor observatories draws visitors from all over the world. Taipei 101'sNew Year's Eve fireworks display is a regular feature of international broadcasts.
Taipei is known for its manynight markets, which include theShilin Night Market in theShilin District. The surrounding streets by Shilin Night Market are extremely crowded during the evening, usually opening late afternoon and operating well past midnight. Most night markets feature individual stalls selling a mixture of food, clothing, and consumer goods.
Ximending has been an area for shopping and entertainment since the 1930s. Historic structures include a concert hall, a historic cinema, and theRed House Theater. Modern structures house karaoke businesses, art film cinemas, wide-release movie cinemas, electronic stores, and a wide variety of restaurants and fashion clothing stores.[94] The pedestrian area is especially popular with teens and has been called the "Harajuku" of Taipei.[95]
The newly developedXinyi District is popular with tourists and locals alike for its many entertainment and shopping venues, as well as being the home ofTaipei 101, a prime tourist attraction. Malls in the area include the sprawlingShin Kong Mitsukoshi complex, Breeze Center, Bellavita, Taipei 101 mall,Eslite Bookstore's flagship store (which includes a boutique mall), The Living Mall, ATT shopping mall, and the Vieshow Cinemas (formerly known as Warner Village). The Xinyi district also serves as the center of Taipei's active nightlife, with several popular lounge bars and nightclubs concentrated in a relatively small area around the Neo19, ATT 4 FUN and Taipei 101 buildings.
Taipei has a variety of temples dedicating to Deities fromChinese folk religion,Taoism andChinese Buddhism. TheBangka Lungshan Temple (艋舺龍山寺), built in 1738 and located in theWanhua District, demonstrates an example of architecture with southernChinese influences commonly seen on older buildings in Taiwan.Qingshui Temple (艋舺清水巖) built in 1787 and Qingshan Temple (艋舺青山宮) together with Lungshan Temple are the three most prominent landmark temples in Bangka or Wanhua District.
Other temples includeBaoan Temple (大龍峒保安宮) located in historicDalongdong, a national historical site, andXia Hai City God Temple (大稻埕霞海城隍廟), located in the oldDadaocheng community, constructed with architecture similar to temples in southernFujian.[96] TheTaipei Confucius Temple (臺北孔子廟) traces its history back to 1879 during theQing dynasty and also incorporates southern Fujian-style architecture.[97]Ciyou Temple (松山慈祐宮) in Songshan District,Guandu Temple (關渡宮) in Beitou District,Hsing Tian Kong (行天宮) in Zhongshan District andZhinan Temple (指南宮) in Wenshan District are also popular temples for locals and tourists.Xinsheng South Road is known as the "Road to Heaven" due to its high concentration of temples, churches, and other houses of worship.[98][99]
TheShandao Temple (善導寺) built in 1929 and located in Zhongzheng District, is the largest Buddhist temple in Taipei.Fo Guang Shan has a modern temple known as Fo Guang Shan Taipei Vihara (佛光山臺北道場) in Xinyi District, whileDharma Drum Mountain owns the Degui Academy (德貴學苑), an education center in Zhongzheng District and theNung Chan Monastery (農禪寺) in Beitou District.Linji Huguo Chan Temple (臨濟護國禪寺) in Zhongshan District was commenced in 1900 and completed in 1911, it is one of the very few Japanese style Buddhist Temples that was well-preserved in Taiwan.
Besides large temples, small outdoor shrines to local deities are very common and are commonly found next to roads as well as in parks and neighborhoods. Many homes and businesses may also set up small shrines of candles, figurines, and offerings. Some restaurants, for example, may set up a small shrine to theKitchen God for success in a restaurant business.[100]
Many yearly festivals are held in Taipei. In recent years some festivals, such as the Double Ten Day fireworks and concerts, are increasingly hosted on a rotating basis by a number of cities around Taiwan.
The TaipeiLantern Festival concludes theLunar New Year holiday. The timing of the city's lantern exhibit coincides with the national festival inPingxi, when thousands of fire lanterns are released into the sky.[102] The city's lantern exhibit rotates among different downtown locales from year to year, includingLiberty Square,Taipei 101, andZhongshan Hall inXimending.
Taipei regularly hosts its share of international events. The city recently hosted the 2009Summer Deaflympics.[103] This event was followed by theTaipei International Flora Exposition, agarden festival hosted from November 2010 to April 2011. The Floral Expo was the first of its kind to take place in Taiwan and only the seventh hosted inAsia; the expo admitted 110,000 visitors on 27 February 2011.
Based on the outcomes of previous elections in the past decade, the vote of the overall constituency of Taipei City shows a slight inclination towards the pro-KMT camp (thePan-Blue Coalition);[106] however, the pro-DPP camp (thePan-Green Coalition) also has considerable support.[107]
Ketagalan Boulevard, where thePresidential Office Building and other government structures are situated, is often the site of mass gatherings such as inauguration and national holiday parades, receptions for visiting dignitaries, political demonstrations,[108][109] and public festivals.[110]
Taipei City strongly promotes garbage recycling, with such success that other countries have sent teams to study the recycling system. After theEnvironmental Protection Administration (EPA) established a program in 1998 combining the efforts of communities, a financial resource named the Recycling Fund was made available to recycling companies and waste collectors. The EPA also introduced garbage recycling trucks, in effort to raise community recycling awareness, that broadcast classical music (specifically Beethoven's "Für Elise" and Tekla Bądarzewska-Baranowska's "A Maiden's Prayer") to announce its arrival to the community.[111] Manufacturers, vendors and importers of recyclable waste pay fees to the Fund, which uses the money to set firm prices for recyclables and subsidize local recycling efforts. Between 1998 and 2008, the recycling rate increased from 6 percent to 32 percent.[112] This improvement enabled the government of Taipei to demonstrate its recycling system to the world at theShanghai World Expo 2010.
Taipei City is divided up into 12 administrativedistricts (區;qū).[113] Each district is further divided up intourban villages (里), which are further sub-divided up into neighborhoods (鄰).Xinyi District is the seat of the municipality where theTaipei City Government headquarters is located.
The city is characterized by straight roads and public buildings of grand Western architectural styles.[116] The city is built on a square grid configuration; however, these blocks are huge by international standards with 500 m (1,640.42 ft) sides. The area in between these blocks is infilled with lanes and alleys, which provide access to quieter residential or mixed-use development. Other than a citywide 30 km/h (19 mph) speed limit, there is little uniform planning within this "hidden" area; therefore, lanes (perpendicular to streets) and alleys (parallel with streets, or, conceptually, perpendicular to lanes) spill out from the maincontrolled-access highways. These minor roads are not always perpendicular and sometimes cut through the block diagonally.
Although development began in the western districts of the city (still considered the cultural heart of Taipei) due to trade, the eastern districts have become the focus of recent development projects. Many of the western districts have become targets ofurban renewal initiatives.[116]
Public transport accounts for a substantial portion of transportation trips in Taipei. According to a 2022 government survey, 34.9% of transportation trips were taken on public transit in Taipei, higher than any other locality in the country.[117]Private transport consists ofmotor scooters, private cars, taxi cabs andbicycles. Private transport trips represented 41.6% of trips taken in Taipei in 2022, the lowest in Taiwan.[117]
Taipei Main Station serves as the comprehensive hub for the subway, bus, conventional rail, and high-speed rail.[118] Acontactless smartcard, known asEasyCard, can be used for all modes of public transit as well as several retail outlets. It contains credits that are deducted each time a ride is taken.[119] The EasyCard is read viaMIFARE panels on buses and in MRT stations, and it does not need to be removed from one's wallet or purse.
Taipei's public transport system, theTaipei Metro (commonly referred to as the MRT), incorporates ametro andlight rail system based on advancedVAL andBombardier technology. There are currently six metro lines that are organized and labeled in three ways: by color, line number and depot station name. In addition to the rapid transit system itself, the Taipei Metro also includes several public facilities such as theMaokong Gondola, underground shopping malls, parks, and public squares. Modifications to existingrailway lines to integrate them into the metro system are underway.
On 31 January 2020, Hitachi Rail Corporation officially commissioned Phase 1 of theCircular line which took place atShisizhang station. The Circular line is a 15.4 km driverless rail system. The Circular line offered free rides beginning in February 2020 for passengers to test the route.[120][121]
An extensivecity bus system serves metropolitan areas not covered by the metro, with exclusive bus lanes to facilitate transportation.[118] Riders of the city metro system are able to use the EasyCard for discounted fares on buses, and vice versa. A unique feature of the Taipei bus system is the joint venture of private transportation companies that operate the system's routes while sharing the fare system. This route is in sharp contrast to bus systems in the U.S. which are mostly public entities. Several major intercity bus terminals are located throughout the city, including theTaipei Bus Station andTaipei City Hall Bus Station.[124]
In 1994, following the rapid development of Taipei, a white paper for transport policies expressed the strong objective of creating a transport system for the people of Taipei to accommodate the burgeoning city's needs. In 1999, they chose Mitac consortium, which Thales-Transportation Systems is part of.Thales was then selected again in 2005 to deploy an upgrade of Taipei's public transport network with an end-to-end and fully contactless automatic fare collection solution that integrates 116 metro stations, 5,000 buses and 92 car parks.[citation needed]
Taipei is home to the campuses of 24 universities andAcademia Sinica, Taiwan's national academy which supports the Taiwan International Graduate Program:
National Taiwan University (NTU orTai-Da) was established in 1928 during the period of Japanese colonial rule. NTU has produced many political and social leaders in Taiwan. Bothpan-blue andpan-green movements in Taiwan are rooted on the NTU campus. The university has six campuses in the greater Taipei region (includingNew Taipei) and two additional campuses inNantou County. The university governs farms, forests, and hospitals for educational and research purposes. The main campus is in Taipei's Da-An district, where most department buildings and all the administrative buildings are located. The College of Law and the College of Medicine are located near thePresidential Office Building. TheNational Taiwan University Hospital is a leading international center of medical research.[125]
National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU orShi-Da) likewise traces its origins to the Japanese colonial period. Founded as Taihoku College in 1922 and organized as a teacher training institution by the Kuomintang in 1946, NTNU has since developed into a comprehensive international university. The university boasts especially strong programs in the humanities and international education. Worldwide it is perhaps best known as home of theMandarin Training Center, a program that offersMandarin language training each year to over a thousand students from scores of countries throughout the world. The main campus, in Taipei's Daan district near MRT Guting Station, is known for its historic architecture. The Shida market area surrounding this campus takes its name from the school's acronym.
TheTaipei Arena is located at the site of the formerTaipei Municipal Baseball Stadium (demolished in 2000), with a capacity of over 15,000. It was opened on 1 December 2005 and has since held more art and cultural activities (such as live concerts) than sporting events, which it was originally designed for.[130] TheChinese Taipei Ice Hockey League plays out of the auxiliary arena.
Taipei Dome andTianmu Baseball Stadium are the major baseball venues in Taipei. TheTaipei Dome, which has the capacity to house 40,071 seats, is estimated to finish construction by the end of 2023.[131]
Taipei Municipal Stadium is amultipurpose stadium that hosts football and track and field events, as well as concerts, both live and prerecorded.[132] Originally built in 1956, it was demolished and reconstructed in 2009.[133]
In 2010, a Taipei baseball team—Chung-Ching Junior Little League—won theJunior League World Series. The achievement came after winning the Asia-Pacific Region, then defeating the Mexico Region and Latin America Region champions to become the International champion, and finally defeating the U.S. champion (Southwest Region), Rose Capital East LL (Tyler, Texas), 9–1.[134] Taiwan'sLittle League World Series international team has won 17 championships, the most wins in the league.[135]
TVBS-G produces programs mainly from theirNangang building inTaipei City.
As the capital, Taipei City is the headquarters for many television and radio stations in Taiwan and the center of some of the country's largest newspapers.
Taipei's name is used in aprofessional wrestling match named the "Taipei Deathmatch" in which the wrestlers' fists are taped and dipped into glue and in broken and crushed glass, allowing shards to stick to their fists. This match can be won by pinfall, submission or escape.[148]
WriterTao Lin's 2013 novel is titledTaipei and takes place in both New York City and Taipei, where the protagonist Paul's parents were born and live. In the novel, the character named Paul gets married and then visits Taipei with his new wife. They take MDMA and LSD and film a mock documentary on "Taiwan's first McDonald's."[149] The novel was made into a movie titledHigh Resolution, starringJustin Chon andEllie Bamber.[150]
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1 The provinces are merely retained as nominal entities within the constitutional structure, as they have no governing power following the formal dissolution of the provincial administrative organs in 2018. Cities and counties are de facto regarded as the principal constituent divisions of the ROC.
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