T’ai-chung

T’ai-chung, special municipality (chih-hsia shih, or zhizia shi), west-central Taiwan. Since 1959 it has been the seat of the provincial administration of Taiwan province.

T’ai-chung grew in the early 19th century as the collecting centre for a fertile agricultural basin situated between the low west-coast uplands and the central highlands. When in 1891 the provincial capital was moved from T’ai-nan (Tainan) to Taipei (Taibei), T’ai-chung was considered as an alternative site. During the period of the Japanese occupation (1895–1945), most of the old town was torn down, and T’ai-chung was laid out on a broad regular plan as a modern city. Its trade was greatly stimulated by the completion of the main railway, connecting T’ai-chung with Taipei and Chi-lung (Jilong, or Keelung) in the north and with T’ai-nan and Kao-hsiung (Gaoxiong) in the south. The city became a major market for the rice, sugar, and bananas produced in the surrounding area, thus replacing Chang-hua (Zhanghua) to the southwest as the commercial centre of the region. In the 1970s a harbour and fishing port were developed on the coast to the west of the city, and T’ai-chung was designated an export-processing zone to encourage foreign investment.

T’ai-chung grew rapidly, its population more than tripling between 1948 and 1977. Its size again increased dramatically when, in 2010, the municipality and the surrounding T’ai-chung county were combined administratively to form the considerably larger special municipality that had the status of a county. As part of that process a number of former municipalities were converted into city districts of the new entity. T’ai-chung has a large percentage of refugees from the Chinese mainland among its population. Since it became the provincial capital in 1959, it has acquired administrative functions. T’ai-chung is also a cultural centre, with various institutions of higher education. Area 855 square miles (2,214 square km). Pop. (2015 est.) 2,744,445.