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Chiayi (, Taigi POJ: ''Ka-gī''; ), officially known as Chiayi City, is a
city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...
located in the plains of southwestern
Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the no ...
. Formerly called ''Kagee'' during the late
Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speak ...
and ''Kagi'' during the Japanese era (), its historical name is ''Tirosen''.


History


Early history

First inhabited by the Hoanya aborigines, the region was named Tirosen (variants ''Tirocen'', ''Tiracen''). With the arrival of
Han Chinese The Han Chinese () or Han people (), are an East Asian ethnic group native to China. They constitute the world's largest ethnic group, making up about 18% of the global population and consisting of various subgroups speaking distinctive v ...
immigrants in southwestern Taiwan, the name evolved to become ''Tsulosan'' () in
Hokkien The Hokkien () variety of Chinese is a Southern Min language native to and originating from the Minnan region, where it is widely spoken in the south-eastern part of Fujian in southeastern mainland China. It is one of the national languages ...
. Eventually, Tsulosan was shortened to simply Tsulo. Because of the choice of the characters, it has been mistakenly suggested that the origin of the name came from the expression "mountains surrounding the east". "Peach City" is another name for Chiayi City due to its peach-shaped territory in ancient times. The tip of the peach is around Central Fountain and was called "Peach-tip" by citizens. Tsulosan was once the foothold to which people from the mainland immigrated. In 1621, , who came from
Zhangzhou Zhangzhou (), alternately romanized as Changchow, is a prefecture-level city in Fujian Province, China. The prefecture around the city proper comprises the southeast corner of the province, facing the Taiwan Strait and surrounding the prefect ...
,
Fujian Fujian (; alternately romanized as Fukien or Hokkien) is a province on the southeastern coast of China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, Guangdong to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the east. Its ...
Province, first led his people to cultivate this land after they landed at ''Ponkan'' (modern-day Beigang).


Dutch Formosa

Records from the Dutch era show Tirosen as the usual form of the name; it also occurred as ''Tirassen'', ''Tirozen'', ''Tilocen'', ''Tilossen'', ''Tilocen'', and ''Thilocen''. The place was north of Mattau (modern-day Madou, Tainan) and south of Favorlang (
Huwei, Yunlin Huwei Township () is an urban township in Yunlin County, Taiwan. It has a population of about 70,269. Name In the 17th century, during the Dutch era, '' Favorolang'' was one of the largest and most powerful aboriginal villages in Taiwan. Th ...
).


Kingdom of Tungning

In 1661 (the 15th year of Yung-Li,
Ming dynasty The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last ort ...
),
Koxinga Zheng Chenggong, Prince of Yanping (; 27 August 1624 – 23 June 1662), better known internationally as Koxinga (), was a Ming loyalist general who resisted the Qing conquest of China in the 17th century, fighting them on China's southeastern ...
defeated the Dutch based in Taiwan and founded the
Kingdom of Tungning The Kingdom of Tungning (), also known as Tywan by the British at the time, was a dynastic maritime state that ruled part of southwestern Taiwan and the Penghu islands between 1661 and 1683. It is the first predominantly Han Chinese state in ...
. He established one province, , and two counties, and , demarcated by the Hsin-Kang River (, now the Yanshui River). Chiayi was under the jurisdiction of the Tien-Hsing County.


Qing dynasty

In 1683, when Qing rule began, the island was governed as Taiwan Prefecture under the administration of
Fujian Province Fujian (; alternately romanized as Fukien or Hokkien) is a province on the southeastern coast of China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, Guangdong to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the east. Its ...
. In 1684, Tsulo County was established and initially encompassed the underdeveloped northern two-thirds of Taiwan. (Taiwan and Hongsoa counties were divided from Wan-Nien County during the
Kingdom of Tungning The Kingdom of Tungning (), also known as Tywan by the British at the time, was a dynastic maritime state that ruled part of southwestern Taiwan and the Penghu islands between 1661 and 1683. It is the first predominantly Han Chinese state in ...
, which was changed from Tien-Hsing County.) In 1704, the county seat was moved to Tsulosan, the site of modern-day Chiayi City, and had wooden city walls. In 1727, the county magistrate, Liu Liang-Bi rebuilt the gatehouses and set a gun platform for each gatehouse. The four gatehouses were named: "Chin Shan" () for East, "Tai Hai" () for West, "Chung Yang" () for South, and "Kung Chen" () for North. In 1734 (the 12th year of Yongzheng), magistrate Lu-Hung built piercing-bamboo to better protect the city. In 1786, the Lin Shuangwen rebellion was an attempt to siege Tsulosan but failed to overcome the defense of the inhabitants. Consequently, on November 3 of the next year, the Qing Emperor conferred the name Kagee (; ) to praise the citizens' loyalty. In the mid-1800s, a custom of annual riotous mass
stoning Stoning, or lapidation, is a method of capital punishment where a group throws stones at a person until the subject dies from blunt trauma. It has been attested as a form of punishment for grave misdeeds since ancient times. The Torah and Ta ...
developed in the city. In 1887, a separate
Taiwan Province Taiwan Province (; PFS: ''Thòi-vàn-sén'' or ''Thòi-vân-sén'') is a nominal administrative division of the Republic of China (ROC). Its definition has remained part of the Constitution of the Republic of China, but the province is no lo ...
was declared and the island was administratively divided into four prefectures; the city of Kagee belonged to
Tainan Prefecture was one of the administrative divisions of Taiwan during the Japanese rule. The prefecture consisted of modern-day Tainan City, Chiayi City, Chiayi County and Yunlin County. Population Administrative divisions Cities and districts In 19 ...
.


Japanese rule

In 1895, Taiwan was ceded to
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the n ...
in the
Treaty of Shimonoseki The , also known as the Treaty of Maguan () in China and in the period before and during World War II in Japan, was a treaty signed at the , Shimonoseki, Japan on April 17, 1895, between the Empire of Japan and Qing China, ending the Firs ...
. The
1906 Meishan earthquake The 1906 Meishan earthquake () was centered on ''Moe'akhe'' (), Kagi-cho, Japanese Taiwan (modern-day Meishan, Chiayi County, Taiwan) and occurred on March 17. Referred to at the time as the Great Kagi earthquake (), it is the third-deadliest ear ...
devastated the entire city wall except the Eastern Gate. The Japanese authorities reconstructed the city. Industries and trades started to flourish. According to the census taken in 1904, Kagi was the fourth most populous city in Taiwan, with a population of over twenty thousand. The Great Kagi earthquake (later also known as the 1906 Meishan earthquake) struck the city in mid March 1906. In 1907, the construction of
Alishan Forest Railway Alishan Forest Railway () is an 86 km network of narrow gauge railways running up to and throughout the popular mountain resort of Alishan in Chiayi County, Taiwan. The railway, originally constructed for logging, has become a tourist a ...
to Mount Ali was begun. In 1920, the city became an autonomous group as , Kagi District, within
Tainan Prefecture was one of the administrative divisions of Taiwan during the Japanese rule. The prefecture consisted of modern-day Tainan City, Chiayi City, Chiayi County and Yunlin County. Population Administrative divisions Cities and districts In 19 ...
, which included modern-day
Tainan City Tainan (), officially Tainan City, is a special municipality in southern Taiwan facing the Taiwan Strait on its western coast. Tainan is the oldest city on the island and also commonly known as the "Capital City" for its over 200 years of h ...
,
Chiayi County Chiayi County ( Mandarin pinyin: ''jiā yì xiàn''; Hokkien POJ: ''Ka-gī-koān'') is a county in southwestern Taiwan surrounding but not including Chiayi City. It is the sixth largest county in Taiwan. Name The former Chinese placename wa ...
and
Yunlin County Yunlin County ( Mandarin pinyin: ''Yúnlín Xiàn''; Taigi POJ: ''Hûn-lîm-koān''; Hakka PFS: ''Yùn-lìm-yen'') is a county in western Taiwan. Yunlin County borders the Taiwan Strait to the west, Nantou County to the east, Changhua County ...
. In 1930, the town was upgraded to an autonomous city under the same prefecture.


Republic of China

After the handover of Taiwan from Japan to the
Republic of China Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the northeas ...
in October 1945, Chiayi City was established as a provincial city of
Taiwan Province Taiwan Province (; PFS: ''Thòi-vàn-sén'' or ''Thòi-vân-sén'') is a nominal administrative division of the Republic of China (ROC). Its definition has remained part of the Constitution of the Republic of China, but the province is no lo ...
. The city consisted of 8 districts, which were Bajiang, Beimen, Beizhen, Nanmen, Tungmen, Tungshan, Ximen and Zhuwei
Districts A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions ...
. In 1946, the districts was reorganized to 6 districts in which Bajiang and Nanmen were merged to become Xinnan, Beimen and Beizhen were merged to become Xinbei, Tungmen and Tungshan were merged to become Xindong, Ximen and Zhuwei were merged to become Xinxi District and there were 2 addition of districts from
Tainan County Tainan County was a county in southern Taiwan between 1945 and 2010. The county seat was in Sinying City. History Tainan County was established on 7 January 1946 on the territory of Tainan Prefecture () shortly after the end of World War ...
which were Shuishang and Taibao Districts. Chiayi saw some of the most violent events during the 228 Incident. In early March, local militas surrounded the Shueishang Airport and fought against the KMT military. There were over 300 casualties. On 12 March 1947, negotiators for peace, including
Tan Teng-pho Tan Teng-pho (; 2 February 1895 – 25 March 1947), was a Taiwanese painter and politician. In 1926, his oil painting '' Street of Chiayi'' was featured in the seventh in Japan, which was the first time a Taiwanese artist's work could be ...
and , were arrested after arriving at the airport and were executed on 25 March. The Kuomintang also executed many civilians in Chiayi. On 16 August 1950, because of the re-allocation of administrative areas in which Taiwan was divided into 16 counties, five provincial cities and a special bureau, Chiayi City was downgraded to a
county-administered city A county-administered city is a unit of administrative divisions of Taiwan, administrative division in Taiwan. Under the administrative structure of Taiwan, it is at the same level as a township (Taiwan), township or a district (Taiwan), district ...
and merged with
Chiayi County Chiayi County ( Mandarin pinyin: ''jiā yì xiàn''; Hokkien POJ: ''Ka-gī-koān'') is a county in southwestern Taiwan surrounding but not including Chiayi City. It is the sixth largest county in Taiwan. Name The former Chinese placename wa ...
to be the
county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...
. As a result, a shortage of capital hindered its development. On 1 July 1982, Chiayi City was elevated again to a provincial city as a result of pressure from local elites. On 6 October 1990, the East District and
West District West District may refer to: __NOTOC__ China * West District (Zhongshan), in Guangdong * West District (Panzhihua), in Sichuan India * West Delhi * West Sikkim district Taiwan * West District, Chiayi, in Chiayi City * West District, Taichung, in ...
were established.


Geography

Chiayi City is located on the north side of
Chianan Plain Chianan or Jianan may refer to: Taiwan * Chianan Plain, largest plain in Taiwan * Chianan Irrigation, canals of Chianan Plain of Taiwan Han Dynasty *Jian'an, name for the period of rule (196—220) of the Emperor Xian of Han *Seven Scholars of J ...
, south west of Taiwan Island. On the east side is the Mount Ali, on the west side is the Chiayi Airport, on the north side is the Puzi River and on the south side is the Bazhang River. The distance from east to west of Chiayi City is and from north to south is with a total area of . Chiayi City is completely surrounded by
Chiayi County Chiayi County ( Mandarin pinyin: ''jiā yì xiàn''; Hokkien POJ: ''Ka-gī-koān'') is a county in southwestern Taiwan surrounding but not including Chiayi City. It is the sixth largest county in Taiwan. Name The former Chinese placename wa ...
. Most of Chiayi City land are broad flat fertile plains. The terrain slowly rises from west to east. Chiayi is also one of the closest Taiwanese cities to the
Tropic of Cancer The Tropic of Cancer, which is also referred to as the Northern Tropic, is the most northerly circle of latitude on Earth at which the Sun can be directly overhead. This occurs on the June solstice, when the Northern Hemisphere is tilted towa ...
, with the latitudinal line lying just south of the city.


Climate

Chiayi City has a warm
humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...
( Köppen ''Cwa''). Northeasterly winds during fall and winter mean that rainfall is depressed during that time, while southwesterly winds during summer and the later portion of spring bring most of the year's rainfall, with more than 60% falling from June to August. Humidity is high year-round, even during winter.


Government

Chiayi City is a provincial city of
Taiwan Province Taiwan Province (; PFS: ''Thòi-vàn-sén'' or ''Thòi-vân-sén'') is a nominal administrative division of the Republic of China (ROC). Its definition has remained part of the Constitution of the Republic of China, but the province is no lo ...
of the
Republic of China Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the northeas ...
. The city is governed by the
Chiayi City Government Chiayi City Government () is the municipal government of Chiayi City, Taiwan Province, Republic of China. History Kingdom of Tungning (1661–1683) *1661, Koxinga came to Taiwan and expel Dutch. Founded first Chinese Government in Taiwan. E ...
, while the residence is represented in the
Chiayi City Council The Chiayi City Council (CYCC; ) is the elected city council of Chiayi City, Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific ...
. The current
Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...
of Chiayi City is
Huang Min-hui Huang Min-hui (; ) is a Taiwanese politician. She was a member of the Legislative Yuan from 1999 to 2005. Her tenure as vice chairperson of the Kuomintang (2008–16) overlapped with two terms as Mayor of Chiayi City (2005–14). Education Huan ...
of the
Kuomintang The Kuomintang (KMT), also referred to as the Guomindang (GMD), the Nationalist Party of China (NPC) or the Chinese Nationalist Party (CNP), is a major political party in the Republic of China, initially on the Chinese mainland and in Ta ...
.


Administrative divisions

Chiayi City is divided into two
districts A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions ...
. East District is the city seat which houses the
Chiayi City Government Chiayi City Government () is the municipal government of Chiayi City, Taiwan Province, Republic of China. History Kingdom of Tungning (1661–1683) *1661, Koxinga came to Taiwan and expel Dutch. Founded first Chinese Government in Taiwan. E ...
.


Politics

Chiayi City voted one
Democratic Progressive Party The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is a Taiwanese nationalist and centre-left political party in the Republic of China (Taiwan). Controlling both the Republic of China presidency and the unicameral Legislative Yuan, it is the majorit ...
legislator to be in the
Legislative Yuan The Legislative Yuan is the unicameral legislature of the Republic of China (Taiwan) located in Taipei. The Legislative Yuan is composed of 113 members, who are directly elected for 4-year terms by people of the Taiwan Area through a parallel v ...
during the
2016 Taiwanese general election General elections were held in Taiwan, officially the Republic of China, on Saturday, 16 January 2016 to elect the 14th President and Vice President of the Republic of China, and all 113 members of the ninth Legislative Yuan: Presidential electi ...
. It has historically been a very
pan-Green The pan-Green coalition, pan-Green force or pan-Green groups is a nationalist political coalition in Taiwan (Republic of China), consisting of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), Taiwan Statebuilding Party (TSP), Taiwan Solidarity Union (T ...
city. During the martial law era, most people of Chiayi supported tangwai politicians. However, the voting gap between the DPP and the KMT has narrowed in recent years.


Demographics

Chiayi city is a 100% purely ethnic
Hokkien The Hokkien () variety of Chinese is a Southern Min language native to and originating from the Minnan region, where it is widely spoken in the south-eastern part of Fujian in southeastern mainland China. It is one of the national languages ...
inhabited city.


Education

*
National Chiayi University National Chiayi University (NCYU; ) is a public university located in Chiayi City and Chiayi County, Taiwan. It was formed in 2000 by merging National Chiayi Institute of Technology and National Chiayi Teachers College. The University has s ...
* National Chung Cheng University * Tatung Institute of Commerce and Technology * Chung Jen College of Nursing, Health Science and Management


Energy


Green energy

On 17 December 2015,
Chiayi City Government Chiayi City Government () is the municipal government of Chiayi City, Taiwan Province, Republic of China. History Kingdom of Tungning (1661–1683) *1661, Koxinga came to Taiwan and expel Dutch. Founded first Chinese Government in Taiwan. E ...
launched a program to set up solar panels at schools and offices in the city to reduce green house gases. The program is expected to produce 3.55 million kWh of electricity annually and to help reducing carbon emission by 1,700 tonnes.


Tourist attractions

* Art Site of Chiayi Railway Warehouse *
Chia-Le-Fu Night Market The Chia-Le-Fu Night Market () is a night market in West District, Chiayi City, Taiwan. History In May 2016, Chiayi City Deputy Mayor Hou Chong-wen promoted the online registration of food sold at the night market in order to raise awareness ...
*
Chiayi Art Museum The Chiayi Art Museum () is an art museum in West District, Chiayi City, Taiwan. History The museum building was originally constructed in 1936 as a factory of the Chiayi branch of Taiwan Tobacco and Wine Monopoly Bureau during the Japanese ...
*
Chiayi Botanical Garden The Chiayi Botanical Garden () is a botanical garden in East District, Chiayi, East District, Chiayi, Chiayi City, Taiwan belongs to the Taiwan Forestry Research Institute of Council of Agriculture. History The botanical garden was established ...
*
Chiayi Cheng Huang Temple Chiayi Cheng Huang Temple () is a Chinese temple dedicated to the City God or Cheng Huang Ye () which is located in East District, Chiayi City, Taiwan. The temple was founded in 1715, it is one of the oldest and prominent temples in the region ...
* Chiayi City Municipal Baseball Stadium *
Chiayi Cultural and Creative Industries Park The Chiayi Cultural and Creative Industries Park () or G9 Creative Park is a multi-purpose park in West District, Chiayi City, Taiwan. History The area was originally opened in 1916 as Chiayi Brewery by the Japanese government. In 1922, the b ...
*
Chiayi Jen Wu Temple The Chiayi Jen Wu Temple () is a temple dedicated to Baosheng Dadi and located in East District, Chiayi City, Taiwan. History The temple was constructed in 1677. Materials for the temple building construction were imported from Fujian. Tran ...
*
Chiayi Municipal Museum The Chiayi Municipal Museum () is a museum in East District, Chiayi City, Taiwan. History The founding of the museum was a collective community effort in the hope to establish a cultural public space for all of the residents of Chiayi City. A ...
*
Chiayi Park Chiayi Park () is a park at East District, Chiayi City, Taiwan. History The park was built in 1911 during the Japanese era. It was once renamed to Zhongshan Park in 1949, but reverted to its current name in 1997. Architecture The park spans ...
**
Chiayi Confucian Temple The Chiayi Confucian Temple () is a Confucian temple in Chiayi Park, East District, Chiayi City, Taiwan. History The temple was originally built in 1706. In 1815, the temple restoration stele was inscribed and erected. In 1907, an earthquake ...
**
Kagi Shrine was a Shinto shrine located in previously ''Soa-a-teng'' (), Kagi City, Tainan Prefecture, Japanese Taiwan (modern-day Chiayi Park, Chiayi City, Taiwan). The shrine was built on 28 October 1915 ( Taishō 4) facing south but later altered in 19 ...
**
Sun-Shooting Tower The Sun-Shooting Tower () or Chiayi Tower is a tower built inside Chiayi Park, East District, Chiayi City, Taiwan. Architecture The tower stands at a height of 62 meters. Its exterior designed was inspired by a giant sacred tree in Alishan. ...
*
Chiayi Prison Museum Chiayi Old Prison () is a former prison located at 140 Wei Hsin Road, East District, Chiayi City, Taiwan. It underwent restoration and reopened as the Chiayi Prison Museum () in 2011. It was designated as a historic monument of Taiwan in 2005. ...
*
Hinoki Village The Hinoki Village or Cypress Forest Life Village () is a culture village in East District, Chiayi City, Taiwan. History The village was originally the dormitories of the Chiayi Forest division of Forestry Bureau of the Taiwan Governor General ...
*
Lantan Lake Lantan Lake () or Orchid Lake is a lake and reservoir in East District, Chiayi City, Taiwan. History The lake is also called the Holland Lake, Dutch Lake, and Hong-Mao Pei (see ang mo) because the lake was dug by the Dutch around 300 years a ...
*
Museum of Old Taiwan Tiles The Museum of Old Taiwan Tiles () is an art museum in West District, Chiayi City, Taiwan. History The museum building used to be a timber storage building during the Japanese rule of Taiwan. The museum founder James Hsu and his friends collec ...
* St. John's Cathedral *
Taiwan Hinoki Museum The Taiwan Hinoki Museum () is a museum about hinoki trees in West District, Chiayi City, Taiwan. History The museum building was originally a timber factory. The director then renovated the factory building by adding new elements to create a ...
*
Water Source Water Meter Room The Water Source Water Meter Room () is a former water meter room in East District, Chiayi City, Taiwan. History The Chiayi waterway was constructed between July 1911 and March 1914 as part of the city waterway facilities. The room which hous ...
*
Wenhua Road Night Market The Wenhua Road Night Market () is a night market in West District, Chiayi City, Taiwan. Architecture The night market stretches along the Wenhua Road for around half a kilometer. The southern section of the road is divided by a central founda ...
* Historic Archives Building of Chiayi City () * 228 Memorial Park * National 228 Memorial Park * Chung Cheng Park * Alishan Forest Railway & Railway Park * Chiayi International Band Festival Chiayi is the city of wind music in Taiwan. The wind music festival started as a local event in 1988, when it was more like a joint performance by local wind music bands. Over the years the festival has become the most anticipated annual event in Chiayi.


Sports

Major sporting events held by Chiayi include: * 1999 Asian Youth Boys Volleyball Championship *
2001 Baseball World Cup The 2001 Baseball World Cup (BWC) was the 34th international Men's amateur baseball tournament. The tournament was sanctioned by the International Baseball Federation, which titled it the Amateur World Series from the 1938 tournament through the ...
(Co-hosted with
Taipei Taipei (), officially Taipei City, is the capital and a special municipality of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Located in Northern Taiwan, Taipei City is an enclave of the municipality of New Taipei City that sits about southwest of the ...
,
New Taipei New Taipei City is a special municipality located in northern Taiwan. The city is home to an estimated population of 3,974,683 as of 2022, making it the most populous city of Taiwan, and also the second largest special municipality by area, b ...
, and
Kaohsiung Kaohsiung City ( Mandarin Chinese: ; Wade–Giles: ''Kao¹-hsiung²;'' Pinyin: ''Gāoxióng'') is a special municipality located in southern Taiwan. It ranges from the coastal urban center to the rural Yushan Range with an area of . Ka ...
) * 2012 Asian Soft Tennis Championship *
2018 World University Baseball Championship Eighteen or 18 may refer to: * 18 (number), the natural number following 17 and preceding 19 * one of the years 18 BC, AD 18, 1918, 2018 Film, television and entertainment * ''18'' (film), a 1993 Taiwanese experimental film based on the short ...


Notable residents/natives

*
Tan Ting-pho Tan Teng-pho (; 2 February 1895 – 25 March 1947), was a Taiwanese painter and politician. In 1926, his oil painting '' Street of Chiayi'' was featured in the seventh in Japan, which was the first time a Taiwanese artist's work could be ...
(1895–1947), Taiwan famous painter. * Sow-Hsin Chen (1935–2021), American physicist, Professor. *
Vincent Siew Vincent C. Siew or Siew Wan-chang (; born 3 January 1939) is a Taiwanese politician who served as the Vice President of the Republic of China (Taiwan) from 2008 to 2012. He was the first Taiwanese-born Premier of the Republic of China and former ...
(1939), Taiwanese politician, Vice President of the Republic of China (2008–2012), Vice-Chairman of the Kuomintang. *
Huang Min-hui Huang Min-hui (; ) is a Taiwanese politician. She was a member of the Legislative Yuan from 1999 to 2005. Her tenure as vice chairperson of the Kuomintang (2008–16) overlapped with two terms as Mayor of Chiayi City (2005–14). Education Huan ...
(1959), former mayor of Chiayi City, vice chairperson of Kuomintang, a member of the Legislative Yuan (1999 and 2005). * Lo Chen-Jung (1961), Taiwanese left-handed baseball pitcher. * Wu Bai (1968), Taiwanese rock singer.


International relations


Twin towns — sister cities

Chiayi is twinned with: * East Orange,
New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delawa ...
, United States (1972) *
Jackson Jackson may refer to: People and fictional characters * Jackson (name), including a list of people and fictional characters with the surname or given name Places Australia * Jackson, Queensland, a town in the Maranoa Region * Jackson North, Qu ...
,
Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...
, United States (1972) *
Juneau The City and Borough of Juneau, more commonly known simply as Juneau ( ; tli, Dzánti K'ihéeni ), is the capital city of the state of Alaska. Located in the Gastineau Channel and the Alaskan panhandle, it is a unified municipality and the s ...
,
Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U ...
, United States (1977) *
Murray Murray may refer to: Businesses * Murray (bicycle company), an American manufacturer of low-cost bicycles * Murrays, an Australian bus company * Murray International Trust, a Scottish investment trust * D. & W. Murray Limited, an Australian who ...
,
Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to its ...
, United States (1977) *
Bulacan Province Bulacan, officially the Province of Bulacan ( tl, Lalawigan ng Bulacan), is a province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. Its capital is the city of Malolos. Bulacan was established on August 15, 1578, and part of the Metr ...
,
Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...
(1980) * Martinsburg,
West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the ...
, United States (1988) *
Syracuse Syracuse may refer to: Places Italy * Syracuse, Sicily, or spelled as ''Siracusa'' * Province of Syracuse United States *Syracuse, New York **East Syracuse, New York ** North Syracuse, New York * Syracuse, Indiana *Syracuse, Kansas *Syracuse, M ...
,
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...
, United States (1995) * Hsinchu City, Taiwan (2002)


Transportation


Rail

Chiayi City is served by
Chiayi Station Chiayi () is a railway station in Chiayi, Taiwan served by Taiwan Railways Administration, Taiwan Railways and Alishan Forest Railway. History The station was firstly constructed in 1896 and opened on 20 April 1902 with service on the West C ...
and
Jiabei Station Jiabei () (Chiabei, literly "Chia north", meaning "north of Chiayi") is a railway station of the Taiwan Railways Administration West Coast line located in East District, Chiayi City, Taiwan. History The train station was opened on 8 Septembe ...
of the
Taiwan Railways Administration Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) is a railway operator in Taiwan. It is an agency of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, responsible for managing, maintaining, and running conventional passenger and freight railway services ...
. Chiayi Station is the starting point for the
Alishan Forest Railway Alishan Forest Railway () is an 86 km network of narrow gauge railways running up to and throughout the popular mountain resort of Alishan in Chiayi County, Taiwan. The railway, originally constructed for logging, has become a tourist a ...
. The city is also accessible from THSR Chiayi Station in
Chiayi County Chiayi County ( Mandarin pinyin: ''jiā yì xiàn''; Hokkien POJ: ''Ka-gī-koān'') is a county in southwestern Taiwan surrounding but not including Chiayi City. It is the sixth largest county in Taiwan. Name The former Chinese placename wa ...
.


Bus

Chiayi Bus Rapid Transit connects Chiayi City to
Chiayi HSR station Chiayi () is a high-speed rail station in Taibao City, Chiayi County, Taiwan served by Taiwan High Speed Rail. Overview The station is elevated with two side platforms. The two platforms are connected by an overhead skyway. The station was d ...
in the neighboring Taibao City.
Chiayi City Bus Chiayi City Bus is a bus service managed by the Transportation Department, Chiayi City Government and operated by Kuo-Kuang Motor Transportation and J-Cha Transportation in Chiayi City, Taiwan, which runs five routes. Fares *12 NTD per single s ...
serves the urban areas of Chiayi City.


Air

Chiayi City is served by Chiayi Airport in the neighboring Shuishang Township.


In popular culture

Chiayi City and its street foods, including the famous
Chiayi turkey rice Chiayi turkey rice () is a bowl of rice with shredded turkey layered on top, often accompanied by pickled radish. The rice is drizzled with a kind of gravy made from the turkey drippings and soy sauce. It is an iconic specialty from Chiayi C ...
, were featured on the Netflix TV series, ''
Street Food Street food is ready-to-eat food or drinks sold by a hawker, or vendor, in a street or at other public places, such as markets or fairs. It is often sold from a portable food booth, food cart, or food truck and is meant for immediate consumpt ...
'', in season 1.


See also

*
List of mayors of Chiayi The mayor of Chiayi is the chief executive of the government of Chiayi City. The current mayor is Huang Min-hui of Kuomintang since 25 December 2018. List of mayors This list includes mayors of the city's county-administered era (1952–1982) an ...
*
Chiayi County Chiayi County ( Mandarin pinyin: ''jiā yì xiàn''; Hokkien POJ: ''Ka-gī-koān'') is a county in southwestern Taiwan surrounding but not including Chiayi City. It is the sixth largest county in Taiwan. Name The former Chinese placename wa ...


References


External links

*
Chiayi City/County tourism official website

Chiayi City Police Bureau official website
* * * National Chung Cheng Universitybr>official website
{{Authority control 1982 establishments in Taiwan Provincial cities of Taiwan