Taitung County (;

Mandarin Mandarin or The Mandarin may refer to: Language * Mandarin Chinese, branch of Chinese originally spoken in northern parts of the country ** Standard Chinese or Modern Standard Mandarin, the official language of China ** Taiwanese Mandarin, Stand ...

pinyin Hanyu Pinyin (), often shortened to just pinyin, is the official romanization system for Standard Mandarin Chinese in China, and to some extent, in Singapore and Malaysia. It is often used to teach Mandarin, normally written in Chinese for ...

: ''Táidōng Xiàn'';

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 in ...

POJ: ''Tâi-tang-koān'';

Hakka The Hakka (), sometimes also referred to as Hakka Han, or Hakka Chinese, or Hakkas are a Han Chinese subgroup whose ancestral homes are chiefly in the Hakka-speaking provincial areas of Guangdong, Fujian, Jiangxi, Guangxi, Sichuan, Hunan, Zhej ...

PFS: ''Thòi-tûng-yen''; Paiwan: ''Valangaw'';lit:Eastern part of Taiwan) is the third largest

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

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 nort ...

, located primarily on the island's southeastern coast and also including Green Island, Orchid Island and Lesser Orchid Island.

Name

While its name means "Eastern Taiwan", it is also known as "Houshan" () by many of the locals, meaning behind the mountains or the back mountains.

History

Qing Dynasty

In 1887, the new Fujian-Taiwan Province included Taitung Prefecture as one of four prefectures.

Empire of Japan

During the

Japanese rule of Taiwan The island of Taiwan, together with the Penghu Islands, became a dependency of Japan in 1895, when the Qing dynasty ceded Fujian-Taiwan Province in the Treaty of Shimonoseki after the Japanese victory in the First Sino-Japanese War. The shor ...

, Taitung County was administered as

Taitō Prefecture was one of the administrative divisions of Taiwan during the Japanese rule. The prefecture consisted of modern-day Taitung County. Population Administrative divisions Cities and Districts In 1945 ( Shōwa 20), there were 3 districts. Town ...

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 northeast ...

on 25 October 1945, Taitung was established as a

Taiwan Province Taiwan Province (; Pha̍k-fa-sṳ, PFS: ''Thòi-vàn-sén'' or ''Thòi-vân-sén'') is a nominal Administrative divisions of Taiwan, administrative division of the Taiwan, Republic of China (ROC). Its definition has remained part of the Constit ...

on 25 December the same year.

Geography

Taitung runs along the south east coast of Taiwan. Taitung county, controlling is the 3rd largest county in Taiwan after

Hualien County Hualien County (Mandarin Wade–Giles: Hua¹-lien² Hsien⁴; Pīnyīn: ''Huālián Xiàn''; Hokkien POJ: ''Hoa-lian-koān'' or ''Hoa-liân-koān''; Hakka PFS: ''Fâ-lièn-yen''; Amis: ''Kalingko'') is a county on the east coast of Taiwan. It ...

and

Nantou County Nantou County (; Hokkien POJ: ''Lâm-tâu-koān''; Hakka PFS: ''Nàm-thèu-yen'') is the second largest county of Taiwan by area, located in the central part of the country. It is also the only non-coastal county in Taiwan. Its name derives fro ...

. Mainland Taitung County's coastline is long. The

Huatung Valley The Huadong Valley or Hualien–Taitung Valley (), also known as East Rift Valley or the Longitudinal Valley, is a long and narrow valley located between the Central Mountain Range and the Coastal Mountain Range. It is also recognized as a plai ...

runs along the northern half of the county. Taitung currently has a population of 234,123. Due in part to its remote location and isolation by mountains from Taiwan's main population centers, Taitung was the last part of the island to be colonized by

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 va ...

immigrants (late 19th century). Throughout the 20th century Taitung remained an economic backwater. Sparsely populated even today, this isolation may have been a blessing in disguise, as Taitung mostly escaped the

urbanization Urbanization (or urbanisation) refers to the population shift from rural to urban areas, the corresponding decrease in the proportion of people living in rural areas, and the ways in which societies adapt to this change. It is predominantly t ...

and

pollution Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into the natural environment that cause adverse change. Pollution can take the form of any substance (solid, liquid, or gas) or energy (such as radioactivity, heat, sound, or light). Pollutants, the ...

that have come to plague much of the island's lowland areas. In addition to the area on Taiwan proper, the county includes two major islands, Green Island or Isla Verde and

Orchid Island Orchid Island, also known by other names, is a volcanic island off the southeastern coast of Taiwan Island. The island is part of Taiwan. It is separated from the Batanes of the Philippines by the Bashi Channel of the Luzon Strait. It is gove ...

. Green Island was home to an infamous penal colony used for

political prisoner A political prisoner is someone imprisoned for their political activity. The political offense is not always the official reason for the prisoner's detention. There is no internationally recognized legal definition of the concept, although n ...

s during the "

White Terror White Terror is the name of several episodes of mass violence in history, carried out against anarchists, communists, socialists, liberals, revolutionaries, or other opponents by conservative or nationalist groups. It is sometimes contrasted wit ...

" period of

Chinese Nationalist Chinese nationalism () is a form of nationalism in the People's Republic of China (Mainland China) and the Republic of China on Taiwan which asserts that the Chinese people are a nation and promotes the cultural and national unity of all Chin ...

(KMT) rule (from 1947 until the end of

martial law Martial law is the imposition of direct military control of normal civil functions or suspension of civil law by a government, especially in response to an emergency where civil forces are overwhelmed, or in an occupied territory. Use Marti ...

in 1987). Orchid Island, home of the

Tao people The Tao people are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the tiny outlying Orchid Island of Taiwan. They have a maritime culture, with great ritual and spiritual significance placed on boat-building and fishing. Their ways of life have been th ...

(

Taiwanese aborigines Taiwanese may refer to: * Taiwanese language, another name for Taiwanese Hokkien * Something from or related to Taiwan ( Formosa) * Taiwanese aborigines, the indigenous people of Taiwan * Han Taiwanese, the Han people of Taiwan * Taiwanese people, ...

closely related to the people of the northern Philippines), has become a major tourist attraction despite the government-operated

Taiwan Power Company The Taiwan Power Company (, Taipower; ) is a state-owned electric power industry providing electricity to Taiwan and off-shore islands of the Republic of China. History Taipower was established on 1 May 1946. Its origins can be traced to 1919 ...

's controversial use of part of the island as a nuclear waste dump.

Government

Administrative divisions

Taitung County is divided into 1

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 ...

, 2 urban townships, 8 rural townships and 5 mountain indigenous townships. Taitung County has the second highest number of mountain indigenous townships in Taiwan after

Pingtung County Pingtung County is a county located in southern Taiwan. It has a warm tropical monsoon climate and is known for its agriculture and tourism. Kenting National Park, Taiwan's oldest national park, is located in the county. The county seat is Pin ...

. The seat of the county is located at Taitung City, where it houses the Taitung County Government and Taitung County Council. The current

Magistrate The term magistrate is used in a variety of systems of governments and laws to refer to a civilian officer who administers the law. In ancient Rome, a '' magistratus'' was one of the highest ranking government officers, and possessed both judici ...

of Taitung County is Rao Ching-ling 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 Tai ...

. Colors indicates the common languages status of

and

Formosan languages The Formosan languages are a geographic grouping comprising the languages of the indigenous peoples of Taiwan, all of which are Austronesian. They do not form a single subfamily of Austronesian but rather nine separate subfamilies. The Taiwa ...

within each division.

Politics

Taitung County elected 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 majori ...

legislator to 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 Republic of China legislative election.

Demographics

Taitung County is home to seven aboriginal ethnics, including Amis, Bunun, Kavalan, Paiwan, Puyuma, Rukai and

Yami Yamuna is a sacred river in Hinduism and the main tributary of the Ganges River. The river is also worshipped as a Hindu goddess called Yamuna. Yamuna is known as Yami in early texts, while in later literature, she is called Kalindi. In Hindu scr ...

. Taitung County has the largest aboriginal to overall population of a county or city in Taiwan, at 35.5%.

Education

Education in Taitung County is administered under the Education Department of the Taitung County Government. *

National Taitung University The National Taitung University (NTTU; ) is a national university in Taitung City, Taitung County, Taiwan. History NTTU was originally established in 1948 as Taiwan Provincial Taitung Teachers’ School. In 1969, it was upgraded to Taiwan Prov ...

National Taitung Junior College National Taitung Junior College (NTC; ) is a public college located in Taitung City, Taitung County, Taiwan. History NTC was founded as Taitung Agricultural Extension School in 1928. In 2006, the school changed its name to National Taitung Junio ...

Culture

Taitung County possesses a very diverse collection of aboriginal cultures. Because Taitung is probably one of the least affected counties by the settlement of the Han Chinese, most of the aboriginal cultures are still very much a part of everyday society.

Energy

Taitung County houses the Lanyu Power Plant, a 6.5 MW fuel-fired power plant located in

Tourist attractions

Buildings

Duoliang Station The Duoliang Station () is a former railway station in Duoliang Village, Taimali Township, Taitung County, Taiwan. It has become a popular tourist attraction, with the platform turned into an observation deck overlooking the rail track and the ...

Kunci Temple Kunci Temple ( zh, t=崑慈堂, p=Kūncí Táng) is a Taoist temple located in Longtian Village, Luye Township, Taitung County, Taiwan. The temple grounds contain a reconstructed Shinto shrine known as Luye Shrine ( zh, t=鹿野神社, p=Lùy ...

, Lüdao Lighthouse,

Moving Castle The Moving Castle () is a house in Taitung City, Taitung County, Taiwan. History The 4-story house was built by an owner surnamed Lee, who had served in the National Revolutionary Army and fled Mainland China for Taiwan after the end of the ...

and Taitung Chinese Association.

Historical sites

Beinan Cultural Park Beinan Cultural Park () is an archeological site in Taitung City, Taitung County, Taiwan. The park is the site for the largest and most complete prehistoric settlement ever discovered in Taiwan, with over 10,000 m2 and more than 1,600 burial si ...

, Dulan Site and

Green Island White Terror Memorial Park The Green Island White Terror Memorial Park () is a memorial park in Green Island, Taitung County, Taiwan to commemorate the victims of the White Terror. History The area used to be the shelter area during the Japanese rule. After martial ...

Museums and galleries

Lanyu Flying Fish Cultural Museum The Lanyu Flying Fish Cultural Museum () is a museum in Lanyu Township, Taitung County, Taiwan. The museum is located at the Lan En Cultural and Educational Foundation office. History With the support from the Council for Cultural Affairs, the ...

, National Museum of Prehistory, Rice Village Museum, Taitung Aboriginal Gallery, Taitung Art Museum, Taitung County Museum of Natural History,

Taitung Performing Art Center The Taitung Performing Art Center () is a performance center in Taitung City, Taitung County, Taiwan. History The center was established by Taitung Theater in 2004 as a venue for local artists showcasing their talents. See also * List of tour ...

, Taitung Story Museum,

Wu Tao Chishang Lunch Box Cultural History Museum The Wu Tao Chishang Lunch Box Cultural History Museum () is a museum about lunch boxes in Chishang, Taitung, Chishang Township, Taitung County, Taiwan. The museum also serves as a restaurant. History The museum was opened in 2002 by Chishang To ...

Nature

Baxian Caves Baxian Caves () are sea caves located in the east coast of Changbin Township, Taitung County, Taiwan. History Recently, the caves have been occupied and used as temples or places to place cremation ashes. However since 10 years ago, the Cultur ...

, Chulu Ranch, Dapo Pond,

Dulan Mountain The Mount Dulan () is a mountain in Donghe Township and Yanping Township of Taitung County, Taiwan. Geology The mountain is located on Beinan Plain. It is fully covered by mid and low-altitude of broad-leaved trees. The peak stands at . Fac ...

, , , Green Island, Jhihben National Forest Recreation Area,

Sanxiantai Sanxiantai ( Amis: nuwalian; ) is an area containing a beach and several islands located on the coast of Chenggong Township, Taitung County, Taiwan. The beach stretches for ten kilometers in length. It is situated at the 112-kilometer mark. A ...

, Sika Deer Ecological Park,

Taitung Forest Park Taitung Forest Park () is a park at Taitung City, Taitung County, Taiwan. Name The park is nicknamed the ''Black Forest'' by the local residents due to its immense dark beefwood trees. History On 18 February 2021, an unmanned aerial vehicle be ...

, Xiangyang National Forest Recreation Area and Zhaori Hot Spring.

Theme parks

Bunun Tribal Leisure Farm The Bunun Leisure Farm or Bunun Tribal Leisure Farm () is a recreational farm about Bunun people in Taoyuan Village, Yanping Township, Taitung County, Taiwan. History The farm area used to be the cluster area of Bunun people to live. In 1985, t ...

Transportation

Air

Taitung County houses the international

Taitung Airport Taitung Airport () is an airport serving Taitung City, in Taitung County, Taiwan.Airport ...

in the mainland Taitung County of Taitung City and another two airports at the outlying islands, which are Lüdao Airport in Green Island and

Lanyu Airport The Lanyu Airport (; Tao: Seyseykedan No Sikoki No Irala ) is an airport on Orchid Island, Taitung County, Taiwan. The airport does not support night time flying except for emergency medical services flights. History The airport was initially co ...

Rail

Taitung County is crossed by two

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 ...

lines of

South-Link Line The South-link line () is a line of the Taiwan Railways Administration running across the southern tip of the island of Taiwan, connecting the eastern and western coasts. It is 98.2 km long, of which 81.4 km is single-track. The secti ...

and

Hualien–Taitung Line Hualien or Hualian may refer to: Places *Hualien County (Chinese: 花蓮 "lily"), Taiwan Province, Taiwan **Hualien Airport **Hualien railway station *Hualien City, a port city and the seat of Hualien County **Hualien Stadium * Hualien River (花 ...

. The stations consist of Chishang, Dawu, Guanshan, Guzhuang, Haiduan, Jinlun, Kangle, Longxi,

Luye Luye Township () is a rural township in Taitung County, Taiwan. It is located in the Huadong Valley. Geography The township is located at the Huadong Valley The Huadong Valley or Hualien–Taitung Valley (), also known as East Rift Va ...

, Ruihe, Ruiyuan, Shanli, Taimali, Taitung and

Zhiben Station Zhiben () is a railway station on the Taiwan Railways Administration South-link line located in Taitung City, Taitung County, Taiwan. History The station was opened on 15 July 1985. Around the station * Zhiben Wetlands See also * List of r ...

Water

Chenggong Fish Harbor, Fugang Fishery Harbor and Green Island Nanliao Harbor.

Notable natives

Yu Chang Yu-Cheng Chang (; born August 18, 1995) is a Taiwanese professional baseball infielder who is a free agent. He has previously played in MLB for the Cleveland Indians / Guardians, Pittsburgh Pirates, Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox. Career M ...

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

player *

Yang Chuan-kwang Yang Chuan-kwang, or C.K. Yang ( Amis: Maysang Kalimud, ) (July 10, 1933 – January 27, 2007), was an Olympic decathlete from Taiwan. Yang attended college at UCLA where he trained and competed with team mate and Olympian Rafer Johnson and w ...

1960 Summer Olympics The 1960 Summer Olympics ( it, Giochi Olimpici estivi del 1960), officially known as the Games of the XVII Olympiad ( it, Giochi della XVII Olimpiade) and commonly known as Rome 1960 ( it, Roma 1960), were an international multi-sport event held ...

decathlon The decathlon is a combined event in Athletics (sport), athletics consisting of ten track and field events. The word "decathlon" was formed, in analogy to the word "pentathlon", from Greek language, Greek δέκα (''déka'', meaning "ten") and ...

medalist *

Tank A tank is an armoured fighting vehicle intended as a primary offensive weapon in front-line ground combat. Tank designs are a balance of heavy firepower, strong armour, and good battlefield mobility provided by tracks and a powerful engin ...

, singer *

A-Mei Kulilay Amit (, born 9 August 1972), better known by her stage name A-Mei, is a Taiwanese Puyuma singer and record producer. In 1996, she made her singing debut and released her album, ''Sisters''. Her albums ''Truth'' (2001), ''Amit'' (2009), ...