Taichung (,
Wade–Giles
Wade–Giles ( ) is a romanization system for Mandarin Chinese. It developed from the system produced by Thomas Francis Wade during the mid-19th century, and was given completed form with Herbert Giles's '' A Chinese–English Dictionary'' ...
: '), officially Taichung City, is a
special municipality in central
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...
. Taichung is Taiwan's second-largest city, with more than 2.85 million residents, making it the largest city in
Central Taiwan. It serves as the core of the
Taichung–Changhua metropolitan area, Taiwan's second-largest metropolitan area.
Located in the
Taichung Basin, the city was initially developed from several scattered hamlets helmed by the
Taiwanese indigenous peoples
Taiwanese indigenous peoples, formerly called Taiwanese aborigines, are the indigenous peoples of Taiwan, with the nationally recognized subgroups numbering about 600,303 or 3% of the Geography of Taiwan, island's population. This total is incr ...
. It was constructed to be the new capital of
Taiwan Province and renamed "
Taiwan-fu" in the late
Qing dynastic era between 1887 and 1894. During the
Japanese era from 1895, the urban planning of present-day Taichung was performed and developed by the Japanese. The urban area of Taichung was organized as a
provincial city from the start of ROC rule in 1945 until 25 December 2010, when the original provincial city and
Taichung County
Taichung County was a County (Taiwan), county in central Taiwan between 1945 and 2010. The county seat was in Yuanlin Township before 1950 and Fengyuan District, Fongyuan City after 1950.
History
Taichung County was established on 26 November ...
were merged into a new special municipality.
The city is home to the
National Museum of Natural Science, the
National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts
The National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts (NTMoFA; ) is a museum in West District, Taichung, West District, Taichung, Taiwan. NTMoFA was established in 1988 and is the first and the only national-grade fine arts museum in Taiwan. The major collec ...
, the
National Taichung Theater, the
National Library of Public Information,
National Taiwan Museum of Comics,
National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra, as well as many cultural sites, including the historic
Taichung Park, the
Lin Family Gardens, and many
temples.
History
Early history
The
Atayal aborigines as well as several
Taiwanese Plains Aboriginal tribes (including the
Taokas,
Papora,
Pazeh,
Hoanya and
Babuzas) populated the plains that make up modern Taichung. They were originally
hunter gatherers who later lived by cultivating
millet
Millets () are a highly varied group of small-seeded grasses, widely grown around the world as cereal crops or grains for fodder and human food. Most millets belong to the tribe Paniceae.
Millets are important crops in the Semi-arid climate, ...
and
taro.
In the 17th century, the
Papora,
Babuza,
Pazeh, and
Hoanya established the
Kingdom of Middag, occupying the western part of present-day Taichung.
Qing dynasty
In 1684,
Zhuluo County was established, encompassing the underdeveloped northern two-thirds of Taiwan. Modern-day Taichung traces its beginnings to a settlement named ''Toatun'' () in 1705. To strengthen Qing control, a garrison was established in 1721 near the site of present-day
Taichung Park by Lan Ting-chen.
North of the city, on the
Dajia River, an aboriginal revolt broke out in 1731 after Chinese officials moved in and compelled them to provide labor. The revolt spread through the city as far south as
Changhua County
Changhua (Wade-Giles: ''Chang¹-hua⁴'') is a Taiwanese County (Taiwan), county that is the smallest on the Geography of Taiwan, main island of Taiwan by area, and the fourth smallest in the country. With a total population of 1.24 million, Chan ...
in May 1732 before the rebels were chased into the mountains by Qing forces. In 1786, another rebellion against the Qing, known as the
Lin Shuangwen rebellion, began as an attempt to overthrow the government and restore the
Ming dynasty
The Ming dynasty, officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming was the last imperial dynasty of ...
. Unfortunately, as the rebels moved northward, they turned to slaughter and looting. They were eventually defeated by a coalition of Qing forces,
Hakka,
Quanzhou
Quanzhou is a prefecture-level city, prefecture-level port city on the north bank of the Jin River, beside the Taiwan Strait in southern Fujian, China, People's Republic of China. It is Fujian's largest most populous metropolitan region, wi ...
Fujian
Fujian is a provinces of China, province in East China, southeastern 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 capital is Fuzhou and its largest prefe ...
ese descendants, and aboriginal volunteers.
When
Taiwan Province was declared an independent province in 1887, the government intended to construct its capital city at the centrally located ''Toatun'', which was also designated as the seat of
Taiwan Prefecture. Thus the city took the title of "Taiwan-fu", meaning "capital city of Taiwan", from modern-day
Tainan
Tainan (), officially Tainan City, is a Special municipality (Taiwan), special municipality in southern Taiwan, facing the Taiwan Strait on its western coast. Tainan is the oldest city on the island and commonly called the "Taiwan Prefecture, ...
, which had held the title for more than 200 years. Qing official
Liu Ming-chuan received permission to oversee development of the area, which included constructing a railway through the city. However, the provincial capital was ultimately moved to
Taipei
, nickname = The City of Azaleas
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, pushpin_map = Taiwan#Asia#Pacific Ocean#Earth
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.
Empire of Japan
After the Qing dynasty lost the
Sino-Japanese War in 1895, Taiwan was ceded to Japan by the
Treaty of Shimonoseki, and the name of the city was changed to . The Japanese sought to develop the city to make it the first "modern" area of Taiwan and invested in roads, dams, and levees. In 1901, was established as one of twenty local administrative districts on the island. In 1904, the town of Taichū had a population of 6,423, and Taichū District had more than 207,000.
Taichū Park was completed in 1903. A tower marking the old north gate was moved to the new park where it stands today. The first market in Taichū was built in 1908, along Jiguang Road between the Zhongzheng and Chenggong Roads and it is still in use today.
The Japanese undertook a north–south island railway project.
Taichū Train Station was completed and began operation in 1917,
and still operates today. Taichū City was officially declared by Japanese authorities in 1920, and
Taichū City Hall was completed in 1924 after eleven years of construction.
, now known as
Taichung Airport, was constructed during Japanese rule.
Taichū Middle School (now known as
Taichung First Senior High School) was founded in 1915 by elite members of local gentry, including
Lin Hsien-tang
Lin Hsien-tang (; 22 October 1881 – 8 September 1956) was a Taiwanese politician and activist who founded several political organizations and sat on the Japanese House of Peers (Japan), House of Peers.
Early life and family
Lin Hsien-tang's earl ...
and his brother , two wealthy Taiwanese intellectuals of the era. This was in an effort to teach children the
culture of Taiwan
The culture of Taiwan is a blend of Han Taiwanese and indigenous Taiwanese cultures. Despite the overwhelming Chinese culture, Chinese cultural influence and minority indigenous Taiwanese cultural influence, Culture of Japan, Japanese culture ...
and to foster the spirit of the
Taiwanese localization movement.
The
Taiwanese Cultural Association, founded in 1921 in Taipei by Lin Hsien-tang, was moved to Taichū in 1927. Most of the members of this association were from Taichū and the surrounding area. The city became a center of Taiwanese culture and nationalism.
From 1926 to 1945,
Taichū Prefecture covered modern-day Taichung as well as
Changhua County
Changhua (Wade-Giles: ''Chang¹-hua⁴'') is a Taiwanese County (Taiwan), county that is the smallest on the Geography of Taiwan, main island of Taiwan by area, and the fourth smallest in the country. With a total population of 1.24 million, Chan ...
and
Nantou County
Nantou is the second largest County (Taiwan), 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 from the Hoanya people, Hoanya Taiwanese aborigines, Taiwanese ...
.
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. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...
in October 1945,
Taichung County
Taichung County was a County (Taiwan), county in central Taiwan between 1945 and 2010. The county seat was in Yuanlin Township before 1950 and Fengyuan District, Fongyuan City after 1950.
History
Taichung County was established on 26 November ...
was established, which consists of present-day area of Taichung City,
Miaoli County and
Taoyuan City. In 1947 the first mayor of Taichung County (which included Taichung City) was Lai Tien Shen. The position was appointed by the government to rule during the interim period. Taichung also served as the temporary capital of the exiled
Jiangxi
; Gan: )
, translit_lang1_type2 =
, translit_lang1_info2 =
, translit_lang1_type3 =
, translit_lang1_info3 =
, image_map = Jiangxi in China (+all claims hatched).svg
, mapsize = 275px
, map_caption = Location ...
(Kiangsi) provincial government in 1949 after the
Chinese Communist Party
The Communist Party of China (CPC), also translated into English as Chinese Communist Party (CCP), is the founding and One-party state, sole ruling party of the People's Republic of China (PRC). Founded in 1921, the CCP emerged victorious in the ...
took control of the province. In 1950, Miaoli and Taoyuan were taken out from Taichung County area to form
Miaoli County and
Taoyuan County
Taoyuan County () is under the administration of Changde, Hunan, Hunan Province, China. The Yuan River, a tributary of the Yangtze, flows through Taoyuan. It covers an area of 4441 square kilometers, of which is arable land. It is from Zhangji ...
respectively. In June 2009, the
Executive Yuan
The Executive Yuan () is the executive (government), executive branch of the government of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Under the Additional Articles of the Constitution of the Republic of China, amended constitution, the head of the Execut ...
approved the plan to merge Taichung City and Taichung County to form a larger Taichung City. On 25 December 2010, the city was merged with the surrounding
Taichung County
Taichung County was a County (Taiwan), county in central Taiwan between 1945 and 2010. The county seat was in Yuanlin Township before 1950 and Fengyuan District, Fongyuan City after 1950.
History
Taichung County was established on 26 November ...
to create a
special municipality of 2.65 million people spread across .
In 2020, Taichung was classified as a "Gamma" level global city by the
Globalization and World Cities Research Network.
Geography
Taichung City is in the
Taichung Basin along the main western coastal plain that stretches along the west coast from northern Taiwan almost to the southern tip. The city borders
Changhua County
Changhua (Wade-Giles: ''Chang¹-hua⁴'') is a Taiwanese County (Taiwan), county that is the smallest on the Geography of Taiwan, main island of Taiwan by area, and the fourth smallest in the country. With a total population of 1.24 million, Chan ...
,
Nantou County
Nantou is the second largest County (Taiwan), 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 from the Hoanya people, Hoanya Taiwanese aborigines, Taiwanese ...
,
Hualien County,
Yilan County,
Hsinchu County
Hsinchu is a County (Taiwan), county in Regions of Taiwan, north-western Taiwan. The population of the county is mainly Hakka people, Hakka; with a Taiwanese aboriginal minority in the southeastern part of the county. Zhubei is the county seat ...
and
Miaoli County.
The
Central Mountain Range lies just east of the city. Rolling hills run to the north leading to
Miaoli County, while flat coastal plains dominate the landscape to the south leading to Changhua County and the
Taiwan Strait to the west. The
Dadu Plateau lies to the northwest.
Climate
Taichung has a warm
humid subtropical climate
A humid subtropical climate is a subtropical -temperate climate type, characterized by long and hot summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between ...
(
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer
* Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan
* Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...
''Cwa'') bordering on a
tropical monsoon climate, with an average annual temperature of . The highest temperature of the year occurs in July and August, while the lowest temperature occurs in January and February. Daytime temperatures remain warm to hot year-round, though night time temperatures during the winter months are significantly cooler than those during the summer and the warm daytime temperature. Its average annual rainfall is just above , relatively low compared to other major cities of Taiwan.
The average humidity is 80%.
Due to the protection provided by the Central Mountain Range to the east and the Miaoli hills to the north, Taichung is rarely severely affected by
typhoon
A typhoon is a tropical cyclone that develops between 180° and 100°E in the Northern Hemisphere and which produces sustained hurricane-force winds of at least . This region is referred to as the Northwestern Pacific Basin, accounting for a ...
s, but typhoons emerging from the
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean. It is bounded in the north by South China, in the west by the Indochinese Peninsula, in the east by the islands of Taiwan island, Taiwan and northwestern Philippines (mainly Luz ...
occasionally pose a threat to the city, as evidenced by
Typhoon Wayne in 1986, which struck Taiwan's west coast near Taichung.
Demographics
Taichung's population was estimated to be 2,816,667 in March 2020. There are slightly more females in the city (50.97%) than males. 24.32% of residents are children, while 16.63% are young people, 52.68% are middle-age, and 6.73% are elderly.
According to
Ministry of Interior
An interior ministry or ministry of the interior (also called ministry of home affairs or ministry of internal affairs) is a government department that is responsible for domestic policy, public security and law enforcement.
In some states, th ...
statistics, the fertility rate in Taichung City in 2007 was 1.165 for each woman.
The city surpassed
Kaohsiung
Kaohsiung, officially Kaohsiung City, is a special municipality located in southern Taiwan. It ranges from the coastal urban center to the rural Yushan Range with an area of . Kaohsiung City has a population of approximately 2.73 million p ...
to become the second largest city in Taiwan in July 2017, growing at the 2nd fastest rate in Taiwan from 2012 to 2017. Recent population increases have been attributed to
natural population growth, more people moving to the city, and subsidized housing.
Politics
Local politics
Unlike
Taipei
, nickname = The City of Azaleas
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, pushpin_map = Taiwan#Asia#Pacific Ocean#Earth
, coordinates =
, subdivision_type = Country ...
in the north, which is solidly in the
Pan-Blue political camp, and the southern cities of
Kaohsiung
Kaohsiung, officially Kaohsiung City, is a special municipality located in southern Taiwan. It ranges from the coastal urban center to the rural Yushan Range with an area of . Kaohsiung City has a population of approximately 2.73 million p ...
and
Tainan
Tainan (), officially Tainan City, is a Special municipality (Taiwan), special municipality in southern Taiwan, facing the Taiwan Strait on its western coast. Tainan is the oldest city on the island and commonly called the "Taiwan Prefecture, ...
that are solidly
Pan-Green, Taichung is more balanced, with the urban city center area leaning Blue and the suburban and rural areas leaning Green. In fact, both major political parties have won a mayoral election among the last four with at least 49 percent of the vote (
Democratic Progressive Party
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is a centre to centre-left Taiwanese nationalist political party in Taiwan. As the dominant party in the Pan-Green Coalition, one of the two main political camps in Taiwan, the DPP is currently the ...
in 1997 and 2014 and the
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang (KMT) is a major political party in the Republic of China (Taiwan). It was the one party state, sole ruling party of the country Republic of China (1912-1949), during its rule from 1927 to 1949 in Mainland China until Retreat ...
in 2001 and 2005). Similarly, the Kuomintang majority in the
city council
A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, borough counc ...
is not as large as it is in other cities, and is only negligible when one excludes
Beitun District, which is solidly pro-Kuomintang. The incumbent Mayor of Taichung is
Lu Shiow-yen of the
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang (KMT) is a major political party in the Republic of China (Taiwan). It was the one party state, sole ruling party of the country Republic of China (1912-1949), during its rule from 1927 to 1949 in Mainland China until Retreat ...
.
Government
Taichung City's executive branch is headed by mayor
Lu Shiow-yen of the Kuomintang.
Taichung's legislative branch is a unicameral 46-member City Council. Each member is elected from one of six member districts where each voter has only one vote.
Administrative divisions
Taichung consists of 29 districts, 28
districts and 1 mountain indigenous district.
Inner Taichung refers to the eight former districts of Taichung City before the merger with
Taichung County
Taichung County was a County (Taiwan), county in central Taiwan between 1945 and 2010. The county seat was in Yuanlin Township before 1950 and Fengyuan District, Fongyuan City after 1950.
History
Taichung County was established on 26 November ...
on December 25, 2010. Colors indicate statutory language status of
Hakka language
Hakka ( zh, c=, p=Kèjiāhuà; ''Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: '', zh, c=, p=Kèjiāyǔ; ''Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: '') forms a language group of varieties of Chinese, spoken natively by the Hakka people in parts of Southern China, Taiwan, some diaspora areas of ...
in the respective subdivisions. Note that
Heping District is also an
indigenous area of the
Atayal people.
Economy
Taichung is the center and the largest city in
Central Taiwan. Its main industries are machinery and retail services.
[: 按從業員工人數觀察,臺中市為中部地區最大都會區及民生消費中心,以批發業及零售業為就業市場主力,從業員工合計達 27.4 萬人或占 23.0%]
Taichung is home to many industries. It has six main manufacturing industries: tool machines, mechanical components, photoelectric panels, bicycles, woodworking machinery, and aerospace manufacturing.
Taichung Industrial Park, located in
Xitun District, is home to many factories, while nearby
World Trade Center Taichung hosts many industrial conventions every year. Taichung is also home to the
Central Taiwan Science Park, known for the many semiconductor factories located there, most notably
TSMC
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (TSMC or Taiwan Semiconductor) is a Taiwanese multinational semiconductor contract manufacturing and design company. It is one of the world's most valuable semiconductor companies, the world' ...
. Some other famous companies located in Taichung included
Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation,
HIWIN,
Largan Precision, and
Pou Chen Corporation.
Taichung is also known for its bicycle manufacturing. Notable business located in Taichung include
Giant Bicycles,
SRAM, and TRP Brakes.
Taichung's financial center and
central business district
A central business district (CBD) is the Commerce, commercial and business center of a city. It contains commercial space and offices, and in larger cities will often be described as a financial district. Geographically, it often coincides wit ...
is the
7th Redevelopment Zone, where many corporation offices are located. The retail sector is another main industry in Taichung. Almost a quarter of all Taichung employees work in the retail sector.,
Its output value is 1.3 trillion NTD, second largest after Taipei (5.8 trillion NTD) in Taiwan.
Taichung is most famous for its
suncakes. Taichung's
Chun Shui Tang teahouse () is where
bubble tea
Bubble tea (also known as pearl milk tea, bubble milk tea, tapioca milk tea, boba tea, or boba; zh, t=珍珠奶茶, p=zhēnzhū nǎichá, zh, t=波霸奶茶, p=bōbà nǎichá, labels=no) is a tea-based drink most often containing chewy tapio ...
was invented.
Transportation
Rail

Two railways run parallel to each other in Taichung: the
Taichung Line, which passes through the urban areas in the interior, and the
West Coast Line, which passes through rural areas closer to the coastal shore.
Taichung railway station is located in the heart of the city in
Central District and numerous bus companies provide connections to other towns by bus.
The
THSR Taichung Station is located in
Wuri district
Wuri District () is a District (Taiwan), district in southern Taichung, Taiwan. Both of the two north–south freeways (National Freeway 1 and National Freeway 3), as well as Provincial Highway 74 (Taiwan), Provincial Highway 74 pass through Wuri ...
, serving travel demands of both Taichung City and the northern parts of Changhua County. THSR Taichung Station is accessible by
local trains and
MRT Green Line through
Xinwuri railway station as well as free shuttle buses into the city.
Seaport
Taichung Port, located on the coast in Taichung City, is the second largest cargo facility on the island capable of handling container shipping. Despite being the second largest port on the island of Taiwan, there are no passenger ferry services available and the port is closed to unauthorized personnel.
Roads
Taichung City generally follows a radial road layout, with its center at
Taichung railway station. Major roads start in Central District and run outwards, including Taiwan Boulevard, Xiangshang Road, Zhongqing Road, and Zhongshan Road.
Freeway 1 runs along the Fazi River on the outskirts of the city, while
Freeway 3 runs along the
Dadu River to the coastal plains on the west, where it then runs parallel to the coastline.
Freeway 4 begins in
Qingshui District and terminates in
Fengyuan District
Fengyuan District () is a District (Taiwan), district in north-central Taichung, Taiwan on the south bank of the Dajia River. Fengyuan district is the third most populated district in the former Taichung County, after Dali and Taiping district. ...
.
Highway 74, known as the Taichung Ring Expressway circles the outskirts of the city, while
Highway 63, known as the Zhongtou Expressway, runs from Taichung southward to
Caotun,
Nantou. Many other highways run through the city.
Most road signs in the city have
romanized spelling.
Bus
The most frequently used public transportation system in Taichung is by bus, with 18 bus companies providing 275 routes that cover all districts. All station names are announced in both Mandarin and English, while some also provide Hokkien pronunciations. For local passengers using a
contactless smartcard (for example, an
EasyCard), the first 10 kilometers are free. In addition, some taxi served as bus routes in rural areas.
Mass Rapid Transit

The city currently has one
MRT line, the
Green line, which opened on April 25, 2021. A second line, the
Blue line, was approved in 2024 and is expected to open in 2034.
For a short period of time, the city operated a
bus rapid transit system, named the
BRT Blue Line, running down Taiwan Boulevard. It used
articulated bus
An articulated bus, also referred to as a slinky bus, bendy bus, tandem bus, vestibule bus, stretch bus, or an accordion bus, is an articulated vehicle, typically a motor bus or trolleybus, used in public transportation. It is usually a ...
es running a specialized lane, a first in Taiwan. The system began operation in July 2014; however, it did little to ameliorate traffic congestion, and was terminated within a year. The lane and specialized bus stops are currently used as a general bus lane, with bus lines 300-310 running through it.
Taichung International Airport
Taichung International Airport is the third and newest international airport in Taiwan. It occupies the western corner of
Ching Chuan Kang Air Base (CCK) and is about 20 kilometers (12 mi) from downtown Taichung City. The current airport replaced
Shuinan Airport as Taichung's airport in 2004.
Education

In 1915, the Taichung Middle School (台灣公立台中中學校) (now
Taichung Municipal Taichung First Senior High School) was established as the first school for young people in Taiwan. In 1943, the Advanced Academy of Agronomy and Forestry (now
National Chung Hsing University
National Chung Hsing University (NCHU; ; lit. National Resurgence University) is a comprehensive research university in South District, Taichung, Taiwan.
Currently, NCHU is among the four universities of the Taiwan Comprehensive University Sys ...
) became an independent entity and moved to Taichung. It is the beginning of higher education in Taichung. In 1955,
Tunghai University was established, becoming the first private university in Taiwan.
Currently, there are 17 universities, 50 high schools, 71 junior high schools, and 235 elementary schools in Taichung. In addition, there are four special schools,
three international schools, and nine community colleges in the city.
Romanization
Taichung City is in the process of implementing
Hanyu Pinyin on road signs throughout the city. However, there are still signs displaying spellings from previously used romanization systems, as well as
Tongyong Pinyin and systems that do not conform to any standard system.
Unlike
Taipei
, nickname = The City of Azaleas
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, pushpin_map = Taiwan#Asia#Pacific Ocean#Earth
, coordinates =
, subdivision_type = Country ...
, which uses a capital letter at the beginning of every syllable, Taichung City uses the standard form of Hanyu Pinyin on street signs erected in recent years. However, the municipal website uses the Taipei system. Most major intersections have at least one sign containing some form of romanization. Nearly every intersection in the downtown area has signs in Hanyu Pinyin. However, outside of the downtown area, while coverage by Hanyu Pinyin signs is improving, many intersections have signs in other romanization systems (especially Wade–Giles and MPS2) or no Romanized signs at all.
Culture and recreation
Museums and cultural centers

*The
National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts
The National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts (NTMoFA; ) is a museum in West District, Taichung, West District, Taichung, Taiwan. NTMoFA was established in 1988 and is the first and the only national-grade fine arts museum in Taiwan. The major collec ...
houses the world's largest collection of Taiwanese art.
*
National Museum of Natural Science together with
National Palace Museum
The National Palace Museum, also known as Taipei Palace Museum, is a national museum headquartered in Taipei, Taiwan. Founded in Beijing in 1925, the museum was re-established in Shilin District, Shilin, Taipei, in 1965, later expanded with a S ...
in Taipei and the
National Science and Technology Museum in Kaohsiung are called "the Museums of Taiwan". Across , the museum is a six-venue complex housing the Space IMAX Theater, Science Center, Life Science Hall, Chinese Science Hall, Global Environment Hall and the Botanical Garden, excluding the Earthquake Museum in Wufong, which is dedicated to public education on seismology, located just 10 kilometers east of the main complex of NMNS. Over 30 permanent exhibit areas cover subjects on astronomy, space science, paleontology, ecology, gems and minerals, Taiwanese Aborigines, and tropical plants. Rotating special exhibits are a constant occurrence.
*Taichung Municipal Cultural Center: The Municipal Cultural Center is located on Yingcai Road on property adjacent to the National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts.
*
Taichung Folklore Park: This park is dedicated to presenting a more traditional Taiwanese way of life. It includes a combination of authentic and recreated buildings and streets in an attempt to recreate a more rustic Taiwan.
*
921 Earthquake Museum of Taiwan: This museum is located in
Wufeng District
Wufeng District () is a suburban District (Taiwan), district in southern Taichung, Taiwan. It is the location of Taiwan Provincial Consultative Council.
Wufeng is a mainly agricultural town. It was heavily damaged by the 921 earthquake, Jiji ea ...
. With the rebuilding of Kwangfu Junior High on its present site, the Earthquake Memorial Museum was renamed the 921 Earthquake Museum of Taiwan on February 13, 2001. The new plan retains the original sites as a record of the damage wrought by the earthquake, and it also adds technological and educational facilities designed to inform the public and school children about earthquakes and disaster readiness.
*
Asia Museum of Modern Art: This museum is located at
Asia University in Wufeng District. On May 4, 2007, Dr. Tsai presented the project plan and officially invited Mr. Tadao Ando to design an art museum for Asia University. Therefore, the main purpose of inviting Tadao Ando to design the museum was to educate students and create the opportunity for them to have contact with art works from masters of international status. This museum provides various and amazing exhibitions which are related to Asian art and modern art.
Temples
Taichung has a large number of temples, many of which hold historic and cultural value. According to a 2018 survey by the city government, Taichung is home to 1,012 registered temples, of which 774 are
Taoist
Taoism or Daoism (, ) is a diverse philosophical and religious tradition indigenous to China, emphasizing harmony with the Tao ( zh, p=dào, w=tao4). With a range of meaning in Chinese philosophy, translations of Tao include 'way', 'road', ...
and 208 are
Buddhist
Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...
.
The Goddess
Mazu
Mazu or Matsu is a sea goddess in Chinese folk religion, Chinese Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism. She is also known by several other names and titles. Mazu is the deified form of Lin Moniang (), a shamaness from Fujian who is said to ...
is one of the most popular
Deity
A deity or god is a supernatural being considered to be sacred and worthy of worship due to having authority over some aspect of the universe and/or life. The ''Oxford Dictionary of English'' defines ''deity'' as a God (male deity), god or god ...
.
Jenn Lann Temple is the starting point of the annual
Dajia Mazu Pilgrimage, one of two largest such pilgrimages in Taiwan (along with the
Baishatun Mazu Pilgrimage). Each year, worshippers carry a
litter
Litter consists of waste products that have been discarded incorrectly, without consent, at an unsuitable location. The waste is objects, often man-made, such as aluminum cans, paper cups, food wrappers, cardboard boxes or plastic bottles, but ...
containing a statue of Mazu and travel on foot to
Xingang, Chiayi and back.
Lecheng Temple hosts a similar Eighteen Villages Pilgrimage, where the temple's "Hanxi Mazu" is paraded through eighteen villages for good luck. Other notable Mazu temples include
Wanhe Temple and
Haotian Temple.
Confucianism
Confucianism, also known as Ruism or Ru classicism, is a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient China, and is variously described as a tradition, philosophy, Religious Confucianism, religion, theory of government, or way of li ...
is a crucial part of many Chinese cultures. In Taichung, there are two historic major temples dedicated to
Wenchang Dijun, the patron deity of literature:
Beitun Wenchang Temple and
Nantun Wenchang Temple. The
Taichung Confucian Temple is a large and relatively new complex dedicated to
Confucius
Confucius (; pinyin: ; ; ), born Kong Qiu (), was a Chinese philosopher of the Spring and Autumn period who is traditionally considered the paragon of Chinese sages. Much of the shared cultural heritage of the Sinosphere originates in the phil ...
himself. There are also several
ancestral shrines in Taichung, notably the
Lin Family Ancestral Shrine, the
Zhang Family Temple, and the
Zhang Liao Family Temple.
Many other deities are worshipped in the city, including:
*
Baosheng Dadi at
Yuanbao Temple
*
Guanyin
Guanyin () is a common Chinese name of the bodhisattva associated with Karuṇā, compassion known as Avalokiteśvara (). Guanyin is short for Guanshiyin, which means " he One WhoPerceives the Sounds of the World". Originally regarded as m ...
at
Songzhu Temple and
Zi Yun Yan
*
Xuantian Shangdi at
Zhenwu Temple
Night markets
Taichung has several open-air
night markets that feature local food and diversions:

*
Fengjia Night Market - located adjacent to
Feng Chia University.
*
Yizhong Street - located at
North District, close to
Taichung Park. One of the most popular night markets in Taichung.
*Zhonghua Night Market - located in the heart of Central District, along ZhongHua Road.
*Zhongxiao Night Market - located south of the Taichung Railroad Station around the intersections of ZhongXiao, Taichung and GuoGuang roads.
*Tunghai Night Market - located at the western side of Xitun, close to border with Longjing. A small street northwest of
Tunghai University.
*Hanxi Night Market-A large night market which is located Hanxi East Road Section 1 at East District.
Hot springs
Taichung has a famous hot spring,
Guguan hot spring, located in
Heping District.
Performance venues
*Zhongshan Hall: Zhongshan Hall is a popular venue for a variety of performances including musical, opera, ballet, dance, theatrical, and other performances. Seating capacity is 1,692.
*
Fulfillment Amphitheater: This recently completed outdoor venue is located in the Wenxin Forest Park and is suitable for a wide range of outdoor performances.*Zhongxing Hall at National Taichung Library
Other annual activities
*The
Taichung Jazz Festival takes place annually through the month of October. It features a variety of acts at numerous venues throughout the city.
Sports
Professional sports
The
Sinon Bulls was a professional baseball team playing in the four-team
Chinese Professional Baseball League. While they were identified with Taichung City, many of their “home games” were played outside of the city due to the inadequacies of the old
Taichung Baseball Field. The team was expected to move into the newly completed
Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium in 2008, but never did. At the end of the 2012 season, Sinon Corporation announced its intention to sell the team. By late December, an agreement was reached between Sinon Corporation and E-United Group, and the team was renamed EDA Rhinos and moved to Kaohsiung. The ''
Special Force II'' division of the
Flash Wolves esports
Esports (), short for electronic sports, is a form of competition using video games. Esports often takes the form of organized, multiplayer video game competitions, particularly between professional players, played individually or as teams. ...
team is known as the Taichung Flash Wolves, the team competed in the Special Force II Pro League (SF2PL) based in Taipei. Taichung is home to Taichung City FC, a club which strives to represent Taichung in soccer tournaments as well as charitable events.
In 2015, after the CTBC Holdings took ownership of the Brother Elephants and renamed the team
CTBC Brothers, they made Taichung Intercontinental Baseball Stadium their home as part of Taiwan's
CPBL's effort to establish home fields in all major Taiwanese cities.
Taichung has two professional basketball teams, the
Taichung Suns of the
T1 League and the
Formosa Taishin Dreamers of the
P. League+ (shared with
Changhua County
Changhua (Wade-Giles: ''Chang¹-hua⁴'') is a Taiwanese County (Taiwan), county that is the smallest on the Geography of Taiwan, main island of Taiwan by area, and the fourth smallest in the country. With a total population of 1.24 million, Chan ...
).
Major Sporting Events
Cup Marathon is held on the city's streets every autumn, either in October or November. Recent major sporting events held by Taichung include:
*
2013 18U Baseball World Cup
*
2014 U-21 Baseball World Cup
*
2015 WBSC Premier12 (co-hosted with
Taipei
, nickname = The City of Azaleas
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, pushpin_map = Taiwan#Asia#Pacific Ocean#Earth
, coordinates =
, subdivision_type = Country ...
,
Taoyuan, and
Yunlin (
Douliu))
*
2019 Asian Baseball Championship
*
2019 WBSC Premier12 (co-hosted with Taoyuan)
*
2022 U-23 Baseball World Cup (co-hosted with Taipei and Yunlin)
*
2023 World Baseball Classic (Pool A)
*
2023 U-18 Baseball World Cup (Co-hosted with Taipei)
Hospitals
*China Medical University Hospital (中國醫藥大學附設醫院)
*Chung Shan Medical University Hospital (中山醫學大學附設醫院)
*Taichung Veterans Hospital (臺中榮民總醫院)
*Cheng Ching Hospital (澄清醫院)
*
Jen-Ai Hospital - Dali (大里仁愛醫院)
*
Jen-Ai Hospital - Taichung (臺中仁愛醫院)
*Taichung Tzu Chi General Hospital (臺中慈濟醫院)
*Taichung armed force general hospital(國軍台中總醫院)
*
Asia University Hospital (亞洲大學附設醫院)
Notable people
*
Chen Xue, writer
*
Lin Hsien-tang
Lin Hsien-tang (; 22 October 1881 – 8 September 1956) was a Taiwanese politician and activist who founded several political organizations and sat on the Japanese House of Peers (Japan), House of Peers.
Early life and family
Lin Hsien-tang's earl ...
, scholar and politician
*
Teng Ming-Tun, artist
Sister Cities and Friendship Cities
Sister Cities
Taichung has signed sister city agreements with 29 cities (January 2025) since 1965. They are listed below along with the dates that the agreements were signed.
*
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is a city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound. With a population of 135,081 as determined by the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, New Haven is List ...
, United States (March 29, 1965)
*
Chungju
Chungju () is a Administrative divisions of South Korea, city in North Chungcheong Province, South Korea. Uamsan is a mountain located within the outskirts of the city.
The city is famous for the annual martial arts festival held in October. Al ...
,
North Chungjeong, South Korea (November 27, 1969)
*
Santa Cruz de la Sierra
Santa Cruz de la Sierra (; ), commonly known as Santa Cruz, is the largest city in Bolivia and the capital of the Santa Cruz Department (Bolivia), Santa Cruz department.
Situated on the Pirai River (Bolivia), Pirai River in the eastern Tropical ...
, Bolivia (November 21, 1978)
*
Tucson, Arizona
Tucson (; ; ) is a city in Pima County, Arizona, United States, and its county seat. It is the second-most populous city in Arizona, behind Phoenix, Arizona, Phoenix, with a population of 542,630 in the 2020 United States census. The Tucson ...
, United States (August 31, 1979)
*
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge ( ; , ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It had a population of 227,470 at the 2020 United States census, making it List of municipalities in Louisiana, Louisiana's second-m ...
, United States (April 18, 1980)
*
Cheyenne, Wyoming, United States (October 8, 1981)
*
Winnipeg
Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. It is centred on the confluence of the Red River of the North, Red and Assiniboine River, Assiniboine rivers. , Winnipeg h ...
,
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population ...
, Canada (April 2, 1982)
*
Contra Costa County, California
Contra Costa County (; ''Contra Costa'', Spanish for 'Opposite Coast') is a county located in the U.S. state of California, in the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 1,165,927. Th ...
, United States (March 31, 1983)
*
San Diego, California
San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...
, United States (November 19, 1983)
*
Pietermaritzburg,
KwaZulu-Natal
KwaZulu-Natal (, also referred to as KZN) is a Provinces of South Africa, province of South Africa that was created in 1994 when the government merged the Zulu people, Zulu bantustan of KwaZulu ("Place of the Zulu" in Zulu language, Zulu) and ...
, South Africa (December 9, 1983)
*
Reno, Nevada
Reno ( ) is a city in the northwest section of the U.S. state of Nevada, along the Nevada–California border. It is the county seat and most populous city of Washoe County, Nevada, Washoe County. Sitting in the High Eastern Sierra foothills, ...
, United States (October 8, 1985)
*
Sumter County, South Carolina, United States (June 5, 1986)
*
Austin, Texas
Austin ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Texas. It is the county seat and most populous city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and W ...
, United States (September 22, 1986)
*
Manchester, New Hampshire
Manchester is the List of municipalities in New Hampshire, most populous city in the U.S. state of New Hampshire. Located on the banks of the Merrimack River, it had a population of 115,644 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Manches ...
, United States (May 8, 1989)
*
Mexicali
Mexicali (; ) is the capital city of the States of Mexico, Mexican state of Baja California. The city, which is the seat of the Mexicali Municipality, has a population of 689,775, according to the 2010 census, while the Calexico–Mexicali, Cale ...
,
Baja California
Baja California, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California, is a state in Mexico. It is the northwesternmost of the 32 federal entities of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1952, the area was known as the North Territory of B ...
, Mexico (September 21, 1989)
*
Guadalajara
Guadalajara ( ; ) is the capital and the most populous city in the western Mexican List of states of Mexico, state of Jalisco, as well as the most densely populated municipality in Jalisco. According to the 2020 census, the city has a population ...
,
Jalisco
Jalisco, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Jalisco, is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. It is located in western Mexico and is bordered by s ...
, Mexico (September 24, 1989)
*
Montgomery County, Ohio, United States (October 15, 1990)
*
North Shore City (December 17, 1996)
[Former North Shore City merged with ]Auckland
Auckland ( ; ) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. It has an urban population of about It is located in the greater Auckland Region, the area governed by Auckland Council, which includes outlying rural areas and ...
on November 1, 2010./
Auckland
Auckland ( ; ) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. It has an urban population of about It is located in the greater Auckland Region, the area governed by Auckland Council, which includes outlying rural areas and ...
(October 14, 2012), New Zealand
*
Nassau County, New York
Nassau County ( ) is a suburban County (United States), county located on Long Island, immediately to the east of New York City, bordering the Long Island Sound on the north and the open Atlantic Ocean to the south. As of the 2020 United St ...
, United States (September 4, 1997)
*
Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma ( ) is the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. A port city, it is situated along Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, southwest of Bellevue, Washington, Bellevue, northeast of the state capital, Olympia ...
, United States (July 19, 2000)
*
Kwajalein Atoll
Kwajalein Atoll (; Marshallese language, Marshallese: ) is part of the Marshall Islands, Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI). The southernmost and largest island in the atoll is named Kwajalein Island, which its majority English-speaking re ...
, Marshall Islands (July 19, 2002)
*
San Pedro Sula, Honduras (October 28, 2003)
*
Makati
Makati ( ; ), officially the City of Makati (), is a highly urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines, known for being one of the leading financial centers in the country. As of 2013, the city has the highest concent ...
,
Metro Manila
Metropolitan Manila ( ), commonly shortened to Metro Manila and formally the National Capital Region (NCR; ), is the capital region and largest List of metropolitan areas in the Philippines, metropolitan area of the Philippines. Located ...
, Philippines (July 27, 2004)
*
Columbus, Georgia
Columbus is a consolidated city-county located on the west-central border of the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. Columbus lies on the Chattahoochee River directly across from Phenix City, Alabama. It is the county seat of Muscogee ...
, United States (November 11, 2007)
*
Columbia, South Carolina
Columbia is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of South Carolina. With a population of 136,632 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is List of municipalities in South Carolina, the second-mo ...
, United States (March 12, 2014)
*
Gwangyang,
South Jeolla, South Korea (November 14, 2017)
*
Petah Tikva
Petah Tikva (, ), also spelt Petah Tiqwa and known informally as Em HaMoshavot (), is a city in the Central District (Israel), Central District of Israel, east of Tel Aviv. It was founded in 1878, mainly by Haredi Judaism, Haredi Jews of the Old Y ...
,
Central, Israel (February 14, 2018)
*
Ulaangom, Mongolia (November 4, 2018)
*
Guam
Guam ( ; ) is an island that is an Territories of the United States, organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. Guam's capital is Hagåtña, Guam, Hagåtña, and the most ...
, United States (February 23, 2022)
*
Melekeok State, Palau (October 11, 2024)
*
Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan (December 12, 2024)
Friendship Cities
Aside from sister cities, Taichung has signed 14 friendship cities and one sightseeing friendship city as of January 2025. They are listed below along with the dates that the agreements were signed.
*
Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada (May 22, 2009)
*
Gunma Prefecture
is a landlocked Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Gunma Prefecture has a population of 1,937,626 (1 October 2019) and has a geographic area of . Gunma Prefecture borders Niigata Prefecture and Fuk ...
, Japan (April 28, 2016)
*
Oita Prefecture, Japan (September 8, 2016)
*
Cupertino, California
Cupertino ( ) is a city in Santa Clara County, California, United States, directly west of San Jose, California, San Jose on the western edge of the Santa Clara Valley with portions extending into the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains. The ...
, United States (October 31, 2016)
*
Hirakawa, Aomori
is a Cities of Japan, city located in Aomori Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 30,086 in 14,181 households, and a population density of 89 persons per km2. The total area of the city is .
Geography
Hirakawa is located ...
, Japan (December 14, 2016)
*
Aomori Prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan in the Tōhoku region. The prefecture's capital, largest city, and namesake is the city of Aomori (city), Aomori. Aomori is the northernmost prefecture on Japan's main island, Honshu, and is border ...
, Japan (December 14, 2016)
*
Ehime Prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located on the island of Shikoku. Ehime Prefecture has a population of 1,334,841 and a geographic area of 5,676 km2 (2,191 sq mi). Ehime Prefecture borders Kagawa Prefecture to the northeast, Toku ...
, Japan (June 1, 2017)
*
Boise, Idaho
Boise ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities in Idaho, most populous city of the U.S. state of Idaho. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, there were 235,685 people residing in the city. Loca ...
, United States (August 14, 2017)
*
Onomichi, Hiroshima, Japan (September 29, 2017)
*
Gwangyang,
South Jeolla, South Korea (November 14, 2017)
*
Changwon
Changwon (; ) is the capital and largest city of South Gyeongsang Province, South Korea (with a population of 1,025,702 ), and the 11th largest city of the South Korea, country. A port city, Changwon is bordered by Masan Bay to the south, and the ...
,
South Gyeongsang
South Gyeongsang Province (, ) is a Administrative divisions of South Korea, province in the southeast of South Korea. The provincial capital is at Changwon. It is adjacent to the major metropolitan center and port of Busan. The UNESCO World Heri ...
, South Korea (April 11, 2018)
*
Yamagata Prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of Honshu. It has a population of 1,005,926 (1 February 2025) and an area of 9,325 Square kilometre, km2 (3,600 Square mile, sq mi). Its neighbours are Akita Prefectu ...
, Japan (May 29, 2018)
*
Tottori Prefecture, Japan (November 2, 2018)
*
Nagoya
is the largest city in the Chūbu region of Japan. It is the list of cities in Japan, fourth-most populous city in Japan, with a population of 2.3million in 2020, and the principal city of the Chūkyō metropolitan area, which is the List of ...
,
Aichi, Japan (October 25, 2019)
Gallery
File:霧峰林家將軍府.jpg, Taichung Lin Family Mansion
File:Budokan by Taichung Takenori Hall.JPG, Taichung Natural Way Six Arts Cultural Center
File:Natural Way Six Arts Cultural Center, the Martial Arts Compound, Taichung City (Taiwan).jpg, Natural Way Six Arts Cultural Center
File:幽靜的中山公園湖心亭.jpg, Taichung Park
File:Midorinokawa.jpg, alt=The canal was excavated by the Japanese during the Japanese ruling period. The many canals in made Taichung the Kyoto of Taiwan., Taichung Lu Chuan canal
File:National Taichung Theater 2019.jpg, National Taichung Theater
File:臺中車站01.jpg, New Taichung Main Station
File:臺中火車站.JPG, Old Taichung Station
File:Japanese colonial architectures in Taichung - Suger factory (Now a museum).jpg, The Imperial Sugar Factory
File:Taichung Municipal Office Building Outside view 201905.jpg, Taichung Shiyakusho
File:Japanese colonial architectures in Taichung - Bank and museum of sun cakes.jpg, Sun cake museum
File:日出宮原眼科門市.jpg, Taichung Miyahara Oculist (Now a department store)
File:Japanese colonial architectures in Taichung - Bookstore.jpg, Taichung Chuo Bookstore
Relative location
Notes
Words in native languages
See also
*
List of ports and harbors of the Pacific Ocean
References
Bibliography
*
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*
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External links
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{{Authority control
1705 establishments in China
Populated places established in 1705
2010 establishments in Taiwan
Municipalities of Taiwan