Taoyuan, Taiwan

Taoyuan is a special municipality in northwestern Taiwan. It neighbors New Taipei City to the north-east, Yilan County to the south-east, and Hsinchu County to the south-west. The main government area is in Taoyuan District, which together with Zhongli District forms a big city area.

Taoyuan grew from a smaller city near Taipei into the fourth-largest city area and fifth-largest city by population in Taiwan. The name "Taoyuan" means "peach garden" because the area once had many peach trees. It became a special municipality in 2014, after being a county before that.

The city has many places where industries and technology companies are based. Because it is close to Taipei and living costs are lower, Taoyuan has grown very fast in population recently. There are also about 116,000 foreign workers living there, many from Southeast Asia, working in factories or homes. Taoyuan International Airport is located here and serves Taipei and northern Taiwan.

History

Early history

Long ago, the Taoyuan area was home to the Taiwanese plains aborigines. The Ketagalan people lived in a place called Nankan. During times of Dutch colonization, Spanish colonization, and Zheng He of the Ming Dynasty, there were no big farms or factories. Later, during the Qing era, people from Fujian Province and Guangdong province came to live in Taoyuan and started farming. They planted many peach trees, and when they bloomed in spring, the land was so beautiful that it was named Toahong, meaning "peach orchard".

Empire of Japan

In 1901, during the time of Japanese rule, a local office called Toshien Chō was set up in Taoyuan, later renamed Tōen Chō in 1905. By 1920, the area became part of Shinchiku Prefecture.

Under Japanese rule, Taoyuan grew into a city with many different cultures. There were temples and paths for worship, places like the Taoyuan Martyrs Shrine for remembering important people, areas for military activities, and buildings for government work.

Republic of China

After Japan’s rule ended, Taoyuan became part of Hsinchu County. In 1950, it became its own area called Taoyuan County. On 21 April 1971, Taoyuan City became the main city of Taoyuan County. In June 2009, plans were approved to make Taoyuan a special municipality. On 25 December 2014, Taoyuan County changed into a special municipality called Taoyuan City.

Geography

Taoyuan is located about 40 kilometers southwest of Taipei in northern Taiwan. It covers an area of 1,220 square kilometers and includes low plains, mountains, and plateaus. The area stretches in a long, narrow shape from the southeast to the northwest, with part of it in the Xueshan Range and the far end near the Taiwan Strait.

Taoyuan has many small ponds, which is why it is called the "Thousand-pond Township." The city has a humid subtropical climate, meaning winters are mild and summers are hot, which is common for northern Taiwan.

Ethnic composition

Further information: North-South divide in Taiwan § Population

Han Chinese

Hoklo

Like most cities in Taiwan, many people in Taoyuan are from the Minnan group, also called Hoklo. Most of them live in the northern part of Taoyuan, including areas such as Taoyuan city centre, Bade, Daxi, Dayuan, Guishan, and Luzhu.

Hakka

The Hakka people are the second-largest group in Taoyuan. They mostly live in the southern rural areas, such as Zhongli, Pingzhen, Yangmei, Longtan, Guanyin, and Xinwu. Taoyuan has one of the largest Hakka populations in Taiwan.

Waishengren

After a big change in China, many people moved to Taoyuan from China. Many of them live in special areas called military dependents’ villages in places like Zhongli, Pingzhen, and Guishan. The area of Longgang is famous for people who came from Yunnan, and it has many restaurants with Yunnan-style food.

Indigenous peoples

Most of Taiwan’s indigenous people in Taoyuan live in Fuxing District, and many of them are from the Atayal group. Besides Fuxing District, Taoyuan does not have many indigenous people living in other areas.

Economy

Taoyuan is one of Taiwan's top cities for industry and technology. Many high-tech companies, such as Quanta, MiTAC, Inotera, Nanya Technology, HTC, and AU Optronics, have built or expanded factories there. Taoyuan is now a strong center for electronics and semiconductor manufacturing. Over 200 of Taiwan’s top manufacturing companies have factories in the city, and Taoyuan has led in industrial output for nine years in a row.

The city has 29 industrial areas with lots of land for factories and business. On 26 March 2010, China Airlines moved its headquarters to Taipei Taoyuan International Airport in Dayuan Township. EVA Air has its headquarters in Luzhu District. In 2016, the Asia Silicon Valley Development Agency started in northern Taoyuan to support new ideas, promote the Internet of Things (IoT), and attract talented people to work in technology.

Tourism

Historical sites

Daxi Old Street is a famous old street in Taiwan. It was once a busy place for trading camphor and tea, with many shops that have beautiful Baroque style fronts. The street also has the Daxi Wood Art Ecomuseum, which includes special buildings like Daxi Butokuden and Lee Teng-fan's Ancient Residence.

Furen Temple was built in 1813 and is dedicated to Kai Zhang Sheng Wang. It is located on Daxi Old Street in Daxi District.

Tianhou Temple was built in 1826 and is in Xinwu District. In 2002, the temple added a very tall bronze statue of the goddess Mazu, which is the second tallest in Taiwan and third tallest in the world.

Taoyuan Martyrs' Shrine is a well-preserved Shinto shrine located outside of Japan.

Nature attractions

Shihmen Reservoir is one of Taiwan's important reservoirs. It was once the largest water project in Southeast Asia. Visitors can enjoy fresh fish dishes at nearby restaurants and ride a three-kilometre-long bikeway around the back pond. Shihmen Reservoir supplies water to almost all of Taoyuan and some parts of New Taipei City.

Lala Mountain is a protected natural area in Taiwan. It has very old trees, including one known as the "No. 5 Divine Tree," which lived before Confucius.

Museums and art centers

Taoyuan Arts Center is the main place for performances in Taoyuan, located in Taoyuan Zhongzheng Arts and Cultural Business District.

Hengshan Calligraphy Art Center is Taiwan's first official art museum focused on the art of calligraphy.

Others

Cihu Mausoleum is where the former president of the Republic of China, Chiang Kai-shek, is buried.

The Window on China Theme Park, established in 1984, is one of Taiwan's earliest theme parks. It has three areas: Mini World, Water Park, and Amusement Park, with small copies of famous world landmarks.

The Longgang Mosque in Zhongli District is Taiwan's fifth mosque. It was built in 1967 to serve the area’s Taiwanese Muslims.

Taoyuan Aquarium Xpark, operated by Yokohama Hakkeijima, features a popular Taiwanese sea-themed tank called "Formosa."

[Shihmen Reservoir](/wiki/Shihmen_Dam)

[Cihu Mausoleum](/wiki/Cihu_Mausoleum) of [Chiang Kai-shek](/wiki/Chiang_Kai-shek)

[Longgang Mosque](/wiki/Longgang_Mosque)

Government and politics

The Taoyuan City Government is in charge of running the city of Taoyuan. The Taoyuan City Council is made up of 60 councillors who are elected every four years by the people.

Mayor

Further information: Mayor of Taoyuan

In 2001, Eric Chu won the election to become the leader of Taoyuan County. In 2014, after Taoyuan became a city, Cheng Wen-tsan became the first mayor. In 2022, Chang San-cheng was elected as the new mayor.

Administrative divisions

Taoyuan City is divided into 12 municipal districts and 1 mountain indigenous district. The city government is located within Taoyuan District.

Colors show the common use of Hakka and Formosan languages in each area.

Before becoming a municipality on 25 December 2014, Taoyuan County had 6 county-administered cities, 1 urban township, 5 rural townships, and 1 Mountain indigenous township.

Education

Taoyuan has many places for learning, including universities, high schools, and international schools. There are public, private, and technical universities, as well as military academies. The city also has many public high schools and one international school, the Taoyuan American School.

The Taoyuan Main Public Library is the largest local library in Taiwan. It is located in Taoyuan Zhongzheng Arts and Cultural Business District and opened in December 2022. It was designed by T.C.K. Architect Engineer Planner and Azusa Sekkei.

Public universities

• Central Police University
• National Central University
• National Defense University
• National Taiwan Sport University

Private universities

• Chang Gung University
• Ming Chuan University
• Chung Yuan Christian University
• Kainan University
• Yuan Ze University

Technical and vocational universities

• Chien Hsin University of Science and Technology
• Lunghwa University of Science and Technology
• Vanung University

Military Academies

• Army Academy R.O.C.
• Republic of China Army Communication, Electronics and Information School
• Republic of China Army Chemical School
• Republic of China Army Logistics School
• Republic of China Military Police School

Public high schools

• The Affiliated Jhongli Senior High School of National Central University
• Taoyuan Municipal Nei Li Senior High School
• Taoyuan Municipal Taoyuan Senior High School
• Taoyuan Municipal Yang Mei Senior High School
• Taoyuan Municipal Yang Ming Senior High School
• Taoyuan Municipal Wu-Ling Senior High School
• Taoyuan Municipal Dasi Senior High School
• Taoyuan Municipal Dayuan International Senior High School
• Taoyuan Municipal Nankan Senior High School
• Taoyuan Municipal Pingjen Senior High School
• Taoyuan Municipal Shoushan Senior High School
• Taoyuan Municipal Yung-Feng High School
• Taoyuan Municipal Yungfong Senior High School
• Taoyuan Municipal Xinwu High School
• Taoyuan Municipal Longtan Senior High School
• Taoyuan Municipal LuoFu Senior High School
• Taoyuan Municipal Guanyin High School

Junior high schools

Further information: Education in Taoyuan City

Elementary schools

Further information: Education in Taoyuan City

Sports

Taoyuan is a great place for sports! The Taoyuan International Baseball Stadium is where the Rakuten Monkeys play. They are part of the Chinese Professional Baseball League. Taoyuan also has two basketball teams: the Taoyuan Leopards and the Taoyuan Pauian Pilots.

There is a big stadium called Taoyuan County Stadium. It was built in 1993 and is used for football games and has a track for running. It can hold up to 30,000 people! Nearby, you can find the Taoyuan Arena, also built in 1993. This indoor place is shaped like bicycle wheels and can hold 15,000 people. It’s used for basketball and volleyball games.

Taoyuan has seen some big sports events, like the 2004 Asian Karate Championships, the 2011 BWF World Junior Championships, and the 2018 World Taekwondo Grand Prix, among others.

Notable persons

Taoyuan has been home to many well-known people. Some of these individuals include:

• Yani Tseng from Guishan District
• Lu Chao-Hsuan from Guishan District
• Jerry Yan
• Cheng Wen-tsan from Bade District
• Eric Chu from Bade District
• Lin Chung-lung
• Yeh Shuhua
• Martino Yu

Transportation

Taoyuan has many ways to get around, including trains, buses, and an airport.

Rail

You can ride the Taiwan Railway along the Western Line, which stops in places like Zhonglu, Taoyuan Hospital, Neili, and Zhongli. The Taiwan High Speed Rail also stops at Taoyuan Station in the Qingpu area of Zhongli District.

Mass Rapid Transit

The city has a rapid transit system called the Taoyuan Metro, which started operating in April 2017.

Road

Major highways like National Highway No. 1 and National Highway No. 3 are close by and connect to the city. National Highway No. 2 leads to Taoyuan International Airport. There is also a bridge called the Luofu Bridge.

Bus

You can take buses operated by Taoyuan Bus Co. and Zhongli Bus Co.

Air

Main article: Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport

The largest airport in Taiwan, Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, is located in Dayuan District. It is the main airport for travel to and from Taiwan and is used by airlines like China Airlines and EVA Air. The airport is busy, handling many passengers each year and is important for international travel. It has two terminals connected by special train services, with plans to build a third terminal and more train links.

International relations

Twin towns – Sister cities

Taoyuan has friendly relationships with many cities around the world. Some of these include:

• Miaoli City, Taiwan (2006)
• Incheon, South Korea (2009)
• Radom, Poland (2011)
• Narita, Chiba, Japan (2016)
• Ramat Gan, Israel (2016)
• Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia (2017)
• Grenoble, France (2018)
• Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan (2018)
• Aur Atoll, Marshall Islands (2018)
• Long Beach, California, United States (2022)

Sister county

Taoyuan also has special ties with some counties in the United States, such as:

• Alameda County, California, United States (1977)
• Hartford County, Connecticut, United States (1982)
• Dallas County, Texas, United States (2007)