TAIPEI

'Taipei' () in Taiwan is the de facto capital of the Republic of China (ROC).
Taipei City, the surrounding Taipei County, and the nearby Keelung City together form the Taipei metropolitan area but are administered under different local government bodies. Taipei City is a special municipality administered directly under the Executive Yuan, while Taipei County and Keelung City are administered as part of Taiwan Province. ''Taipei'' commonly refers to the whole metropolitan area, while ''Taipei City'' refers to the city proper.
The major industries in the city include electrical and electronic manufacturing, textiles, metals, ship-building, and motorcycle manufacturing.

Contents

Pronunciation

Geography

Climate

History

Economy

Government and politics

Administrative divisions

Landmarks and attractions

Taipei 101

Presidential Office Building

Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall

Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall

The Grand Hotel

Night Markets and Shopping Districts

Museums

Libraries/Bookstores

Temples

Parks

Maokong Gondola

Festivities and events

Taipei in Films

Transportation

Education

Sports

Major sport events

Media

Television

Newspapers

Pictures

References

See also

External links

Pronunciation

The spelling ''Taipei'' derives from the Wade-Giles romanization ''T'ai-pei'', in which "p" is pronounced like the English "p" in the word "spay" (the unaspirated "p" may sound like a "b" to the layman). To be more specific, it is pronunciated [k.k]['tai'pe].
Hanyu Pinyin, which is mandated by the KMT Taipei City government, and Tongyong Pinyin, which is mandated by the DPP central government, both reflect this pronunciation, romanizing ''Taipei'' as ''Taibei'', a spelling that is closer to the Standard Mandarin pronunciation. However, this romanization is very rarely seen. The chinese character "北" is used for both Taipei (台北) and Beijing (北京).
Taipei City has converted many of its street signs to Hanyu Pinyin, but it has retained the original spelling of "Taipei" as an exception since this form has been well-known and heavily used.

Geography

Taipei City is located in the Taipei Basin in northern Taiwan. It is bordered by the Xindian River on the south, and the Danshui (Tamsui) River on the west. The northern districts of Shilin and Beitou extend north of the Keelung River and are bordered by Yangmingshan National Park.
The Taipei city limits cover an area ranked sixteenth of twenty-five among all counties and cities in Taiwan.
Cising Mountain is located on the Datun Volcano Group and the tallest Mountain at the rim of the Taipei Basin. Its main peak is 1,120m tall (above elevation).
Mt. Datun's main peak is 1092m tall. It is defined as an area in the western section of Yangmingshan National Park, extending from Mt. Datun northward to Mt. Tsaikungkang. Located on a broad saddle between two mountains, the area contains the marshy Datun Pond.

Climate

The average annual temperature is 23.6°C (74.5°F), with a summer average of 29.4°C (84.9°F) and a winter average of 14.9°C (58.8°F).
The pacific typhoon season has no official bounds but most typhoons tend to form between May and November

History

The region known as the Taipei basin was home to Ketagalan tribes before the eighteenth century. Han Chinese began to settle in the Taipei Basin in 1709. In the late 19th century, the Taipei area, where the major Han Chinese settlements in northern Taiwan and one of the designated foreign trade port, Tamsui, were located, gained economic importance due to the boosting foreign trade, especially that of tea exportation. In 1875, the northern part of Taiwan was separated from Taiwan Prefecture (臺灣府) and incorporated into the new Taipei Prefecture. Having been established adjoining the flourishing townships of Bangkah and Twatutia, the new prefectural capital was known as Chengnei (城內), "the inner city", and government buildings were erected there. From 1875 (during the Qing Dynasty) until the beginning of Japanese rule in 1895, Taipei was part of Danshui County of Taipei Prefecture and the prefectural capital. Taipei remained a temporary provincial capital before it officially became the capital of Taiwan in 1894.
As settlement for losing the First Sino-Japanese War, China ceded the island of Taiwan to the Empire of Japan in 1895. After the Japanese take-over, Taipei, called 'Taihoku' in Japanese, emerged as the political center of the Japanese Colonial Government. Much of the architecture of Taipei dates from the period of Japanese rule, including the Presidential Building which was the Office of the Taiwan Governor-General.

During the Japanese rule, Taihoku was incorporated in 1920 as part of Taihoku Prefecture (台北州). It included Bangka, Dadaocheng, and Chengnei among other small settlements. The eastern village Matsuyama (松山庄) was annexed into Taihoku City in 1938. Upon the Japanese defeat in the Pacific War and its consequent surrender in August 1945, Taiwan was taken over by Chinese Nationalist troops. Subsequently, a temporary Office of the Taiwan Province Administrative Governor was established in Taipei City.
On December 7 1949, the Kuomintang (KMT) government under Chiang Kai-shek established Taipei as the provisional capital of the ROC after the Communists forced them to flee mainland China. Taipei was also the capital of Taiwan Province (臺灣省) until the 1960s when the provincial administration was moved to Chunghsing Village (中興新村) in central Taiwan. (The PRC does not recognize this move and still regards Taipei as the provincial capital of Taiwan.)
As approved on December 30, 1966 by Executive Yuan, Taipei became a centrally administered municipality on July 1, 1967. In the following year, Taipei City expanded again by annexing Shilin, Beitou, Neihu, Nangang, Jingmei, and Muzha. In 1990, 16 districts in Taipei City were consolidated into the current 12 districts.

Economy

Main articles: Economy of Taiwan

As the capital of Taiwan, Taipei has been at the centre of rapid economic development in the country and has now become one of the global cities in the production of high technology and its components. This is part of the so called Taiwan miracle which has seen dramatic growth in the city following foreign direct investment in the 1960s. Taipei is now a creditor economy, holding one of the world's largest foreign exchange reserves of more than $500 billion (100 G$) in 1999. Despite the Asian financial crisis, the economy continues to expand at about 5% per year, with virtually full employment and low inflation.
In the 1960s, foreign investment in Taiwan helped introduce modern, labor-intensive technology to the island, and Taiwan became a major exporter of labor-intensive products.
On July 1,1970, to further develop Taiwan international trade activities, Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) were established as economic growth was accelerating.
The Taipei World Trade Center was completed in 1985.
In the 1980s, production in Taipei shifted toward increasingly sophisticated, capital-intensive and technology-intensive products for export and toward developing the service sector. At the same time, the appreciation of the New Taiwan dollar (TWD), rising labor costs, and increasing environmental consciousness in Taiwan caused many labor-intensive industries, such as shoe manufacturing, to move to mainland China. Taipei has also invested heavily in mainland China estimated to total more than $100 billion.
However the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA), was established in 1986 to provide a single, modern venue that would combine exhibition space, conference facilities, offices, and hotel accommodation for international business. Its located in the city's Xinyi District, TWTC combines every possible service that brings together a vast consulting service on trade-related issues, trading partners, suppliers, and markets.
The International Trade Building was completed on 1988) and the International Convention Center completed in 1989.
Today well over 100 major Taiwanese and international firms have offices in the city .
See ''

Government and politics

The current mayor of Taipei City is Hau Lung-bin who won the 2006 mayoral election on December 9 2006.
The mayor of Taipei City had been an appointed position since Taipei's conversion to a centrally-administered municipality in 1967 until the first public election was held in 1994. The position has a four-year term. The first elected mayor was Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) of the Democratic Progressive Party (民主進步黨; DPP), who is currently the President of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Ma Ying-Jeou took office in 1998 for two terms, before handing over to Hau Lung-bin.
Based on the outcomes of previous elections in the past decade, the vote of the overall constituency of Taipei City shows a slight inclination towards the pro-KMT camp (the so-called "Blue" camp); however, the supporters of the pro-DPP camp (the so-called "Green" camp) also represent a considerable section of the constituency.
Ketagalan Boulevard, where Taiwan's Presidential Office Building and other government structures are situated, is often the site of mass gatherings such as inauguration and national holiday parades, receptions for visiting dignitaries, political demonstrations and public festivals.

Administrative divisions

Taipei City administers twelve districts (區):

Hanyu Pinyin	Chinese characters (Hanzi)	Wade-Giles
Sōngshān	松山區	Sung-shan
Xìnyì	信義區	Hsin-yi
Dà'ān	大安區	Ta-an
Zhōngshān	中山區	Chung-shan
Zhōngzhèng	中正區	Chung-cheng
Dàtóng	大同區	Ta-t'ung
Wànhuá	萬華區	Wan-hua
Wénshān	文山區	Wen-shan
Nángǎng	南港區	Nan-kang
Nèihú	內湖區	Nei-hu
Shìlín	士林區	Shih-lin
Běitóu	北投區	Pei-t'ou

Landmarks and attractions

The MRT (Taipei's Metro Rapid Transit System) stops at most areas of interest or are easily accessible from the transit system. There are well-marked signs, in both English and Chinese, throughout the stations to get you to your destination quickly. They have above and below ground lines. The above ground lines are particularly good, and cheap, for sightseeing. An automated system tells you each stations name when approached, in English and Mandarin. The city has the highest wireless penetration in the world, with the internet being accessible through a city wide Wi-Fi network consisting of over 20,000 access points.^[1]

Taipei 101

Main articles: Taipei 101


Taipei 101 is a 101-floor landmark skyscraper that claimed the title of world's tallest building when it opened in 2004. Designed by C.Y. Lee & Partners and constructed by KTRT Joint Venture, Taipei 101 remains the tallest completed skyscraper in the world, measuring 449 m (1,474 ft) from ground to roof. (The tallest incomplete skyscraper is the Burj Dubai now under construction in Dubai, UAE). Taipei 101 also set new records for ascending elevator speed. The landmark has won numerous international awards for its innovations. Its Indoor and Outdoor Observatories draw visitors from all over the world and its New Year's Eve fireworks display is a regular feature of international broadcasts.

Presidential Office Building

The Presidential Office Building, formerly Chieh Shou Hall (介壽館; Jiè Shòu Guǎn), has been the seat of Taiwan's executive branch of government since 1950. The historical structure was the residence of the 'Office of the Governor-General of Taiwan', during Taiwan's Japanese colonial period.

Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall

The National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall () is a monument erected in memory of Chiang Kai-shek, former President of the Republic of China, in Taipei. Despite protests and controversy surrounding the renaming, it was renamed ^[2], 'National Taiwan Democracy Memorial Hall' ().^[3], by President Chen Shui-bian on 2007-05-19. The monument, surrounded by a park and a large square incorporating the National Concert Hall and National Theater, stands within sight of Taiwan's Presidential Building in Taipei's Zhongzhen District.

Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall

The National Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall is a memorial to one of the most recognizable founding fathers of the Republic of China, Sun Yat-sen, and was completed on May 16, 1972. From the opening of the hall, majority of the exhibits displayed were revolutionary events of the national founding fathers at the end of the Qing Dynasty. However, recently its function moved toward a multi-purpose social, educational and cultural center for the Taiwan public. The Memorial Hall is within walking distance to Taipei 101.

The Grand Hotel

Grand Hotel is a top hotel in the city. The hotel was established in the May of 1952, but it was expanded several times before it became the landmark as it is known today. The swimming pool, tennis court, and the membership lounge were constructed in 1953, and Golden Dragon Pavilion and Golden Dragon Restaurant opened in 1956. The Jade Phoenix Pavilion and Chi-Lin Pavilion opened in 1958 and 1963, respectively. In 1968, the hotel was rated as one of the world's top ten hotels by the US ''Fortune'' magazine. And finally, in the Double Tenth Day of 1973, the main Grand Hotel building was completed, making it an instant Taipei icon. In June 1995, a disastrous fire broke out on the roof and it didn't recover until 1998.

Night Markets and Shopping Districts

Main articles: Shopping in Taipei


Taipei has many night markets, most famous of which is the Shilin Night Market in the Shilin District of the city. The surrounding streets by Shilin Market get extremely crowded during the evening. Most night markets in Taiwan open around 4 p.m. as students begin returning home from school, crowds reach their peak between 8 and 11 p.m. Businesses continue operating well past midnight and close around 1 to 2 a.m.
Shilin Night Market has since become the largest and most well known night market in Taiwan, especially with regards to food, and is a favorite focal point for Taipei's night life among residents and visitors alike. The night market encompasses two distinct sections sharing a symbiotic relationship: a section formerly housed in the old Shihlin Market building containing mostly food vendors and small eateries; and the surrounding businesses and shops selling other nonfood items.
Due to safety, sanitation, and fire hazard concerns, the old Shilin Market structure was demolished in October 2002 by the Taipei City Government; the food vendors formerly based within the old structure were relocated to a newer temporary structure a few hundred meters away next to the MRT Jiantan Station.
Ximending became the famous theater street in Taipei from 1930s and the prosperity proceeded after the defeat of Japan.
Other market areas of note include Taipei Underground Market (with multiple entrances to/from Taipei Railway Station, K-Mall, and Shin Kong Mitsukoshi), Zhongshan Metro Mall, Dihua Street and Guanghua Bazzar.

Museums

Main articles: List of museums in Taipei


The National Palace Museum is an art gallery and museum built around a permanent collection centered on ancient Chinese artifacts. It should not be confused with the Palace Museum in Beijing (note the absence of the word "National" in the latter). Both institutions trace their origins to the same institution. The collections were divided in the 1940s as a result of the Chinese Civil War. The National Palace Museum in Taipei, now boasting a much more international collection, still remains most famous for housing one of the world's largest collections of artifacts from ancient China. The museum reopened in December 2006 after several years of extensive renovations.
The Taipei Fine Arts Museum was established in December 24, 1983. It is also the first modern art museum. The artworks in the museum are mostly done by Taiwanese artists. There are more than 3,000 artworks in the museum. Most of them are done after 1940 by Taiwanese artist, and are organized into 13 groups. In 2000, there were exhibitions of digital technology arts in the museum. In 2001, Museum of Contemporary Art Taipei (台北當代藝術館;MOCA Taipei) was established in the Taipei City government old building.
The National Taiwan Museum is the oldest museum in Taiwan. It was set up by the colonial government of Japan on October 24, 1908 to commemorate the inauguration of the North-South Railway during the Japanese rule in Taiwan. The colonial government of Japan set up the Taiwan Governor Museum . The museum had a collection of over 10,000 items in its initial stages. In 1915, the new building of the museum in Taipei New Park was inaugurated and became one of the major public buildings during Japanese rule.
The Armed Forces Museum [2] is the only military styled museum in Taiwan. Exhibits include:

★ ''establishment of Whampoa Army to reunion after the Northern Expedition''

★ ''The 8-Year War of Resistance was time of tribulation''

★ ''Counterinsurgency Campaign and Battle of the Taiwan Strait''

★ ''The Modernized R.O.C Armed Forces''

★ ''Arms Showroom''

★ ''Ministers & Chiefs of the General Staff in History''
The museum is located at No.243, Sec. 1, Guiyang St., Zhongzheng District, Taipei City 100, Taiwan (R.O.C.) (100 臺北市中正區貴陽街 一段243號), open every Monday to Saturday from 9am to 4pm(每週一至六 09：00~16：00)

Libraries/Bookstores

Taipei has the National Central Library and 60 branches of the Taipei Public Library across the city. There is also a 24 hour book store at the 'Eslite Tunhua' store[3][4] from the Eslite Bookstore chain.

Temples

The Longshan Temple is a famous temple in Taiwan. The Wanhua temple of Taipei was built in 1738 by settlers from Fujian, China. It served as a place of worship and a gathering place for the Chinese settlers. The temple has been destroyed either in full or in part on numerous earthquakes and fires. In the spring of 1945, it was even hit by American bombers who claimed the Japanese were hiding armaments inside. Taipei residents have nevertheless consistently rebuilt and renovated it, and did so again after the close of the Second World War a few months later. Lungshan is seen as an emblematic example of Taiwanese classical architecture.
Like most temples in Taiwan, the Temple worships a mixture of Buddhist, Taoist, and folk deities such as Matsu.
The Taipei Taiwan Temple is the 31st operating temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and is located in Taipei City , Republic of China (Taiwan).
The country of Taiwan was first introduced to the LDS Church in the mid 1950s. The Taipei Taiwan Temple was announced in 1981 and Church leaders decided to build on the site of the mission home in the center of Taipei.
On November 17, 1984, President Gordon B. Hinckley dedicated the Taipei Taiwan Temple. The temple is built on one-half of an acre and has over 16,000 square feet with an exterior of white ceramic tile. There are four ordinance rooms and three sealing rooms.

Parks

Parks and forestry areas of note in and around the city include Yangmingshan National Park, Taipei Zoo and Da-an Forest Park. Yangmingshan, famous for its cherry blossoms, hot springs, sulfur deposits is the home of famous writer Lin Yutang, the summer residence of Chiang Kai-shek, residences of foreign diplomats, the Chinese Culture University, the meeting place of the now defunct National Assembly of the Republic of China, and the Kuomintang Party Archives. The Taipei Zoo was founded in 1914.There is a great place for younger and children.

Maokong Gondola

Recently constructed, the Maokong Gondola connects Taipei to the various temples and famed tea growing areas in Maokong. Operated by the Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation (TRTC), it runs between Taipei Zoo Station to the top of Maokong mountain. A spectacular view of Taipei can be seen at night.

Festivities and events

Many yearly festivals are held in Taipei, including the Taipei Lantern Festival and Double Ten Day. Common locations for festival celebrations include Memorial Square, Taipei 101, and the Zhongshan plaza in Xinmending. In recent years some festivals traditionally held in Taipei, such as the Double Ten Day fireworks and concerts, have increasingly been hosted by other cities in Taiwan.

Taipei in Films

★ Edward Yang's (drama)

★ Ang Lee's Eat Drink Man Woman (comedy)

★ Hou Hsiao-hsien's Three Times (drama)

★ Sylvia Chang's 20 30 40 (romance)

★ Hsiao-ming Hsu's Love of May (romance)

★ Chen Kuo-Fu's Double Vision (horror/suspense)

★ Chao-Pin Su's Silk (horror/suspense)

★ Turn Left, Turn Right (Hong-Kong studio, filmed on location in Taipei)

Transportation

All scheduled international flights are served by Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport in nearby Taoyuan County. Songshan Airport at the heart of the city serves mostly domestic flights, with the exception of some charter flights.
Taipei's public transport system, MRT (Mass Rapid Transit), also known as Metro Taipei, incorporates a light rail system based on advanced VAL technology with its conventional metro. Both are currently undergoing significant expansion. Unlike most rail transport in Taiwan which follow the Japanese practice and have trains running on the left, the Taipei public transport system runs its trains on the right.
The 'Taipei Rapid Transit System' ('TRTS') is one of the most expensive rapid transit systems ever constructed, with the initial phase costing over US$18 billion. Since its completion, the TRTS has reduced travel time from one end of Taipei to the other from up to three or more hours to less than an hour, and has been effective in relieving some of Taipei's traffic congestion problems. The system has also proved effective as a catalyst for urban renewal, as well as increasing tourist traffic to outlying cities such as Danshui.
In addition to the rapid transit system itself, the TRTS also includes several public facilities such as Maokong Gondola, underground shopping malls, parks, and public squares. Modifications to existing railway lines to integrate into the MRT are underway.

In 1967, the Taiwan Government researched the possibility of constructing a rapid transit network in the Taipei metropolitan area; however, the plan was shelved due to fiscal concerns and the belief that such a system was not urgently needed at the time. With the increase of traffic congestion accompanying economic growth in the 1970s, the need for a rapid transit system became more pressing.
The Executive Yuan approved the initial network plan for the system on May 27, 1986. Construction on the TRTS began on December 15, 1988. The system opened on March 28, 1996 with 10.5 km available on the Muzha Line, a medium-capacity line, with twelve stations between Zhongshan Junior High School to Taipei Zoo. The first heavy-capacity line, the Danshui Line, was opened on March 28, 1997 between Danshui to Zhongshan Station.
On December 24, 1999, a section of the Banqiao/Nangang Line was opened between Longshan Temple and Taipei City Hall. This section became the first east-west line running through Taipei City and connects the two previously completed north-south lines.
The TRTS was the center of political controversy during its construction and shortly after the opening of its first line in 1996 due to incidents such as computer malfunction during a thunderstorm, alleged structural problems in some elevated segments, budget overruns, and fare prices. However, by the time the first phase of construction was completed in 2000, it was generally agreed that the project was a success. The system has since become an essential part of life in Taipei.
On September 17, 2001, Typhoon Nari flooded all underground lines, including 16 stations, the heavy-capacity system operation control center, the administration building and the Nangang Depot. On May 31, 2006, the second stage of the Banqiao / Nangang Line and the Tucheng Line began operation. Currently the TRTS network has 7 lines totalling 77 km and 69 stations, with expansion continuing. In June 2007, TRTS achieved daily ridership of 1,099,468 riders.^[4] In terms of daily ridership, TRTS is larger than Washington D.C.'s Metrorail (564,000 in FY 2006) and Bay Area Rapid Transit (322,965 in FY 2006) in the San Francisco Bay Area.
On July 4, 2007, the Maokong Gondola, a brand new aerial lift/cable-car system, was opened to public. The system connects the Taipei Zoo, Zhinan Temple and Maokong.

Taipei Main Station serves as the comprehensive hub for bus transportation, the Metro, Taiwan Rail, and Taiwan High Speed Rail.
The Taiwan High Speed Rail system opened in 2007. The bullet trains connect Taipei with the west coast cities of Banciao, Taoyuan, Hsinchu, Taichung, Tainan and Zuoying (Kaohsiung) at speeds that cut travel times by 60% or more from what they normally are on a bus or conventional train.
An extensive city bus system serves metropolitan areas not covered by the MRT. Sometimes buses require payment upon boarding, sometimes upon exiting. Many routes, due to length, require payment upon both boarding and exiting. Riders of the city MRT system are able to use their MRT passes on buses. The pass, known as Easy Card, contain credits that are deducted each time a ride is taken. The Easy Card, Taipei's equivalent to Hong Kong's Octopus Card, is read via proximity sensory panels on buses and in MRT stations, and need not be removed from wallet or purse.
Motor-scooters are ubiquitous in Taipei (and much of Taiwan). Motor-scooters are not subject to some conventional traffic laws, and generally thread between cars and occasionally through oncoming traffic. A loophole in Taiwan's motor vehicle laws ensures that in any accident between a motor-scooter and another vehicle, the other vehicle is at fault.

Education

The National Taiwan University is located in Taipei established in 1945 . NTU has produced many political and social leaders in Taiwan. Both the pan-blue and pan-green movements in Taiwan are rooted on the NTU campus.
The University has six campuses in the greater Taipei region (including Taipei County) and two additional campuses in Nantou County, amounting to ~1% of the total area of the Taiwan island. The University governs farms, forests, and hospitals for educational and research purposes. The main campus is in Taipei's Da-An district, where most department buildings and all the administrative buildings are located. Notable exceptions are the College of Law and the College of Medicine, which are located near the Presidential Building (Taiwan). ^[5]
The predecessor of National Taiwan University was Taihoku Imperial University (台北帝國大学　Taihoku Teikoku Daigaku), founded by the Japanese Government in 1928, as a member of the imperial universities in the Empire of Japan. The first president was Hiroshi Shidehara. When Taihoku Imperial University was first established, it had two colleges: the College of Liberal Arts and Law, and the College of Science and Agriculture, and had a total of 60 students. The College of Medicine and the College of Engineering were added in 1936 and 1943, respectively. The university was for Japanese nationals and very few Taiwanese people were admitted.
After World War II and the return of Chinese control, the Republic of China government renamed it as National Taiwan University on November 15, 1945 and appointed Lo Tsung-lo as the first president. The University has undergone multiple times of reorganization ever since. As of the 2004 academic year, the University has a total of 11 colleges, 54 departments, and 96 graduate institutes (which offer 96 Master's programs and 83 doctoral programs). The number of students reached 29,877 in 2004, including those enrolling in the Division of Continuing Education & Professional Development. A new library was built in 1998, and now contains over 3,000,000 volumes of books. ^[6]

The educational system in NTU is very similar to United States. The university offers degrees of Bachelor, Master and PhD in almost every discipline. Students are given the flexibility to select courses offered by any colleges, however the mandatory subjects set by each of the majors still need to be completed to be awarded a degree. A student must declare a major before admission. Some majors are more competitive than others and require a higher national examination score. Traditionally, medicine, electrical engineering, and law are the three most selective majors. The medical degree takes 7 years to finish, while most of the other majors take 4 years.
NTU requires most of its undergraduate students to take a mandatory core curriculum, comprising Chinese, Freshman English, R.O.C. Constitution, Calculus, and (Western or Chinese) History. The medical school in addition dictates each of its students to take Philosophy and Sociology classes as well as seminars in Ethics and Thanatology. Military Training is no longer obligatory for males, but it is a prerequisite if the student plans to be an officer during his mandatory military service.
National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU or Shida) likewise traces its origins to the Japanese colonial period. Originally a teacher training institution, NTNU has developed into a comprehensive international university with demanding entrance requirements. The university boasts especially strong programs in the humanities and international education. Worldwide it is perhaps best known as home of the Mandarin Training Center, a program that offers Mandarin language training each year to over a thousand students from dozens of countries throughout the world. The main campus in Taipei's Guting district is known for its historic architecture and giving its name to the Shida Night Market, one of the most popular of the many night markets in Taipei.
The National Taiwan University of Science and Technology was founded in 1974 and the Taipei National University of the Arts in 1982.

Sports

Due to Taiwan being under American and Japanese influence over the years, the sports of baseball in particular and basketball have become popular in the city. Taipei, like the rest of the country, has featured most prominently in baseball and has often been the venue for the Asian Baseball Championship since the 1960s.

Major sport events

★ 1962: Taipei - Asian Baseball Championship

★ 1969: Taipei- Asian Baseball Championship

★ 1997: Taipei - Asian Baseball Championship

★ 2001: Taipei - Asian Baseball Championship

★ 2007: Baseball World Cup

★ 2009: Taipei - 21st Summer Deaflympics in 2009

The Taipei Arena is located in the city home to baseball with a capacity of some 15,000. It is located at the site of the former Taipei Municipal Baseball Stadium (built in 1958, opened 1959, demolished 2000). It was designed by Archasia, an architectural firm established in Taipei. The arena was opened on December 1st, 2005. It is currently operated by the Eastern Media Group (東森集團), which won the bid to operate the arena for 9 years.
The main arena has an adjustable floor space: its minimum floor space is 60m x 30m, and can be extended to 80m x 40m.
The Chinese Taipei Ice Hockey League (CTIHL) plays out of the auxiliary arena, which is a 60m x 30m ice skating rink.
Since opening in 2005, the arena has held more art and cultural activities (such as live concerts) than sporting events, which it was originally designed and built for.
Taipei has the only football-specific stadium in Taiwan, Chungshan Soccer Stadium, which hosts the national football team. It hosts qualifiers for the FIFA World and AFC regional cups, and finals of school football tournaments. No other sporting events are held there.

Media

As the capital, Taipei City is the headquarters for many television and radio stations in Taiwan and the centre of some of the country's largest newspapers.

Television

Television stations centred in Taipei include the CTS Education and Culture, CTS Recreation, CTV MyLife, CTV News Channel, China Television, Chinese Television System, Chung T'ien Television, Dimo TV, Eastern Television, Era Television, FTV News, Follow Me TV, Formosa TV, Gala Television, Public Television Service, SET Metro, SET News, SET Taiwan, Sanlih E-Television, Shuang Xing, TTV Family, TTV Finance, TTV World, TVBS, TVBS-G, TVBS-NEWS, Taiwan Broadcasting System, Videoland Television Network and Taiwan Television.

Newspapers

Newspapers include Apple Daily, Central Daily News, The China Post, China Times, Kinmen Daily News, Liberty Times, Mandarin Daily News, Matsu Daily, Min Sheng Bao, Sharp Daily, Taipei Times, Taiwan Daily, Taiwan News, Taiwan Times
and United Daily News.

Pictures

References

1. The 10 Most Connected Cities in the World
2. [1]
3. 民主紀念館揭牌 總統：大中至正改自由廣場'', Central News Agency, 2007/05/19''
4. Daily ridership counts: June 2007
5. http://www.ntu.edu.tw/english/about%20ntu/location/ntumap.htm]
6. Detailed Outline of University History

See also

★ Chinese Taipei

★ Kaohsiung City

★ List of districts of Taipei by area

★ List of districts of Taipei by population

★ List of districts of Taipei by population density

★ List of libraries in Taipei

★ List of schools in Taipei

★ List of sister cities of Taipei

★ Political divisions of the Republic of China

External links

★ Taipei City Government Official Website

★ Taipei Travel Net

★ Taipei Atis Web

★ Taipei e-services

★ Discovery Taipei

★ Healthy Taipei City

★ List of Sister Cities from the official site

★ Taipei City Council