- Tainan City
Infobox TW City
Name=Tainan City
TW_Name=臺南市
Abbr=Southern City
TW_Abbr=南市
Nickname= The Phoenix City, [http://www.tut.edu.tw/webmaster/w1secret/%BE%C7%AE%D5%C2%B2%A4%B6/English/e-01.htm Tainan University of Technology official site] ] The Prefecture City
TW_Nickname=府城
Capital=Anping District
(安平區)
Region=Southwestern Taiwan
Leader_Titles=Mayor
Leader_Names=Hsu Tain-tsair
(許添財)
TotalArea=175.6456
AreaRank=Ranked 17 of 25
PopDate=Nov, 2007
Population=764,147
PopRank=Ranked 11 of 25
Density=4,350.50
Districts=6
Website=http://www.tncg.gov.tw/default_e.asp
Website_TW=http://www.tncg.gov.tw/
Symbol=
Bird=Black-billed magpie [http://www.tncg.gov.tw/tour.asp?id={0EC64BBF-1098-4F27-A52E-465BC3C27C6F}&Lang=E]
Flower=Royal Poinciana
"(Delonix regia )"
Tree=Royal Poinciana
"(Delonix regia )"
Tainan (zh-tspwp|t=臺南/台南|s=台南|p=Táinán|w=T'ai-nan|poj=Tâi-lâm, literally "Southern Taiwan") is the fourth largest city in
Taiwan afterTaipei ,Kaohsiung , andTaichung . It is officially administrated as aprovincial city ofTaiwan Province in theRepublic of China .Tainan was established as the capital of Taiwan in 1661 and remained the capital until 1887 during the
Qing Dynasty . In fact, "Tayoan"/"Tayouan" is the old name of Tainan and became the name of the island later. The city is famous for its abundant historical buildings and relics.History
Little is known about Tainan prior to the Dutch rule except that it was a settlement of
Han Chinese immigrants in the 14th and 15th centuries and was named Tayoan (大圓,POJ : Tāi-ôan, from Sirayan). The Dutch established a trading post in 1624 at present-dayAnping [cite web|url=http://anping.tncg.gov.tw/tour/tua_01.jsp?ID=1&Lang=E|title=Anping Harbor National Historical Park|publisher=Tainan City Government|accessdate=2008-08-19] , and used it as a base of operation for a variety of business they conducted in the region. However, in 1661 the outpost was under siege by a fleet ofMing Dynasty remnants led byKoxinga , who established his own kingdom on Taiwan and renamed the city Tungtu (zh-t|t=東都; literally "East Capital") after the Dutch capitulated and withdrew from the island. In 1684, theQing Dynasty conquered Taiwan and established Taiwan-fu (Taiwan Government) as the first official local government in Taiwan. [cite web|url=http://chgis.fas.harvard.edu/search/china/v3_sep_details.php?pgnid=90030|title=Taiwan Fu|publisher=Harvard University Faculty of Arts and Sciences|accessdate=2008-08-19]William Campbell described the city in the 1870s:
Taiwan-fu was later renamed to Tainan-fu in 1885 when Taiwan was established as a province. Because it was formerly the capital of Taiwan, Tainan is also called Fu-cheng (zh-t|t=府城; literally "Government City"). Tainan also served as the capital of the
Republic of Formosa after the Japanese tookTaipei bloodlessly. Tainan has been historically regarded as one of the oldest cities in Taiwan, and its former name, Tayoan, has been claimed to be the source of the name Taiwan. It is also one of Taiwan's cultural capitals, as it houses the first Confucian School/Temple, built in 1665 on the island [cite web|url=http://confucius.cca.gov.tw/english/navigator/map02.htm|title=Tainan Confucian Temple|publisher=Council for Cultural Affairs|accessdate=2008-08-19] , the remains of the Northern and Southern gates of the old city, and countless other historical monuments.Tainan claims more
Buddhist andTaoist temples than any city in Taiwan. Tainan City (台南市) is administratively a municipality ofTaiwan Province of theRepublic of China . It is surrounded byTainan County to the north and east and theSouth China Sea to the west and south. Tainan's complex history of comebacks, redefinitions and renewals inspired its popular nickname "City of the Phoenix."Government
Administrative districts
Tainan City currently has 6 districts: Anping, Annan, East, West-Central, South, and North districts.
Annan district was originally the An-Shun township of Tainan County, and was merged into Tainan City in 1946. In 2004, Central District and West District were merged into the new West-Central district.
Foreign relationships
ister cities
The following places are
sister cities to Tainan City [cite web|url=http://www.tncg.gov.tw/tour.asp?sub1=01&sub2=0B&lang=E|title=Sister Cities|publisher=Tainan City Government|accessdate=2008-08-19] :
*flagicon|USA flagicon|California Monterey,California United States (1965)
*flagicon|South KoreaGwangju ,South Korea (1968)
*flagicon|USA flagicon|California San Jose,California United States (1977)
*flagicon|USA flagicon|Missouri Kansas City,Missouri United States (1987)
*flagicon|PhilippinesPasay City ,Philippines (1980)
*flagicon|PhilippinesCavite City ,Philippines (1980)
*flagicon|PhilippinesTagaytay City ,Philippines (1980)
*flagicon|Philippines Trece Martires,Philippines (1980)
*flagicon|USA flagicon|Ohio Columbus,Ohio United States (1980)
*flagicon|TaiwanKinmen ,Republic of China (1981)
*flagicon|BoliviaSanta Cruz de la Sierra ,Bolivia (1981)
*flagicon|South AfricaPort Elizabeth, Eastern Cape ,South Africa (1982)
*flagicon|USA flagicon|Florida Orlando,Florida United States (1982)
*flagicon|AustraliaGold Coast, Queensland ,Australia (1982)
*flagicon|USA flagicon|Alaska Fairbanks,Alaska United States (1983)
*flagicon|USA flagicon|Oklahoma Oklahoma City,Oklahoma United States (1986)
*flagicon|USA flagicon|Alabama Huntsville,Alabama United States (1986)
*flagicon|USA flagicon|Illinois Carbondale,Illinois United States (1991)
*flagicon|BelgiumLeuven ,Belgium (1993)
*flagicon|IsraelRa'anana ,Israel (1999)
*flagicon|GuatemalaZacapa ,Guatemala (2003)
*flagicon|PolandElbląg ,Poland (2004)
*flagicon|DenmarkRibe ,Denmark (2005)
*flagicon|TurkeyKeçiören ,Turkey (2005)
*flagicon|PhilippinesCagayan de Oro City ,Philippines (2005)Friendship cities
Tainan City also celebrates friendly relationships with two other locations, although they are not considered official sister cities.
*Penghu County ,Republic of China
*Sendai ,Japan Transportation
Rail
Tainan Station is a major stop on theWestern Line , with direct connections toTaipei ,Kaohsiung ,Taichung ,Hsinchu andKeelung . There are also local trains to reach closer destinations.High-Speed Rail
Tainan HSR Station is located just outside the city itself, inGueiren township. Using the High Speed Rail system travellers can reachTaipei in under ninety minutes.Mass Rapid Transit
There have been plans mooted for a
Tainan MRT system. However, there has not been any progress on the issue for several years. [cite web|url=http://www.hsr.gov.tw/homepage.nsf/038ecb2053a216c44825688c000d7a45/c03b4eef9cb62868482570ba0035c379?OpenDocument|title=MRT Plans|language=Chinese|publisher=Bureau of High Speed Rail|accessdate=2008-08-20]To improve the communication with HSR station and save the expenses for MRT, a new rail brach line is being built. See zh:沙崙線(Shalun Line).
Road
National Highway Nos. 1 and 3 run close by and connect via local highways to the city itself. Tainan City has a total of 142.9km of highways, including national, local and rural highways.cite web|url=http://www.tncg.gov.tw/warehouse/0708/94totalstat.pdf|title=2005 statistics|publisher=Tainan City Government|accessdate=2008-08-19]
Air
Tainan Airport is located in the South District of the city. It is a domestic airport, currently operating flights toKinmen andMakung . [cite web|url=http://www.tna.gov.tw/English/E_airlines.asp|title=Airlines|publisher=Tainan National Airport|accessdate=2008-08-20] Previously there were also services to Taipei'sSongshan Airport , but these were dropped in light of falling revenues (generally agreed to be a result of the High Speed Rail commencing operation and rising fuel costs). [cite news|url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/biz/archives/2008/03/01/2003403575|title=FAT to sell investments to cover costs|publisher=Taipei Times|date=2008-03-01|accessdate=2008-08-20]Education
*
National Cheng Kung University , one of the leading universities in Taiwan, is located in the East District. It is famous for its engineering programs. In 1931, NCKU was established as Tainan Technical College, located on the present Cheng-Kung Campus, with a total area of 183,000 squaremetre s. As the number of colleges expanded, it was upgraded to a provincial university in 1956, then national university in 1971. [cite web|url=http://www.ncku.edu.tw/ver2006/en/ncku/history.htm|title=Brief History|publisher=National Cheng Kung University|accessdate=2008-08-20] Today, National Cheng Kung University serves nearly 21,000 students through 9 colleges, 39 departments, and 49 graduate institutes. [cite web|url=http://www.ncku.edu.tw/ver2006/en/ncku/organization.htm|title=Organization|publisher=National Cheng Kung University|accessdate=2008-08-20]*
Tainan Theological College and Seminary (台南神學院) was established in 1876 byThomas Barclay . [cite web|url=http://www.ttcs.org.tw/~en/Introduction.htm|title=Introduction|publisher=Tainan Theological College and Seminary|accessdate=2008-08-20]
*Chang Jung Christian University is a private university affiliated with the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan. CJU offers masters and doctoral degree programs and aims to promote fraternity, justice, and service for Taiwan. It is located south of the city, inGueiren .*
Southern Taiwan University of Technology , founded in 1969, is located near the northeastern border of Tainan City, within a 30-minute driving distance from the Tainan Airport.*The
Tainan University of Technology (台南科技大學) is a private university founded in 1964. The university offers graduate degrees in music, visual art, and applied sciences. The main campus actually sits inTainan County just outside the official city limits.enior high schools
Public
*National Tainan First Senior High School
*National Tainan Second Senior High School
*National Tainan Girls' Senior High School
*National Chia-Chi Girls' Senior High School
*National Tainan Commercial Vocational School
*The Affiliated Senior Industrial Vocational Continuing Education High School of National Cheng Kung University
*National Tainan Marine & Fishery Vocational School
*Municipal Tainan Nan-Ning Senior High School
*Municipal Tainan Tu-Cheng High SchoolPrivate
* [http://www.fhsh.tnc.edu.tw/ Feng-Ho Senior High School]
*Chang Jung High School
*Sheng Kung Girls' High School
*Nan Ying Vocational High School of Business & Technology
*Salesian Technical School
*Chang Jung Girls' Senior High School
*Deguang Catholic Girls' High School
*Kuang Hua Girls' Senior High School
*Tainan Liuhsin Senior High School
*Kuen-Shan Senior High School
*Ying-Hai High SchoolPolitics
The city has historically been seen as a powerbase for the
Democratic Progressive Party . However, in the most recent presidential elections (2008), a narrow majority of the city's residents voted for the eventual winner,Ma Ying-jeou of theKuomintang .City mayor
2001 Mayoral elections
Hsu Tain-Tsair of the Democratic Progressive Party was elected with 43.23% of the vote. His closest rival was the Kuomintang legislator Chen Rong-sheng, who garnered 37.40%.2005 Mayoral elections
In 2005 Mayor Hsu was re-elected, polling 45.65% to Chen Rong-sheng's 41.40%.
Presidential elections
A majority of city residents have voted for the winning candidates in every presidential election since the position was first chosen by popular vote in 1996.
1996 Presidential election
In common with every other city and county in the Republic of China, with the exception of
Nantou , a majority of Tainan residents voted for eventual winnerLee Teng-hui and vice-presidentLien Chan .2000 Presidential election
Notable natives
A non-exhaustive list of famous people born in Tainan, educated there, prominent in the life of the city, or otherwise associated with the city.
*Momofuku Ando (安藤百福) (1910–2007), founder ofNissin Foods and inventor ofinstant noodles [cite web|url=http://web.mit.edu/invent/iow/ando.html|title=Inventor of the Week: Momofuku Ando|publisher=MIT|accessdate=2008-08-19]
*Thomas Barclay (1849–1935),Christian missionary , lived in the city from 1875 to 1935
*William Campbell (1841–1921), Christian missionary, lived in the city from 1871 to 1917
*George Chang (張燦鍙) (1936–), politician, former mayor of Tainan (1997–2001)
*Chin-Feng Chen (陳金鋒) (1977–), first Taiwanese-born player to playMajor League Baseball
*Chen Wei-Ling (陳葦綾), 2008 Olympic bronze medal-winning weightlifter
*Chen You-hao (陳由豪), former businessman, fugitive sought for embezzlement, currently resident in theUnited States
*Mao Gao-wen (毛高文) (1936–), chemist, former president ofNational Tsinghua University (1981–1987) and Minister of Education (1987–1993)
*Hsu Shih-Hsien (許世賢) (1908–1983), first female Taiwanese PhD
*Chin-Lung Hu (胡金龍),MLB infielder for theLos Angeles Dodgers
*Jutoupi ((1966–), recording artist
*Kao Ching-yuen (高清愿) (1929–), businessman, founder and chairman ofUni-president
*Hong-Chih Kuo (郭泓志),MLB pitcher for theLos Angeles Dodgers
*Tai-Yuan Kuo (郭泰源), retired pitcher for theSeibu Lions , foreign player with the most wins inNippon Professional Baseball history
*Ang Lee (李安) (1954–),Academy Award –winning film director
*Chen-Yuan Lee (李鎮源) (1915–2001), pharmacologist and political activist, famous for research onsnake venom
*Lien Heng (連橫) (1878–1936), historian, writer of "The General History of Taiwan"
*En-Yu Lin (林恩宇), baseball pitcher currently playing forTohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles
*Lin Hsin-i (林信義) (1946–), businessman and politician, Minister of Economic Affairs (2000–2002), Vice Premier (2002–2004)
*Lin Mosei (林茂生) (1887–1947?), first Taiwanese philosophy PhD, academic, educator and calligrapher thought to have been killed following the228 Incident .
*Ong Iok-tek (王育德) (1924–1985), scholar and authority on theTaiwanese language
*Judy Ongg (翁倩玉) (1950–), actress, singer, author and artist
*Shi Wen-long (許文龍) (1928–), businessman, founder ofChi Mei Corporation
*Su Nan-cheng (蘇南成) (1936–), politician, former mayor of Tainan (1977–1985) and advisor toChen Shui-bian
*Chien-Ming Wang (王建民),MLB pitcher for theNew York Yankees
*Wu Hui Ju (吳蕙如), archer and also a member of the team that won the bronze medal for Chinese Taipei in 2004 Summer Olympics in the women's team archery competition
*Jacky Wu (吳宗憲) (1962–), entertainer and talk-show hostports
Tainan is home to the
Uni-President Lions , who play their home games at theTainan Municipal Baseball Stadium . [cite web|url=http://www.uni-lions.com.tw/traffic-park.asp|title=Parking near the Municipal Stadium|language=Chinese|publisher=Uni-President Lions|accessdate=2008-08-20] It is also the birthplace ofChien-Ming Wang ,Hong-Chih Kuo ,Tai-Yuan Kuo ,En-Yu Lin , and many other prominent Taiwanese baseball players.ee also
*
Administrative divisions of the Republic of China
*Township (Taiwan)
*List of cities in the Republic of China (Taiwan)
*List of mayors of Tainan
*Republic of China References
External links
*wikitravel|Tainan
* [http://www.tncg.gov.tw/default_e.asp Tainan City Government Official Website en]
* [http://tour.tncg.gov.tw/english/ Tainan City Travel Information]
* [http://ebus.tncg.gov.tw/TNWeb/EIndex.jsp?locale=en_US Tainan City Dynamic Bus Information System]
* [http://www.incku.com/guide/tainan-directory International students @ Tainan English city-guide]
* [http://www.premier.com.tw/Touring/ConfucianTemple.htm The Confucian temple in Tainan]
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