Taipei

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{{Infobox Settlement|official_name = Taipei City|other_name =|native_name = 臺北市|Capital = 臺灣的首都 Capital of Taiwan|nickname = the City of Azaleas (杜鵑花之城)] (信義區)|subdivision_type3 =|subdivision_name3 =|subdivision_type4 =|subdivision_name4 =|government_footnotes =|government_type =|leader_title = Mayor|leader_name = Hau Lung-bin (Kuomintang)1 E9|leader_title1 = |leader_name1 =|leader_title2 =|leader_name2 =|leader_title3 =|leader_name3 =|leader_title4 =|leader_name4 =|established_title = |established_date =|established_title2 = |established_date2 =|established_title3 = |established_date3 =|area_magnitude = 1 E9|unit_pref = |area_footnotes =|area_total_km2 = 271.80|area_land_km2 = |area_water_km2 = 2.7|area_total_sq_mi = 104.9|area_land_sq_mi =|area_water_sq_mi = 1.0|area_water_percent = 1.0|area_urban_km2 = 2457|area_urban_sq_mi =|area_metro_km2 =|area_metro_sq_mi =|area_blank1_title =|area_blank1_km2 =|area_blank1_sq_mi =|population_as_of = January 2007|population_footnotes =|population_note = List of Taiwanese counties and cities by population|population_total = 2,630,872|population_density_km2 = 9679.45|population_density_sq_mi = 25031|population_metro = 10,072,918|population_density_metro_km2 =|population_density_metro_sq_mi =|population_urban = 6,752,826|population_density_urban_km2 =|population_density_urban_sq_mi =|population_blank1_title =|population_blank1 =|population_density_blank1_km2 =|population_density_blank1_sq_mi =|timezone = Chungyuan Standard Time|utc_offset = +8|timezone_DST =|utc_offset_DST =|latd=25 |latm=2 |lats= |latNS=N|longd=121 |longm=38 |longs= |longEW=E|elevation_footnotes = |elevation_m =|elevation_ft =|postal_code_type = |postal_code =|area_code =|blank_name =|blank_info =|blank1_name =|blank1_info =|website = http://english.taipei.gov.tw/TCG/index.jsp|footnotes = The city has 12 districts. The metropolitan area of Taipei includes Taipei City, Taipei County, Keelung City, Taoyuan County, Hsinchu City, Hsinchu County, and Yilan County.City flower: Azalea (Rhododendron nudiflorum)City tree: Banyan (India laurel fig, Ficus microcarpa)City bird: Formosan Blue Magpie (Urocissa caerulea)-->

Taipei (,Taiwanese language Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Tâi-pak-chhī) is the capital of the Republic of China (Taiwan).

Taipei City, the surrounding Taipei County, and the nearby Keelung City together form the Taipei-Keelung metropolitan area but are administered under different local government bodies. Taipei City is a special municipality (China) 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, shipbuilding, and motorcycle manufacturing.

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 Aspiration (phonetics) "p" may sound like a "b" to the layman). To be more specific, it is pronounced .

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 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 List of Taiwanese counties and cities by area.

Cising Mountain is located on the Datun Volcano Group and the tallest Mountain at the rim of the Taipei Basin. Its main peak is 1,120 m tall (above elevation).

Mt. Datun's main peak is 1092 m 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 Wanhua and Dadaocheng, 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 Prefecture in Japanese, emerged as the political center of the Japanese Colonial Government. Much of the architecture of Taipei dates from the period of Taiwan under 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 Wanhua, Dadaocheng, and Chengnei among other small settlements. The eastern village Songshan (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 Kuomintang 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 Communist Party of China 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 municipality (China) 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 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. Taiwan 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 Taiwan 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. Taiwan 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 Trade fair space, Business conference facilities, offices, and hotel accommodation for international business. Its located in the city's Xinyi, Taipei, 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 :Category:Companies of Taiwan

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. 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 (Taiwan) 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):{| class="wikitable"|-! Hanyu Pinyin!Chinese characters (Hanzi)!Wade-Giles|松山區|Sung-shan|----------|[Xinyi, Taipei

|信義區|Hsin-yi|----------|Daan|大安區|Ta-an|----------|Zhongshan, Taipei|中山區|Chung-shan|----------|Zhongzheng|中正區|Chung-cheng|----------|Datong, Taipei|大同區|Ta-t'ung|----------|Wanhua|萬華區|Wan-hua|----------|Wenshan District|文山區|Wen-shan|----------|Nangang|南港區|Nan-kang|----------|Neihu|內湖區|Nei-hu|----------|Shilin|士林區|Shih-lin|----------|Beitou|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, Mandarin, Taiwanese, and Hakka. 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.

Taipei 101 Taipei 101 is a 101-floor landmark skyscraper that claimed the title of World's tallest structures when it opened in 2004. Designed by C.Y. Lee & Partners and constructed by KTRT Joint Venture, Taipei 101 remains the World's tallest structures, measuring 449 m (1,474 ft) from ground to roof. (The tallest incomplete skyscraper is the Burj Dubai now under construction in Dubai, United Arab Emirates). 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 is located in the Zhongzheng District of Taipei.

The Presidential Office Building (Taiwan), formerly Chieh Shou Hall (介壽館; Jiè Shòu Guǎn), has been the seat of Taiwan's President of the Republic of China since 1950. The historical structure was the residence of the Office of the Governor-General of Taiwan, during Taiwan's Taiwan under Japanese rule.

National Taiwan Democracy Memorial Hall National Taiwan Democracy Memorial Hall () was 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 , National Taiwan Democracy Memorial Hall (). 民主紀念館揭牌總統：大中至正改自由廣場, Central News Agency, 2007/05/19, by President Chen Shui-bian on 2007-05-19. The monument, surrounded by a park and a large square incorporating the National Concert Hall (Taiwan) and National Theatre (Taiwan), stands within sight of Taiwan's Presidential Building (Taipei) in Taipei's Zhongzheng.

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 (Taipei City) 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 United States Fortune (magazine) 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 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.

Ximending became the famous theater street in Taipei from 1930s and the prosperity proceeded after the defeat of Japan. Centered around the Ximen Pedestrian Area, it is now a trendy, popular shopping district catering to youth.

The Xinyi District is popular with tourists and locals alike for its many entertainment and shopping venues, as well as being the home of the Taipei 101 building, a prime tourist attraction famous for being the world's tallest building. Malls in the area include the sprawling Shin Kong Mitsukoshi complex, Taipei 101 mall, Eslite Bookstore's flagship store (which includes a boutique mall), New York New York shopping mall, and the Vieshow Cinema complex (formerly known as Warner Village Cinemas).

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, Guanghua Bazaar (electronics and comics market), Miramar Entertainment Park (famous for its large ferris wheel, which offering spectacular views of Taipei and is popular with couples) and Core Pacific City.

Museums The National Palace Museum is an art gallery and museum built around a permanent collection centered on ancient China. 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 people 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 Taiwan under Japanese rule. 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 Taiwan under Japanese rule.

The Armed Forces Museum 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

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 Dunhua bookstore from the Eslite Bookstore chain.

Temples Taipei is rich in beautiful, ornate temples housing Buddhist, Taoist, and Chinese folk religion deities. The Longshan Temple, located in the Wanhua District demonstrates an example of architecture with southern Chinese influences commonly seen in older buildings in Taiwan.

Xinsheng South Road is known as the road to heaven because of its high concentration of churches as well as a mosque (literally called “Pure Truth Temple” in Chinese). Several blocks away from Xinsheng South Road is the beautiful, pristine Mormon Temple as well as the Vatican’s representative office.

Besides large temples, small outdoor shrines to local deities are very common, and can be spotted on road sides, parks, and neighborhoods. Many homes and businesses may also set up small shrines of candles, figurines, and offerings. Some restaurants, for example, may set up a small shrine to the Kitchen god for success in a restaurant business.

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 Tenth Day. Common locations for festival celebrations include Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, 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 Yi Yi: A One and a Two (drama)
Edward Yang's Mahjong (1996 film) (drama)
Edward Yang's A Brighter Summer Day (drama)
Tsai Ming-liang's Goodbye, Dragon Inn (drama)
Tsai Ming-liang's Rebels of the Neon God (drama)
Hou Hsiao-hsien's Three Times (drama)
Ang Lee's Eat Drink Man Woman (comedy)
Chen Yin-jung's Formula 17 (gay romantic comedy)
Sylvia Chang's 20 30 40 (romance)
Hsiao-ming Hsu's Love of May (romance)
Yee Chin-yen's Blue Gate Crossing (romance)
Jay Chou's Secret (2007 film) (romance)
Chen Kuo-Fu's Double Vision (horror/suspense)
Chao-Pin Su's Silk (2006 film) (horror/suspense)
Turn Left, Turn Right (Hong-Kong studio, filmed on location in Taipei)
About Love (Japanese studio, filmed on three cities in Asia:Taipei,Tokyo,shanghai)

Transportation All scheduled international flights are served by Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport in nearby Taoyuan County (Taiwan). Taipei 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 Taipei Rapid Transit System, incorporates a light rail system based on advanced VAL technology with its conventional metro. Both are currently undergoing significant expansion.

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 Taiwan Railway Administration lines to integrate into the MRT are underway.

adjoins Taipei Main StationTaipei 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 City, Taichung City, Tainan City 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.

Scooter (motorcycle)s are ubiquitous in Taipei (and much of Taiwan). Motor-scooters generally thread between cars and occasionally through oncoming traffic. While there is little respect for traffic laws there are increasing numbers of police roadblocks checking riders for alcohol consumption and other offenses.

Education

The National Taiwan University is located in Taipei established in 1928 . NTU has produced many political and social leaders in Taiwan. Both the pan-blue coalition and pan-green coalition 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). http://www.ntu.edu.tw/english/about%20ntu/location/ntumap.htm]

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 university 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. Detailed Outline of University HistoryThe educational system in NTU is very similar to United States. The university offers degrees of bachelor's degree, master's degree 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.

Taipei has 19 universities:

National Taiwan University
National Chengchi University
National Taipei University
National Taipei University of Education
National Taiwan University of Science and Technology
National Taipei University of Technology
National Taiwan Normal University
National Taiwan University of Arts
National Yang Ming University
Taipei National University of the Arts
Taipei Municapital University of Education
China University of Technology
Chinese Culture University
Ming Chuan University
Shih Chien University
Shih Hsin University
Soochow University (Taiwan)
Taipei Medical University
Tatung University

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 60 m x 30 m, and can be extended to 80 m x 40 m.

The Chinese Taipei Ice Hockey League (CTIHL) plays out of the auxiliary arena, which is a 60 m x 30 m 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 (soccer)-soccer-specific stadium in Taiwan, Chungshan Soccer Stadium, which hosts the Chinese Taipei national football team. It hosts qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup and Asian Football Confederation regional cups, and finals of school football tournaments. As there is no professional football league in Taiwan, no other sporting events are held there.

Media building in Taipei City.

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 (Taiwan), 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 Timesand United Daily News.

Image:taipeiview.jpg|Taipei CityImage:BMAnniversary_ROC_Taipei_101.jpg|Taipei CityImage:101.tall.altonthompson.jpg|Taipei 101Image:101.love-indiana.altonthompson.jpg|Love in TaipeiImage:DSCF0365.jpg|Taipei 101 from Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall StationImage:ghotel.jpg|Grand HotelImage:GrandHotelTaipei_v1.jpg|Grand Hotel TaipeiImage:DaZhiBridge2_byJaojao.JPG|DaZhi BridgeImage:dansui.jpg|Dadaocheng Wharf, TaipeiImage:CKS_Memorial_Hall.jpg|Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial HallImage:EntranceChiangKaiShek.JPG|Entrance of Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial HallImage:baoan2.jpg|Baoan TempleImage:指南宮凌霄寶殿.jpg|ZhiNan TempleImage:101.typhoon.altonthompson.jpg|A typhoon makes landfall in TaipeiImage:ChiangKai-shek_MemorialHall_PeripheralParks.jpg|Pond by Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial HallImage:-thumb-250px-Ximending_at_night.jpg|Ximending at Night

References

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

{{s-ttl|title=Historical capitals of China|years=1949-present-->

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Taipei (traditional Chinese: 臺北市 or 台北市; simplified Chinese: 台北市; Hanyu Pinyin: Táiběi Shì; Tongyong Pinyin: Táiběi Shìh, Taiwanese Pe̍h-ōe-jī:

Taipei 101 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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