Department of Health, Taipei City Government

1. Origin of the Name of Taipei City

The name of Taipei is first appeared between the end of Kangxi period and the beginning of Yongzheng period. In the Chu Qian Pu Record by Lan, Dingyuan, he had described that: “Chu Qian Pu, with width of several hundred Lis, no people traces in one-day waling. Savages appeared here which terrify passing people, calling it a dangerous road. However the county is the only way passing the Danshui River, with rich flat plain, which can be cultivated thousands of hectares of farm lands. The greater benefits of『Taipei 』people are most on it. “The Taipei here means the north area of Chu Qian (now Xinzhu City), the northern Taiwan area.

Since the Fisr year of Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty (1875), Shen, Baozhen, the imperial envoy has established the Taipei government with ruling area covering Monga ( the general call of the main districts of Taipei City at that time) and established the Taipei government office (now in Chungcheng District), Taipei has become an administrative region. In the 10th year of Guangxu period (1884), Taipei city has completed construction.

After Taiwan became a province, the first Taiwan governor is Liu, Mingchuan, who took the Taipei city as the office premise, mainly constructing the city and Dadaocheng area and making them the core areas of Taipei city with Monga, called the three city streets. In Japan-ruled period, the governor had issued the administration distribution system. In 1920, according to the administration system, Taipei set as the municipality directly under the state, with Taipei city office establishing. The name of Taipei City has been officially appeared.

Home of Ketagalan people

Taipei City locates at the center of the Taipei basin of the north Taiwan. According to the geological assumptions, in ancient times, Taipei basin was a large lake; after thousands of years’ deposition, the basin formed. In the travel in Bi Sea by Yu, Yonghe, he has described that: 「entering Guandu gate, there is a large lake widely inundating, seems no limits. After several lis walking, mountains surrounding for hundreds lis, inside of these, it’s a plain.」this phase is exactly description of here. The Taipei basin before cultivated by Han people, was the home of aborigines of Ketagalan Tribe, who made living by collection, fishing, hunting and shifting cultivation.

Ketagalan Tribe was a branch of the Pingpu Tribe which is distributed in the north Taiwan. Their gathering places were starting from now Taoyuan, ending at the north of Santiago and Yilan areas. Their scattered places were in Keelung, Danshui, Taipei and other places. According to the assumption from Japanese scholar Kanori Ino, Ketagalan Tribe moved west after Santiago tribe formed, along the coast passing Keelung, Jinbaoli, Cape Fukuei and Hobe, along with the Keelung river entering Taipei basin, in Sijhih area called Kypanas, in Songshan area called Malotsigauan, near the Dadaocheng area called Kipon, near the Dalongdong area called Daronpon and also crossing Xindian Creek formed Pái-chiap and Xiulang, which are the earliest inhabitants in record in Taipei basin.

From Netherlands and Spain to Zhenghe in Ming Dynasty

Indigenous people groups include Amis, Tayal, Payuan, Bunun, Rukai, Puyuma, Tsou, Saisiyat, Yami(Tao), Thao, Kebalan, Truku, Sakizaya, Seediq, Hlaalua and Kanakanavu. Until 2014, the indigenous population in Taipei City is 15,581, most of them from the Amis and Hlaalua and Kanakanavu with the lower population, and most of them living in Neihu, Wenshan and Nangang District which are in suburban area.

4. Develop business in the Qing Dynasty

In the 22th year of Kangxi period (1683), Taiwan belongs to the Qing dynasty landscape; next year, Taiwan government has been established, ruling Zhulong, Taiwan and Fengshan counties; since then migrants from Fujian and Guangdong has increased. In the 48th year of Kangxi period (1709), after Chen, Laizhang, the leader of cultivation group applied for cultivating the Tagala area (now the area of Monga, Xinzhuang and Dalongdong), the Han migrants moved to the north had been increased. During the period of Qianlong of Qing Dynasty, the Monga area in the meeting area of Xindian Creek and Danshui River starting with the potato street (name from Han people trade potatoes with aborigines) into the political, military and business center; and in the period of Jiaqing, becoming the third largest city in Taiwan which called “First Tainan, second Lugang, third Monga“. During the Tongzhi period, (1862 - 1874), because of the tea trade rising in Dadaocheng, the tea in Taipei was famous in international market. In the 10th year of Guangxu period, (1884) Taipei has been established as a city; in 13th year of Guangxu period (1887), Taiwan had become a provincial administration. The first Taiwan governor Liu, Mingchuan made a planned construction of Taipei city, with building railways, setting streets, opening schools, and taking the Taipei city as the office premise, Dadaocheng as the trade area, and now Guide Street surround area as the residences for foreigners. This city planning had been the basis of the development of Taipei City today.

5. Infrastructure in Japan-ruled period

After Japan occupied Taiwan in the 21th years of Guangxu period (1895), the Japan set Taiwan government in Taipei city. In 1899 – 1901, Japanese performed road extension and gutterway improvement in Taipei city. In 1905, Japanese tear down the Taipei office which was established at the end of the Qing Dynasty; transferring the foundation to roads, connecting with the three streets of Monga, city and Dadaocheng, made an expansion of the administrative region of Taipei. In 1920, they established as the municipality directly under the state, and the administrative region covered beside the three streets, also including now the eastern districts, such as Da’an, Zhonglun and Songshan.

6. Developing vigorously after retrocession

After Taiwan retrocession in 1945, it has clearly designated that Taipei City is a province-governed municipality. In October, the city office established in Japan-ruled period has been abolished; city government has been established with 10 administrative districts; with the lower administrative unit of village and further lower neighbor. In 1949, the central government moved in taiwan; and in 1950 the autonomy of county and city has been implemented. Taipei City has hold election of city councilor for the first time, establishing the city council which laid the foundation of democratic politics. In December 31, 1966, due to the Taipei City as wartime capital and the political, military, cultural and economic center, the central government has decided that improving Taipei as a municipality directly under the central government, issued by the president in July 1, 1967. Meanwhile the Jingmei, Mushan, Nangang, Neihu, Shilin, and Beitou in suburban area have been under the administrative region of Taipei City. Until then, Taipei City had 16 administrative districts.

In March 12, 1990, there was another adjustment on administrative regions of Taipei City, into 12 administrative districts, including Datong, Chungcheng, Wanhua, Zhongshan, Shilin, Beitou, Songshan, Nangang, Neihu, Xinyi, Da’an and Wenshan districts, and keeping up to now. The Taipei basin now belonging to both Taipei City and Taipei County, but it still has close connection with the development of both areas. Especially the mass transportation network of subway, has already….