Chiayi#History

{{Short description|City in Taiwan}}

{{About|Chiayi City|the neighboring county with the same name|Chiayi County}}

{{Infobox settlement

|name = Chiayi City

|official_name = Chiayi City

|other_name = Ka-gi, Kagi, Chiai, Chia-i

|native_name = {{nobold|{{lang|zh-hant|嘉義市}}}}

|settlement_type = City

|image_skyline = {{multiple image

| border = infobox

| total_width = 280

| image_style = border:1;

| perrow = 1/2/2

| image1 = Hinoki Village, Chiayi City 20130505.jpg

| image2 = NCYU Sinmin Campus030906.jpg

| image3 = 嘉義孔子廟大成殿.jpg

| image4 = TW_Chiayi_sun-shooting_tower_20051008.jpg

| image5 = Lantan Reservoir F1000018.JPG

| image6 = 嘉義市文化中心.JPG

| image7 = 港坪運動公園體育館.jpg

}}

|image_caption = Clockwise from top left: Hinoki Village, Chiayi Confucius Temple, Fountain at the Lantan Reservoir, Chiayi City Sports Arena, Chiayi Municipal Culture Center, Chiayi Sun Shooting Tower, National Chiayi University

|image_flag = Flag of Chiayi City.svg

| image_seal = Seal of Chiayi City.svg

| seal_type = Logo

|nickname = Peach City ({{lang|zh|桃城}}) or Jia City ({{lang|zh|嘉市}})

|image_map = Taiwan ROC political division map Chiayi City.svg

|image_map1 = {{maplink|frame=yes|frame-width=265|frame-align=center|plain=yes|type=shape|stroke-width=2|stroke-color=#000000|zoom=8}}

|subdivision_type = Country

|subdivision_name = {{ROC-TW}}

| subdivision_type1 = Province

| subdivision_name1 = {{flag|Taiwan Province}} (de facto dissolved)

| subdivision_type2 = Region

| subdivision_name2 = Southwestern Taiwan

| established_title = First mentioned

| established_date = 1787

| established_title1 = Renamed to Kagi

| established_date1 = 17 April 1895

| established_title2 = Autonomous city

| established_date2 = 1930

| established_title3 = Provincial city

| established_date3 = 25 October 1945

| established_title4 = Downgraded to county-administered city

| established_date4 = 16 August 1950

| established_title5 = Provincial city status restored

| established_date5 = 1 July 1982

|seat = East District

|parts_type = Districts

|parts = 2 districts

|p1 = East

|p2 = West

|government_type = Chiayi City Government

|leader_party = KMT

|leader_title = Mayor

|leader_name = Huang Min-hui

| iso_code = TW-CYI

|total_type =

|area_footnotes = {{Cite web |title=Xiàn shì zhòngyào tǒngjì zhǐbiāo cháxún xìtǒng wǎng |script-title=zh:縣市重要統計指標查詢系統網 |url=http://statdb.dgbas.gov.tw/pxweb/Dialog/statfile9.asp |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160612002357/http://statdb.dgbas.gov.tw/pxweb/Dialog/statfile9.asp |archive-date=12 June 2016 |access-date=1 July 2016 |website=Zhōnghuá mínguó tǒngjì zīxùn wǎng |language=zh |script-website=zh:中華民國統計資訊網}}

|area_total_km2 = 60.03

|area_rank = 21 out of 22

|elevation_m = 69

|population_total = 263188

|population_as_of = January 2023

|population_footnotes = {{Cite web |last=Minzheng chu |date=2016-07-01 |title=Jiāyì Shì 105 nián 6 yuèfèn rénkǒu tǒngjì zīliào |script-title=zh:嘉義市105年6月份人口統計資料 |trans-title=Population Statistics of Chiayi City for June 2016 |url=http://www.chiayi.gov.tw/2015web/02_news/content.aspx?id=48363 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160916212034/http://www.chiayi.gov.tw/2015web/02_news/content.aspx?id=48363 |archive-date=16 September 2016 |access-date=1 July 2016 |website=Jiāyì Shì zhèngfǔ |language=zh |script-website=zh:嘉義市政府}}

|population_rank = 18 of 22

|population_density_km2 = auto

|timezone = National Standard Time

|utc_offset = +8

|postal_code_type = Postal code

|postal_code = 600

|area_code = 05

|blank1_name_sec2 = Flower

|blank1_info_sec2 = {{unbulleted list|Hong Kong orchid tree|(Bauhinia blakeana)}}

|blank2_name_sec2 = Tree

|blank2_info_sec2 = Hong Kong orchid tree

|website = {{official url}}

}}

{{Infobox Chinese

| title = Chiayi City

| pic = Chiayi (Chinese characters).svg

| piccap = "Chiayi" in Traditional (top) and Simplified (bottom) Chinese characters

| picupright = 0.55

| t = {{linktext|嘉義|市}}

| s = {{linktext|嘉义|市}}

| bpmf = ㄐㄧㄚ   ㄧˋ   ㄕˋ

| tp = Jiayì Shìh

| gr = Jiayih Shyh

| w = Chia1-i4 Shih4

| mi = {{IPAc-cmn|j|ia|1|.|yi|4|-|shi|4}}

| mps = Jiāyì Shr̀

| myr = Jyāyì Shr̀

| j = gaa1 ji6 si5

| ci = {{IPAc-yue|g|aa|1|-|j|i|6|-|s|i|5}}

| y = Gāyih Síh

| phfs = Kâ-ngi-sṳ

| poj = Ka-gī-chhī

| tl = Ka-gī-tshī

| showflag = poj

| kanji = 嘉義市

| hiragana = かぎし

| katakana = カギシ

| revhep = Kagi-shi

| kunrei = Kagi-si

| p = Jiāyì Shì

}}

Chiayi ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|dʒ|j|ɑː|ˈ|iː}},{{Cite Merriam-Webster|Chia-i}}), officially known as Chiayi City{{efn native lang|tw|name=word1|t=嘉義市|p=Jiāyì Shì|m=Ka-gī-tshī}}, is a city located in Chianan Plain in southwestern Taiwan, surrounded by Chiayi County with a population of 263,188 inhabitants as of January 2023.

The Hoanya people inhabited present-day Chiayi under its historical name of Tirosen prior to the arrival of Han Chinese in Taiwan and was ruled by the Dutch and the Kingdom of Tungning under various names. During the Qing dynasty, Tirosen was governed as part of Taiwan Prefecture in Fujian under Zhuluo County and the city was renamed Kagee in 1787. The city was renamed Kagi during the Japanese era but an earthquake in 1906 destroyed much of the town. Kagi was administered as part of Tainan Prefecture from 1920 onwards. Following the surrender of Japan in 1945, the Republic of China, who deposed the Qing in 1911, took control of the city (renamed Chiayi City) and administered it as a provincial city of Taiwan Province before being integrated into Chiayi County in 1950 as a county-administered city. The city was restored to its status as a provincial city in 1982. In 1998, Taiwan Province was streamlined and Chiayi City has been governed directly since then by the Executive Yuan.

The city is known for Alishan National Scenic Area and warm humid subtropical climate in the summer months. Left with the landmarks of Japanese colonial rule, Chiayi City has the round-island railway system and Alishan Forest Railway where the city is the starting point along with various Japanese temples.

Name

Like the county, Chiayi City's former Chinese placename was Tsu-lo-san{{cite book |last1=Campbell |first1=William |author-link=William Campbell (missionary) |title=Formosa under the Dutch: described from contemporary records, with explanatory notes and a bibliography of the island |year=1903 |publisher=Kegan Paul |location=London |oclc=644323041 |chapter=Explanatory Notes |chapter-url=https://archive.org/stream/formosaunderdut01campgoog#page/n554/mode/2up |page=549|isbn=9789576380839 }} ({{zh|c=諸羅山|p=Zhūluóshān|poj=Chu-lô-san}}), a representation of the original Formosan-language name Tirosen. A shortened version, Tsulo, was then used to name Tsulo County, which originally covered the underdeveloped northern two-thirds of the island. In 1704, the county seat was moved to Tsulosan, the site of modern-day Chiayi City. Following the 1723 Zhu Yigui rebellion, the county was reduced in size. In 1787, the county and city were renamed Chiayi ({{linktext|嘉義}}; {{zh|l=commended righteousness}}) by the Qianlong Emperor to acknowledge the citizens' loyalty during the Lin Shuangwen rebellion.{{cite web | url=https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/feat/archives/2016/04/17/2003644127 | title=Taiwan in Time: Rebels of heaven and earth - Taipei Times | date=17 April 2016 }}

History

=Early history=

First inhabited by the Hoanya aborigines, the region was named Tirosen (variants Tirocen, Tiracen). With the arrival of Han Chinese immigrants in southwestern Taiwan, the name evolved to become Tsulosan ({{zh|t=諸羅山|p=Zhūluóshān|poj=Chu-lô-san}}) in Hokkien. Eventually, Tsulosan was shortened to simply Tsulo. Because of the choice of the characters, it has been mistakenly suggested that the origin of the name came from the expression "mountains surrounding the east". "Peach City" is another name for Chiayi City due to its peach-shaped territory in ancient times. The tip of the peach is around Central Fountain and was called "Peach-tip" by citizens.

Tsulosan was once the foothold to which people from the mainland immigrated. In 1621, Yan Siqi, who came from Zhangzhou, Fujian Province, first led his people to cultivate this land after they landed at Ponkan (modern-day Beigang).

=Dutch Formosa=

Records from the Dutch era, beginning in 1624, show Tirosen as the usual form of the name; it also occurred as Tirassen, Tirozen, Tilocen, Tilossen, Tilocen, and Thilocen.{{Cite book |last=Campbell |first=M. W. |title=Formosa Under the Dutch: Described from Contemporary Records, with Explanatory Notes and a Bibliography of the Island |publisher=Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner & Co. |year=1903 |location=London |page=549 |language=en |chapter=Explanatory Notes |isbn=9789576380839 |oclc=644323041 |author-link=William Campbell (missionary) |chapter-url=https://archive.org/stream/formosaunderdut01campgoog#page/n554/mode/2up}} The place was north of Mattau (modern-day Madou, Tainan) and south of Favorlang (Huwei, Yunlin).

=Kingdom of Tungning=

In 1661 (the 15th year of Yung-Li, Ming dynasty), Koxinga defeated the Dutch based in Taiwan and founded the Kingdom of Tungning. He established one province, {{Interlanguage link multi|Cheng-Tien-Fu|zh|3=承天府 (臺灣)}}, and two counties, {{Interlanguage link multi|Tien-Hsing|zh|3=天興縣}} and {{Interlanguage link multi|Wan-Nien|zh|3=萬年縣 (臺灣)}}, demarcated by the Hsin-Kang River ({{zh|t=新港溪}}, now the Yanshui River). Chiayi was under the jurisdiction of the Tien-Hsing County.

=Qing dynasty=

In 1683, when Qing rule began, the island was governed as Taiwan Prefecture under the administration of Fujian Province. In 1684, Tsulo County was established and initially encompassed the underdeveloped northern two-thirds of Taiwan. (Taiwan and Hongsoa counties were divided from Wan-Nien County during the Kingdom of Tungning, which was changed from Tien-Hsing County.) In 1704, the county seat was moved to Tsulosan, the site of modern-day Chiayi City, and had wooden city walls.

In 1727, the county magistrate, Liu Liang-Bi rebuilt the gatehouses and set a gun platform for each gatehouse. The four gatehouses were named: "Chin Shan" ({{lang|ko|襟山}}) for East, "Tai Hai" ({{lang|zh-hant|帶海}}) for West, "Chung Yang" ({{lang|zh-hant|崇陽}}) for South, and "Kung Chen" ({{lang|zh|拱辰}}) for North. In 1734 (the 12th year of Yongzheng), magistrate Lu-Hung built piercing-bamboo to better protect the city.

In 1786, the Lin Shuangwen rebellion was an attempt to siege Tsulosan but failed to overcome the defense of the inhabitants. Consequently, on November 3 of the next year, the Qing Emperor conferred the name Kagee ({{linktext|嘉義}}; {{zh|l=commended righteousness}}) to praise the citizens' loyalty.

In the mid-1800s, a custom of annual riotous mass stoning developed in the city.{{Cite book |last=Campbell |first=W. |url=https://archive.org/details/sketchesfromtaiw00camprich/page/79 |title=Sketches from Formosa |date=1915 |publisher=Marshall Brothers |location=London |pages=79–81 |language=en |quote=It was on a later occasion I arrived in Ka-gi to find the people engaged in their absurd periodic custom of stonethrowing.}}{{better source needed|reason=The information related seems very unusual, and I think additional sources are definitely called for.|date=June 2019}}

In 1887, a separate Taiwan Province was declared and the island was administratively divided into four prefectures; the city of Kagee belonged to Tainan Prefecture.

=Japanese rule=

File:Er nd 2003 Chiayi.jpg

In 1895, Taiwan was ceded to Japan in the Treaty of Shimonoseki. The 1906 Meishan earthquake devastated the entire city wall except the Eastern Gate. The Japanese authorities reconstructed the city. Industries and trades started to flourish. According to the census taken in 1904, Kagi was the fourth most populous city in Taiwan, with a population of over twenty thousand.{{Cite book |last=Takekoshi |first=Yosaburō |url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.180113 |title=Japanese Rule in Formosa |date=1907 |publisher=Longmans, Green, and Co. |location=London |page=[https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.180113/page/n225 200] |language=en |translator-last=Braithwaite |translator-first=George |chapter=Chapter XIII: Population and Future Development of the Island Resources |oclc=753129 |ol=6986981M |author-link=Takekoshi Yosaburō}}

The Great Kagi earthquake (later also known as the 1906 Meishan earthquake) struck the city in mid March 1906.{{Cite book |last=Campbell |first=W. |url=https://archive.org/details/sketchesfromtaiw00camprich/page/82 |title=Sketches from Formosa |date=1915 |publisher=Marshall Brothers |location=London |pages=82–83 |language=en}}

{{quotation|In looking over some of my more recent Notes, it seems impossible to make the foregoing references to Ka-gi without adding a few words about that dreadful earthquake which devastated the region in March 1906. I was there soon after, and had a profound feeling of sadness on seeing whole streets covered with fallen beams and other debris ; on seeing, too, so many traces of the awful suffering on every side. Within Ka-gi city, and a limited area around, 1,216 persons were suddenly thrust out into the eternal world. Not fewer than 2,306 persons were seriously injured, and 13,259 houses were laid low. The great mysterious Power then tore the earth into deep, open chasms in several places. Many of the narrow escapes and calamities were very affecting ; particularly that of our blind evangelist Toa-un, who ran out of doors with his wife as the shaking began. The demented mother, however, could not bear the thought of her two helpless young children being left behind, and she darted in to rescue them, when my poor blind pupil became childless and a widower in an instant of time. No sooner had the Governor-General at Tai-pak received telegraphic information of the magnitude of the calamity, than instructions were issued for a large company of surgeons, nurses, and assistants to proceed at once to Ka-gi. Wide hospital-sheds were erected without delay, and the work of relief was carried on with a rare amount of self-denial and promptitude. Even already, the city has lost much of its most desolate appearance, and the projected improvements give promise that it will have a more attractive look than ever. – William Campbell, 1915}}

In 1907, the construction of Alishan Forest Railway to Mount Ali was begun. In 1920, the city became an autonomous group as {{nihongo|Kagi Town|嘉義街}}, Kagi District, within Tainan Prefecture, which included modern-day Tainan City, Chiayi County and Yunlin County. In 1930, the town was upgraded to an autonomous city under the same prefecture.

=Republic of China=

File:Map Chiayi City 1946-01.svg in 1946–1950]]

After the handover of Taiwan from Japan to the Republic of China in October 1945, Chiayi City was established as a provincial city of Taiwan Province. The city consisted of 8 districts, which were Bajiang, Beimen, Beizhen, Nanmen, Tungmen, Tungshan, Ximen and Zhuwei Districts. In 1946, the districts was reorganized to 6 districts in which Bajiang and Nanmen were merged to become Xinnan, Beimen and Beizhen were merged to become Xinbei, Tungmen and Tungshan were merged to become Xindong, Ximen and Zhuwei were merged to become Xinxi District and there were 2 addition of districts from Tainan County which were Shuishang and Taibao Districts.{{Cite web |title=臺灣建制市的市轄區變遷 |url=http://www.aiplus.idv.tw/soviet/LTWCITY3.HTM |access-date=2022-03-20 |website=www.aiplus.idv.tw}}

Chiayi saw some of the most violent events during the 228 Incident. In early March, local militas surrounded the Shueishang Airport and fought against the KMT military.二二八民變-台灣與蔣介石,143-146;1947台灣二二八革命,166-185;責任歸屬研究報告,61-63 There were over 300 casualties.{{Cite web |last=Storm.mg |date=2019-02-26 |title=「要殺光嘉義市民!」菁英遭遊街槍決、民眾被掃射…二二八「民主聖地」挺身抗暴最慘烈-風傳媒 |url=https://www.storm.mg/lifestyle/996613 |access-date=2022-03-20 |website=www.storm.mg |language=zh-TW}} On 12 March 1947, negotiators for peace, including Tan Teng-pho and {{Interlanguage link|Phuan Bok-tsi|zh|潘木枝}}, were arrested after arriving at the airport and were executed on 25 March. The Kuomintang also executed many civilians in Chiayi.{{Cite web |title=The 228 Massacre in Chiayi: "The Airport and Train Station Were Washed with Blood" |author-last1=Yang|author-first1=Bi-chuan|translator=Harrison Chen|url=https://www.taiwangazette.org/news/2019/3/5/the-228-massacre-in-chiayi-the-airport-and-train-station-were-washed-with-blood |access-date=2022-03-20 |website=The Taiwan Gazette |date=7 March 2019 |language=en-US}}

On 16 August 1950, because of the re-allocation of administrative areas in which Taiwan was divided into 16 counties, five provincial cities and a special bureau, Chiayi City was downgraded to a county-administered city and merged with Chiayi County to be the county seat. As a result, a shortage of capital hindered its development.

On 1 July 1982, Chiayi City was elevated again to a provincial city as a result of pressure from local elites.{{Cite news |date=1 February 2011 |title=Rezoning Taiwan |language=en |work=Taiwan Today |url=https://taiwantoday.tw/news.php?unit=4,29,31,45&post=6187 |access-date=9 December 2020}} On 6 October 1990, the East District and West District were established.{{Cite web |title=History |url=http://www.chiayi.gov.tw/web/east/english/index-e.asp |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170314190434/http://www.chiayi.gov.tw/web/east/english/index-e.asp |archive-date=2017-03-14 |access-date=2016-01-06 |website=East District Office, Chiayi City |language=en}}

Geography

File:Txu-pclmaps-oclc-6550512-kagi-2117-ii.jpg

File:Txu-oclc-6557994-index-451.jpgFile:Txu-oclc-6557994-index-452.jpg

Chiayi City is located on the north side of Chianan Plain, south west of Taiwan Island. On the east side is the Mount Ali, on the west side is the Chiayi Airport, on the north side is the Puzi River and on the south side is the Bazhang River. The distance from east to west of Chiayi City is {{convert|15.8|km|abbr=on}} and from north to south is {{convert|10.5|km|abbr=on}} with a total area of {{convert|60.0256|km2|abbr=on}}. Chiayi City is completely surrounded by Chiayi County. Most of Chiayi City land is broad flat fertile plains. The terrain slowly rises from west to east. Chiayi is also one of the closest Taiwanese cities to the Tropic of Cancer, with the latitudinal line lying just south of the city.

=Climate=

Chiayi City has a warm humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cwa) that closely borders a true tropical climate. Northeasterly winds during fall and winter mean that rainfall is depressed during that time, while southwesterly winds during summer and the later portion of spring bring most of the year's rainfall, with more than 60% falling from June to August. Humidity is high year-round, even during winter.

{{Weather box|width=auto

|metric first=y

|single line=y

|location = Chiayi (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1968–present)

|Jan record high C = 31.7

|Feb record high C = 33.0

|Mar record high C = 34.1

|Apr record high C = 34.2

|May record high C = 37.2

|Jun record high C = 37.0

|Jul record high C = 37.2

|Aug record high C = 36.6

|Sep record high C = 36.7

|Oct record high C = 36.5

|Nov record high C = 33.6

|Dec record high C = 32.5

|year record high C =

|Jan high C = 22.5

|Feb high C = 23.0

|Mar high C = 25.4

|Apr high C = 28.4

|May high C = 30.9

|Jun high C = 32.8

|Jul high C = 33.4

|Aug high C = 32.8

|Sep high C = 32.1

|Oct high C = 30.1

|Nov high C = 27.6

|Dec high C = 23.9

|year high C =

|Jan mean C = 16.8

|Feb mean C = 17.7

|Mar mean C = 20.2

|Apr mean C = 23.5

|May mean C = 26.3

|Jun mean C = 28.3

|Jul mean C = 28.9

|Aug mean C = 28.4

|Sep mean C = 27.4

|Oct mean C = 24.9

|Nov mean C = 22.0

|Dec mean C = 18.4

|year mean C =

|Jan low C = 12.9

|Feb low C = 14.1

|Mar low C = 16.2

|Apr low C = 19.5

|May low C = 22.6

|Jun low C = 24.7

|Jul low C = 25.4

|Aug low C = 25.2

|Sep low C = 24.0

|Oct low C = 21.1

|Nov low C = 18.0

|Dec low C = 14.2

|year low C = 19.8

|Jan record low C = 1.8

|Feb record low C = 2.6

|Mar record low C = 2.7

|Apr record low C = 8.2

|May record low C = 13.9

|Jun record low C = 17.5

|Jul record low C = 21.7

|Aug record low C = 19.7

|Sep record low C = 17.6

|Oct record low C = 11.5

|Nov record low C = 6.7

|Dec record low C = 0.4

|year record low C =

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation mm = 27.5

|Feb precipitation mm = 44.9

|Mar precipitation mm = 53.0

|Apr precipitation mm = 86.6

|May precipitation mm = 170.0

|Jun precipitation mm = 318.6

|Jul precipitation mm = 387.4

|Aug precipitation mm = 443.8

|Sep precipitation mm = 212.3

|Oct precipitation mm = 30.2

|Nov precipitation mm = 21.5

|Dec precipitation mm = 25.8

|Jan humidity = 77.9

|Feb humidity = 79.3

|Mar humidity = 79.3

|Apr humidity = 79.8

|May humidity = 79.9

|Jun humidity = 77.5

|Jul humidity = 77.2

|Aug humidity = 80.1

|Sep humidity = 80.1

|Oct humidity = 78.9

|Nov humidity = 78.7

|Dec humidity = 76.8

|year humidity = 78.8

|unit precipitation days = 0.1 mm

|Jan precipitation days = 5.1

|Feb precipitation days = 5.5

|Mar precipitation days = 6.8

|Apr precipitation days = 8.1

|May precipitation days = 10.4

|Jun precipitation days = 13.8

|Jul precipitation days = 15.3

|Aug precipitation days = 17.9

|Sep precipitation days = 9.4

|Oct precipitation days = 2.9

|Nov precipitation days = 3.3

|Dec precipitation days = 4.1

|Jan sun = 161.4

|Feb sun = 139.7

|Mar sun = 157.9

|Apr sun = 157.0

|May sun = 175.5

|Jun sun = 186.6

|Jul sun = 206.4

|Aug sun = 182.2

|Sep sun = 186.2

|Oct sun = 197.0

|Nov sun = 158.9

|Dec sun = 159.2

|year sun =

|source 1 = Central Weather Bureau{{cite web |url = https://www.cwb.gov.tw/V8/C/C/Statistics/monthlymean.html|title = Monthly Mean |publisher = Central Weather Bureau |access-date = 29 November 2022 }}{{cite web |url=https://www.cwb.gov.tw/Data/climate/Statistics/pdf/sort_18.pdf |title=氣象站各月份最高氣溫統計 |publisher=Central Weather Bureau |language=zh |access-date=29 November 2022}}{{cite web |url=https://www.cwb.gov.tw/Data/climate/Statistics/pdf/sort_19.pdf |title=氣象站各月份最高氣溫統計(續) |publisher=Central Weather Bureau |language=zh |access-date=29 November 2022}}{{cite web |url=https://www.cwb.gov.tw/Data/climate/Statistics/pdf/sort_20.pdf |title=氣象站各月份最低氣溫統計 |publisher=Central Weather Bureau |language=zh |access-date=29 November 2022}}{{cite web |url=https://www.cwb.gov.tw/Data/climate/Statistics/pdf/sort_21.pdf |title=氣象站各月份最低氣溫統計(續) |publisher=Central Weather Bureau |language=zh |access-date=29 November 2022}}

}}

Government

File:Huang Min-hui chopped.png, the incumbent Mayor of Chiayi City.]]

File:嘉義市政府.jpg]]

Chiayi City is a provincial city of Taiwan Province of the Republic of China. The city is governed by the Chiayi City Government, while the residence is represented in the Chiayi City Council. The current Mayor of Chiayi City is Huang Min-hui of the Kuomintang.

=Administrative divisions=

Chiayi City is divided into two districts. East District is the city seat which houses the Chiayi City Government.

class=wikitable

!Map!!colspan=2|Name!!Chinese!!Taiwanese!!Hakka!!Population (2016)!!Area (km2)

rowspan=7 | 120px

| bgcolor=8DC63F|

East{{large|{{lang|zh-tw|東區}}}}TangTûng

| align=right|122,877

align=right|29.1195
bgcolor=003471|West{{large|{{lang|zh-tw|西區}}}}Se

| align=right|147,396

align=right|30.9061

=Politics=

File:2022 Chiayi Mayor Election Result Map.svg of Chiayi City]]

Chiayi City voted one Democratic Progressive Party legislator to be in the Legislative Yuan during the 2020 Taiwanese legislative election. It has historically been a very pan-Green city. During the martial law era, most people of Chiayi supported tangwai politicians. However, the voting gap between the DPP and the KMT has narrowed in recent years.{{Cite web |title=大選關鍵區》嘉義市藍綠皆配角、派系也式微,誰抓得住民主聖地?|天下雜誌 |url=https://www.cw.com.tw/article/5096947 |access-date=2022-03-20 |website=天下雜誌 |language=zh-Hant-TW}} In the 2022 Taiwanese local elections, Chiayi City re-elected Huang Min-hui of Kuomintang to be the mayor.

Demographics

{{No content|date=May 2025}}{{Historical populations

|type = Taiwan

|footnote = Source:{{Cite web |title=Populations by City and Country in Taiwan |date=May 2018 |url=https://www.ris.gov.tw/app/portal/346 |publisher=Ministry of the Interior Population Census |language=zh}}

|1985 |253573

|1990 |257597

|1995 |261391

|2000 |266183

|2005 |272364

|2010 |272390

|2015 |270366

|2020 |266005

}}

Education

Energy

=Green energy=

On 17 December 2015, Chiayi City Government launched a program to set up solar panels at schools and offices in the city to reduce green house gases. The program is expected to produce 3.55 million kWh of electricity annually and to help reducing carbon emission by 1,700 tonnes.{{Cite news |last1=Chiang |first1=Chun-liang |last2=Hou |first2=Elaine |date=2015-12-17 |title=Chiayi City Launches Solar Power System Program |language=en |work=Focus Taiwan News Channel |agency=Central News Agency |url=http://focustaiwan.tw/news/asoc/201512170020.aspx |access-date=2015-12-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151218050445/http://focustaiwan.tw/news/asoc/201512170020.aspx |archive-date=2015-12-18}}

Tourist attractions

File:Old Chiayi Prison, front gate (Taiwan).jpg]]

File:228 Memorial Park, Spotted Deer, Chiayi City (Taiwan).jpg

File:檜意森活村--張利聰jpg.jpg]]

Chiayi is the city of wind music in Taiwan. The wind music festival started as a local event in 1988, when it was more like a joint performance by local wind music bands. Over the years the festival has become the most anticipated annual event in Chiayi.{{Cite web |date=2009-01-17 |title=The Sound of Wind Music: 2008 Chiayi City International Band Festival |url=http://www.culture.tw/index.php?option%3Dcom_content%26task%3Dview%26id%3D1080%26Itemid%3D157 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090203004146/http://www.culture.tw/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1080&Itemid=157 |archive-date=2009-02-03 |access-date=2009-02-06 |website=Culture.tw |language=en}}

Sports

Notable residents/natives

  • Tan Ting-pho (1895–1947), Taiwan famous painter.
  • Sow-Hsin Chen (1935–2021), American physicist, Professor.
  • Vincent Siew (1939), Taiwanese politician, Vice President of the Republic of China (2008–2012), Vice-Chairman of the Kuomintang.
  • Huang Min-hui (1959), former mayor of Chiayi City, vice chairperson of Kuomintang, a member of the Legislative Yuan (1999 and 2005).
  • Lo Chen-Jung (1961), Taiwanese left-handed baseball pitcher.
  • Wu Bai (1968), Taiwanese rock singer.

International relations

{{Main|List of twin towns and sister cities in Taiwan}}

= Twin towns — sister cities =

Chiayi is twinned with:

{{div col|colwidth=22em}}

{{div col end}}

Transportation

=Rail=

Chiayi City is served by Chiayi Station and Jiabei Station of the Taiwan Railways Administration. Chiayi Station is the starting point for the Alishan Forest Railway. The city is also accessible from THSR Chiayi Station in Chiayi County.

=Bus=

Chiayi Bus Rapid Transit connects Chiayi City to Chiayi HSR station in the neighboring Taibao City. Chiayi City Bus serves the urban areas of Chiayi City.

=Air=

Chiayi City is served by Chiayi Airport in the neighboring Shuishang Township.

See also

Notes

{{Reflist|group=upper-roman}}

References

{{Reflist}}