T’ai-chung

T’ai-chung, special municipality (chih-hsia shih, or zhizia shi), west-central Taiwan. Since 1959 it has been the seat of the provincial administration of Taiwan province. T’ai-chung grew in the early 19th century as the collecting centre for a fertile agricultural basin situated between the low west-coast uplands and the central highlands. When in 1891 the provincial capital was moved from T’ai-nan (Tainan) to Taipei (Taibei), T’ai-chung was considered as an alternative site. During the period of...