Taiwan – Taipei

Taipei City is the largest city of Taiwan and the capital of the Republic of China (commonly known as “Taiwan”).

Taipei was founded in the early 18th century and became an important center for overseas trade in the 19th century. The Chinese government, then the Qing Dynasty, made Taipei the provincial capital of Taiwan in 1886. When the Japanese acquired Taiwan in 1895 after the First Sino-Japanese War, they retained Taipei as the capital of the island. The Republic of China took over the island in 1945 after Japan’s defeat in World War II. After losing the Chinese Civil War to the Communists, Chiang Kai-shek and his government retreated to Taiwan and declared Taipei the provisional capital of the Republic of China in December 1949.

Taipei is the political, economic, and cultural center of Taiwan. The National Taiwan University is located in Taipei, as well as the National Palace Museum, which has one of the largest collections of Chinese artifacts and artworks in the world. Considered to be a global city, Taipei is part of a major industrial area. Railways, high speed rail, highways, airports, and bus lines connect Taipei with all parts of the island. The city is served by two airports – Taipei Songshan and Taiwan Taoyuan.