Taipei

Overview

The area in which Taipei is now located was once a lake in an area that was full of swamps and grassy lowlands, but a lot has changed now. Originally only aboriginal tribes lived there. The Chinese eventually came to fish and to do business. Chen Lai-chang established a farm in central Taipei. The numbers of immigrants to Taipei began to increase. The most concentrated area of settlement was at the rivers. Taipei is a city that developed around a river culture. Taipei was essentially divided among immigrants from different areas of China. This resulted in many conflicts. Taipei was first built like a rectangle shape with four main walls on the east and west. The city faces from north to south, and its main axis points towards the North Star. Financial agencies were kept in between the walls. The Japanese colonized Taiwan in 1895, and they continued to develop the city. It eventually became the administrative, economic, and cultural center of Taiwan. The city of Taipei is located in the Taipei Basin in northern Taiwan. It is bordered by the Xindian River in the south and the Danshui River in the west. The northern districts of Taipei extend north of the Keelung River and border Taipei's famous Yangmingshan National Park. The city is surrounded by mountains. The climate of Taipei is subtropical. It is affected by monsoons from April to September. Winters are short, but temperatures can drop down to around ten degrees celsius. Summers are hot...more

History