From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Please help improve this article or section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page or at requests for expansion. (June 2007)

Chiayi City (Traditional Chinese: 嘉義市; Hanyu Pinyin: Jiāyì Shì; Tongyong Pinyin: Jiayì Shìh; Wade-Giles: chia-yi shih; Taiwanese: Ka-gī chhī) is a city located in the plains of southwestern Taiwan. It is surrounded by Chiayi County and is currently governed as a provincial city of Taiwan Province, Republic of China. Formerly called Kagee during the late Qing Dynasty and Kagi during the Japanese era, its historical name is Tirosen.

Contents 1 History 2 District 3 City Attractions 4 Sister cities 5 See also 6 External links

First inhabited by the Hoanya aborigines, the region was named Tirosen. With the arrival of Han civilization in southwestern Taiwan, the name Tirosen evolved to become Chulôsan, written as 諸羅山, in the Holo (Taiwanese) language. Eventually, Chulôsan was shortened to simply Chulô. Because of the choice of the Chinese characters, it has been mistakenly suggested that the origin of the name Chulôsan or Chulô 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 current Central Fountain and was called "Peach-tip" by citizens.

Chulôsan was once the foothold from which a large scale of people from mainland immigrated in. In 1621, Yen Szu-Chi, who came from Changchou, Fuchien Province, first led his people to cultivate this land after they landed at Penkang(Peikang). In the 15th year of Yung-Li, the Ming Dynasty (1661), Koxinga defeated the Dutch based in Taiwan. Then he established one province, Cheng-Tien-Fu, and two counties Tien-Hsing, and Wan-Nien demarcated by the Hsin-Kang River (the Yen-Shui River now). Chiayi was under the jurisdiction of the Tien-Hsing County.

In the 23rd year of Kang-Hsi, the Qing Dynasty (1684), Taiwan was established as Taiwan Sub-Province governing three counties, Taiwan and Feng-Shan, which were divided from Wan-Nien County in Ming Dynasty, and Chu-Lo, which was changed from Tien-Hsing County. The county government of Chu-Lo County was in Chia Li Hsing (the current Chia-Li Town of Tainan Hsien). In the 43rd year of Kang-Hsih, the Qing Dynasty (1704), the county government of Chu-Lo County moved from Chia Li Hsing to Chuloshan, the current Chiayi City, with city walls in wood railing. In the 5th year of Yung-Cheng, the county magistrate, Liu Liang-Bi rebuilt the gatehouses and set a gun platform for each gatehouse. The four gatehouses were named: "Chin Shan" for East, "Tai Hai" for West, "Chung Yang" for South, and "Kung Chen" for North. In the 12th year of Yung-Cheng, magistrate Lu-Hung built piercing-bamboo to better protect the city. In the 51st year of Chien-Lung, the Qing Dynasty (1786), Lin,Shuang-Wen headed his people to siege Chuloshan but failed because of the assisting defense from the inhabitants. Consequently, on November 3 of the next year, the Qing Emperor made an imperial announcement: awarded the name "Chiayi" to replace "Chuloshan" for praising the citizens' loyalty. In the 11th year of Kuang-Hsiu, Qing Dynasty,

Taiwan was approved to be a province. Two years later, the jurisdiction was divided as three sub-provinces, one direct county, eleven counties and three bureaus. Chaiyi belonged to Taiwan sub-province and the hall was still in Chiayi.

In 1906, a major earthquake devastated the entire city wall except the Eastern Gate. The Japanese authorities reconstructed the city and made it the most modem. Industries and trades started to flourish. In 1907, the construction of forest railroad to Alishan(Mt. A1i) was begun. In of Tainan sub-provinces. Chiayi became an autonomy group as Chiayi Town and later (1930) promoted as an autonomy City.

In 1945, when Japan relinquished control of Taiwan, Chiayi City was elevated to a provincial city under the jurisdiction of the Republic of China (Taiwan). In 1950, because of the re-allocation of administrative areas in which Taiwan was divided into 16 counties, 5 provincial cities, and a special bureau, Chiayi City was downgraded to a county-government status. As a result, a shortage of capital largely hindered its development. On July 1, 1982, it was elevated again to a provincial city as a result of pressure from local elites.

• East District(東區)
• West District(西區)

• Chiayi Park
• Sun Shooting Tower (射日塔) (in Chiayi Park)
• Lantan (蘭潭水庫) (also known as Dutch Lake or Holland Lake)
• University of Chiayi
• Chiayi Museum
• Culture Road (文化路) Night Market
• Carrefour Night Market

• Hsinchu City, Republic of China (2002)
• Syracuse, New York, United States (1995)
• Juneau, Alaska, United States

• List of mayors of Chiayi

Find more information on Chiayi by searching Wikipedia's sister projects
	Dictionary definitions from Wiktionary
	Textbooks from Wikibooks
	Quotations from Wikiquote
	Source texts from Wikisource
	Images and media from Commons
	News stories from Wikinews
	Learning resources from Wikiversity

• Chiayi travel guide from Wikitravel
• Government website | English
• Chiayi City/County Tourism Website

v • d • e Administrative divisions of the Republic of China (Current jurisdiction)
Provinces (streamlined)	Taiwan Province · Fuchien Province
Central Municipalities	Taipei City · Kaohsiung City
Counties (Taiwan Province)	Taipei County · Taoyuan County · Hsinchu County · Miaoli County · Taichung County · Changhua County · Nantou County · Yunlin County · Chiayi County · Tainan County · Kaohsiung County · Pingtung County · Yilan County · Hualien County · Taitung County · Penghu County
Counties (Fuchien Province)	Kinmen County · Lienchiang County
Provincial Cities (Taiwan Province)	Keelung City · Hsinchu City · Taichung City · Chiayi City · Tainan City