Taichung

Taichung is a special municipality situated on the western coastal plain of central Taiwan. The Japanese administration laid out the modern grid street plan in the early 20th century under the name Taichu. The municipality borders the Taiwan Strait to the west and the Central Mountain Range to the east.

Chun Shui Tang teahouse created bubble tea during the 1980s by combining sweetened black tea with milk and dark tapioca pearls. The National Taichung Theater presents international operas inside a curved concrete structure designed by architect Toyo Ito. The National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts displays modern ink paintings and sculpture collections across expansive green outdoor galleries. The National Museum of Natural Science operates interactive halls focused on paleontology, indigenous flora, and astronomy. Fengchia Night Market draws evening crowds to open-air stalls selling grilled seafood and baked pepper buns near Feng Chia University.

Babuza indigenous clans originally occupied the fertile river basin before Han agricultural pioneers arrived from mainland China. In 1721 the Qing government established an armed garrison post named Dadun near the Green River. Emperor Guangxu designated the settlement as the provincial seat of Taiwan in 1887, initiating construction of formal city walls and administrative halls. Japan gained control of the island during the 1890s, clearing the incomplete fortifications and renaming the town Taichu. Tracks of the trunk railway reached the municipality in the early 20th century, linking the northern harbor of Keelung with southern trade depots through the central plains.

Cargo docks at the Port of Taichung handle liquefied natural gas imports, bulk coal, and container shipments along the coast of the Taiwan Strait. Giant Manufacturing produces road bicycles and aluminum frames under its global brand name. Hiwin Technologies manufactures precision ball screws and industrial linear guideways for automated factory machinery.