1. Dutch Formosa, Spanish
Formosa, and Koxinga (Zheng
Cheng-gong) of the Ming
Dynasty
During the 2nd year of Ming Emperor Tianqi's
reign (1622), the Dutch East India Company
set up a trading outpost in Dayuan (Anping of
Tainan). 4 years later, in the 4th year of Emperor
Tianqi's reign (1626), the Spanish landed on and
occupied northern Taiwan at the ports of Keelung
and Tamsui as a base to extend their missionary
work and trade. In the 15th year of Ming
Emperor Chongzhen's reign (1642), the Dutch
forces drove out the Spanish to take over their
fortresses in Keelung and Tamsui, and began
trading and missionary activities.
In the 15th year
of Ming Emperor Yongli's reign (1661), Koxinga
(Zheng Cheng-gong) landed in Luerman and
captured Fort Zeelandia. He expelled the Dutch
in the following year and established Chengtian
Fu (Governor's Office) as the official leader of
Taiwan, and erected Wannian and Tianxing
counties. Taipei of this particular era belonged
to Tianxing County in jurisdiction. Zheng sent his
trusted general Huang An, his navy and army to
defend Tamsui. He also inaugurated the Tuntian
system (a state-promoted method of agriculture)
and sent his navy to travel by Tamsui River to
open up Guandu and Beitou areas.
2. Development during Qing
Dynasty
The Taipei Basin, in its early days, was home
of the aboriginal Ketagalan Tribe: this was
where the tribesmen hunted and fished. In the
36th year of Qing Emperor Kangxi's reign (1697),
Yu Yong-he arrived at the Taipei Basin and was
greeted by a vast body of water, which was
called Kangxi Taipei Lake. In the 48th year of
Qing Emperor Kangxi's reign (1709), the “Chen
Lai-zhang Land Grant” by the Han Chinese was
granted imperial permission, and large-scale
land development projects started.
Irrigation
constructions and the expansion of arable lands
resulted in population growth, and villages
began to take shape. Mengjia was where the
first viable street blocks and markets took
shape. The town became what was presently
known as Wanhua. Other marketplaces to form
in succession were: Shilin Street, Xikou Street,
Dalongdong, Dadaocheng and downtown
Taipei. Their formation histories are as follows:
(1) Mengjia
Mengjia was colloquially called "the yam
city", and located at the meeting place of
Guiyang Street, Section 2, and Huanhe South
Road, Section 2. The city was the eponym of
the trade. Due to its close proximity to Tamsui River, many trade boats berthed along the city's
riverside. The aboriginal Pingpu people traveled
by "Mankha" - a type of canoe - on Tamsui River,
and the Han settlers began calling the place
by the community's Pingpu pronunciation,
"Mengjia."
In the 57th year of Qing Emperor Qianlong's
reign (1792), Balifen (the estuary of Tamsui
River) was elevated in its status to become
an official trade port.
Boats and skiffs could
travel directly to and from Hokkien without
having to pass by Luerman in Tainan. The
new policy helped cut down boat travels
and freight expenses, and facilitated trade
between northern Taiwan and China, solidifying
Mengjia's status as a vital commercial port, and
the community thrived. By early 19th century,
Mengjia was Taiwan's 3rd largest port, earning
its stripe in the city's slogan: "First Tainan,
second Lugang, third Mengjia."
(2) Shilin Street
Today's Shilin District was actually the
old settlement community of the aboriginal
kimassauw people under the Ketagalan Tribe.
Ketagalan Tribe was one of the Taiwanese
Plains aborigines. Pattsiran Street was already
in existence in the 20th year of Qing Emperor
Qianlong's reign. Pattsiran Street was the
foundation of the Old Street. Old Street was
conveniently located: it could easily allow
merchant boats to berth, and accommodate
land transport. By mid-Qing Dynasty, Shilin
Street had become a commerce hub, where
local products were traded and marketed.
(3) Xikou Street
Xikou Street used to be the settlement
community of the aboriginal Malysyakkaw
people under Ketagalan Tribe. Conveniently
located, Xikou was situated by the bank of
Keelung River to easily accommodate boat
traffic. Xikou was the midway point for transport
from Mengjia and Tamsui to Keelung. The Han
Chinese had built their own settlements in Xikou
in the 29th year of Qing Emperor Qianlong's
reign (1764). By the 1st year of Qing Emperor
Daoguang (1821), the name, "Xikou Street" was
in circulation.
(4) Dalongdong
Dalongdong is located in the neighborhood of
Keelung River and Tamsui River's convergence
point; it used to be the settlement village of the
aboriginal Daronpon people under the Ketagalan
Tribe. It used to be where the settlement
community of the aboriginal Daronpon. Daronpon
communities inhabited by Han settlers were
in existence in the 29th year of Qing Emperor
Qianlong's reign (1764). Tongan people from
Hokkien were a majority among the Han settlers,
and it was why "Daronpon" began to be known
as "Dalongtong." A mountainous outcrop in the
shape of a dragon was found in Dalongtong,
and Dalongtong Street was located at the tail
of the dragon; that was why "Dalongtong" was
rechristened to a similar-sounding "Dalongdong".
(5) Dadaocheng
Dadaocheng used to be the settlement
community of the aboriginal Kimotsi people
under the Ketagalan Tribe. Legend had it that
Dadaocheng got its name from the square
where harvested rice was laid out to dry. The
marketplace in Dadaocheng started with the
central street. In the 10th year of Qing Emperor
Xianfeng's reign (1860), Tamsui Harbor was
officially inaugurated. In the 2nd year of Qing
Emperor Tongzhi's reign (1863), local authorities
designated Tamsui River's headwaters in
Mengjia as the gateway of Tamsui Harbor,
and Dadaocheng became an external trade
port. After the harbor was inaugurated, tea -
in particular, oolong tea - became the export
staple, and Dadaocheng became tea's
processing center. This business development
resulted in the slew of local tea shops in
Dadaocheng, and the popularization of foreign
commerce centers in the community dedicated
to tea trade and other business interests.
(6) Downtown Taipei
The formation of downtown Taipei was
heavily influenced by the city's prefectural
establishment and fortress construction. In the 1st
year of Qing Emperor Guangxu's reign (1875),
Imperial Commissioner Shen Bao-zhen asked for
permission from the Imperial Court to establish the
Taipei Prefecture in Mengjia (a general term used
to describe downtown Taipei), and built the Taipei Prefecture Office (located in today's Zhongzheng
District), making Taipei a prefectural administrative
district. In 1884, the 10th year of Emperor
Guangxu's reign, the construction of a walled city
was completed.
After Taiwan was established as a province
of China in the 11th year of Emperor Guangxu's
reign, the first Governor, Liu Ming-chuan was
appointed. 2 years later in 1887, the province
was reorganized into 3 prefectures, under the
administration of Hokkien Province, 11 counties,
and 3 subprefectures. The seat of government
was set up in "Qiaozitu" (south district of Taichung
City of today). Due to failures in subsequent
administrative compliance, the provincial capital
was temporarily relocated to the city of Taipei, and
the city's status grew more crucial. It later became
Taiwan's political center. Many development
projects took place during Liu's governance, and
they elevated Taipei's political, economic, financial
and military significance.
3. Japanese Occupational Period
In the 38th year of the Meiji period (1905),
Japanese colonists reorganized Taipei City's
administrative districts to transform the town
into a community capable of accommodating
150,000 inhabitants. The priority project of
this development program was transportation
services. The colonists demolished walls built
during the late Qing Dynasty, and created
three-lane artery roadways with discarded
foundational walls. The street network in Taipei
City was centered around the New Park (the
today's 228 Peace Memorial Park), and the
development spread outward in a radial fashion.
In the 7th year of the Showa period (1932),
Taihoku Prefecture announced plans to
develop the Greater Taipei Downtown Area,
transforming it into a city inhabited by a
population of 600,000.
Nevertheless, the city
became dichotomized in its community growth:
the Taiwanese inhabitants and their Japanese
counterparts lived in 2 distinct communities.
Most of the Japanese, officials, military officers
and merchants spread out to neighboring
areas from downtown Taipei. As a result, the
Japanese communities were more tight-knit, and
segregated from the Taiwanese inhabitants. All
the modernized development projects, including
hospitals, lighting services, cultural and
education organizations, and business centers
were established with Japanese interests as
priority, and set up in Japanese communities.
Industrial establishments scattered across
community blocks inhabited by Taiwanese.
Dadaocheng's neighboring areas were devoted
to ironworks; marketplaces within Dadaocheng
were mostly dedicated to the food processing
industry, particularly tea. Chemical industries
were set up in areas south of Mengjia.
4. Provincial- and Direct-
Municipality
After World War II, Taipei was designated as
a provincial municipality in 1945. In 1949, the
Chinese Nationalist Government relocated to
Taiwan, and Taipei became a provisional capital;
its status grew more important. In July, 1967, Taipei became a directlycontrolled
municipality. In considering the
city's urban development planning, Nangang
Township, Jingmei Township, Muzha Township
and Neihu Township of Taipei County, along
with Beitou Township and Shilin Township were
annexed into Taipei City. Meanwhile, a plan to
transform Taipei into a city of 2.5 million also
took shape.
Population grew quickly upon
Taipei's status upgrade. The city's development also started to move eastward, and to keep up
with such trending, the government unveiled
Xinyi urban center project that would efficiently
utilize large tracts of development-ready
property in the eastern district.
In 1990, Taipei’s administrative districts went
through another reorganization: the 16 districts
were restructured into 12. They are: Songshan,
Xinyi, Daan, Zhongshan, Zhongzheng, Datong,
Wanhua, Wenshan, Nangang, Neihu, Shilin, and Beitou.
During the 2nd year of Ming Emperor Tianqi's
reign (1622), the Dutch East India Company
set up a trading outpost in Dayuan (Anping of
Tainan). 4 years later, in the 4th year of Emperor
Tianqi's reign (1626), the Spanish landed on and
occupied northern Taiwan at the ports of Keelung
and Tamsui as a base to extend their missionary
work and trade. In the 15th year of Ming
Emperor Chongzhen's reign (1642), the Dutch
forces drove out the Spanish to take over their
fortresses in Keelung and Tamsui, and began
trading and missionary activities.
Irrigation
constructions and the expansion of arable lands
resulted in population growth, and villages
began to take shape. Mengjia was where the
first viable street blocks and markets took
shape. The town became what was presently
known as Wanhua. Other marketplaces to form
in succession were: Shilin Street, Xikou Street,
Dalongdong, Dadaocheng and downtown
Taipei. Their formation histories are as follows:
(2) Shilin Street
(4) Dalongdong
4. Provincial- and Direct-
Municipality
