Table of Contents
The following facts about Taipei will help you understand
Taiwan’s capital city more.
Knowledge is power. Here is some basic “power” about Taipei. Read some interesting facts about Taipei City, in northern Taiwan.
Why is it called Taipei?
The name “Taiwan” is a phonetic borrowing from the indigenous Siraya people of Taiwan, who called it something like “Tayuan”, meaning “I” or “us”. “Bei” or “pei” is the Chinese word for north, so Taipei effectively just means “Tai North”.
Taipei City vs. Taipei County
Like many large cities, Taipei is divided between the city proper and a surrounding area, referred to as Taipei County (though soon to be renamed as Sinbei or “New Taipei”). Referring to “Taipei” generally means “Taipei City,” while other boroughs are also referred to by name.
Who lives there?
Taipei City itself has a population of about 2.5 million inhabitants (besides you), while the metro area bumps that number up to nearly 7 million. Taipei is populated by the four main ethnic groups in Taiwan – Hoklos, Hakkas, aborigines and, overwhelmingly, Han Chinese. The distribution of ethnic Chinese is much higher in Taipei than in other parts of Taiwan. You’ll still hear the “Taiwanese” dialect spoken very often, but Chinese is the undisputed lingua franca.
What do people do in Taipei?
Taipei is one of the burgeoning metropolises of Asia, and ‘business’ is the word on the street. The city is famous for its technology companies, focusing particularly on small electronic components and accessories. The most common occupations of the Taipeiers you’ll meet are service-industry based – consulting, food service, technology project management, financial services and so on.
Geography of Taipei
The city of Taipei is a grand example of city geography. It lies in the Taipei Basin and is surrounded by mountains like Yangmingshan, rivers like Danshui, and oceans like (well, only) the Pacific. Proximity to these geographical features and the relatively small size of the city itself make it easy for you to get to a variety of places conveniently.
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