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Taitung County
Taitung County
Traditional Chinese	臺東縣 or 台東縣
Simplified Chinese	台东县
Hanyu Pinyin
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyin	Táidōng Xiàn
Bopomofo	ㄊㄞˊ ㄉㄨㄥㄒㄧㄢˋ
Gwoyeu Romatzyh	Tairdong Shiann
Wade–Giles	Tʻai2-tung1 Hsien4
Tongyong Pinyin	Táidong Siàn
Yale Romanization	Táidūng Syàn
MPS2	Táidūng Shiàn
IPA	[tʰǎɪ.tʊ́ŋ ɕjɛ̂n]
Hakka
Pha̍k-fa-sṳ	Thòi-tûng-yen
Southern Min
Hokkien POJ	Tâi-tang-koān
Tâi-lô	Tâi-tang-kuān

Taitung County

臺東縣
Taitō, Tâi-tang
Taitung County 臺東縣 Taitō, Tâi-tang
County
	Top: View of Orchid Island, from Ji-teiwan, Second left: Zhiben Spa area, Second right: A view of downtown Taitung, Third left: View of White Sand Bay in Taimali Township, Third right: A memorial for Yami people's boat in Orchid Island, Bottom: A coast of Xiaoyeliu
	Flag Logo
	Coordinates: 22°56′N 120°56′E / 22.933°N 120.933°E
Country	Taiwan
Region	Eastern Taiwan
Seat	Taitung City
Largest city	Taitung City
Boroughs	1 cities, 15 (2 urban, 13 rural) townships
Government
• County Magistrate	April Yao (KMT)
Area
• Total	3,515.2526 km2 (1,357.2466 sq mi)
• Rank	3 of 22
Population (September 2023)
• Total	211,681
• Rank	22 of 22
• Density	60/km2 (160/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+8 (National Standard Time)
ISO 3166 code	TW-TTT
Website	www.taitung.gov.tw
Symbols
Flower	Moth orchid (Phalaenopsis)
Tree	Camphor tree (Cinnamomum camphora)

Taitung County^[I] (Wade–Giles: Tʻai²-tung¹ Hsien⁴; lit. 'Eastern part of Taiwan'; Paiwan: Valangaw) is the third largest county in Taiwan, located primarily on the island's southeastern coast and also including Green Island, Orchid Island and Lesser Orchid Island. The seat is located in Taitung City.

Name

While its name means "Eastern Taiwan", it is also known as "Houshan" (Chinese: 後山; pinyin: hòushān; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: āu-soaⁿ) by many of the locals, meaning behind the mountains or the back mountains.

History

Qing dynasty

In 1887, the new Fujian-Taiwan Province included Taitung Prefecture as one of four prefectures.^[1]

Empire of Japan

During the Japanese rule of Taiwan, Taitung County was administered as Taitō Prefecture.

Republic of China

After the handover of Taiwan from Japan to the Republic of China on 25 October 1945, Taitung was established as a county of Taiwan Province on 25 December the same year.

Geography

Taitung runs along the southeastern coast of Taiwan. Taitung County, controlling 3,515 km² (1,357 sq mi) is the 3rd largest county in Taiwan after Hualien County and Nantou County. Mainland Taitung County's coastline is 166 km (103 mi) long. The Huatung Valley runs along the northern half of the county. Taitung currently has a population of 234,123.^[2]

Due in part to its remote location and isolation by mountains from Taiwan's main population centers, Taitung was the last part of the island to be colonized by Han Chinese immigrants (late 19th century). Throughout the 20th century Taitung remained an economic backwater. Sparsely populated even today, this isolation may have been a blessing in disguise, as Taitung mostly escaped the urbanization and pollution that have come to plague much of the island's lowland areas.

In addition to the area on Taiwan proper, the county includes two major islands, Green Island or Isla Verde and Orchid Island. Green Island was home to an infamous penal colony used for political prisoners during the "White Terror" period of Chinese Nationalist (KMT) rule (from 1947 until the end of martial law in 1987). Orchid Island, home of the Tao people (Taiwanese aborigines closely related to the people of the northern Philippines), has become a major tourist attraction despite the government-operated Taiwan Power Company's controversial use of part of the island as a nuclear waste dump.

Government

Administrative divisions

Taitung County is divided into 1 city, 2 urban townships, 8 rural townships and 5 mountain indigenous townships.^[3]^[4]^[5] Taitung County has the second highest number of mountain indigenous townships in Taiwan after Pingtung County. The seat of the county is located at Taitung City, where it houses the Taitung County Government and Taitung County Council. The current Magistrate of Taitung County is April Yao of the Kuomintang. After streamlining of Taiwan Province in 1998, the county has since directly governed by the Executive Yuan.

Type	Name	Chinese	Taiwanese	Hakka	Formosan	Japanese and other
City	Taitung City	臺東市	Tâi-tang	Thòi-tûng	Pusung^{Amis, Paiwan, Puyuma}
Urban townships	Chenggong	成功鎮	Sêng-kong	Sṳ̀n-kûng	Madawdaw^Amis
Urban townships	Guanshan	關山鎮	Koan-san	Kûan-sân	Kinalaungan^Bunun
Rural townships	Beinan	卑南鄉	Pi-lâm	Pî-nàm	Puyuma^{Amis, Puyuma}, Pinang^Rukai
	Changbin	長濱鄉	Tn̂g-pin	Tshòng-pîn	Kakacawan^Amis	Nagahama (長浜)
	Chishang (Chishang)	池上鄉	Tî-siōng	Tshṳ̀-song		Ikegami (池上)
	Dawu	大武鄉	Tāi-bú	Thai-vú	Palangoe^Paiwan
	Donghe	東河鄉	Tong-hô	Tûng-hò	Fafukod^Amis
	Ludao^[3]^[4]	綠島鄉	Le̍k-tó	Liu̍k-tó	Sanasay^Amis, Jitanasey^Yami	Green Island
	Luye	鹿野鄉	Lo̍k-iá	Lu̍k-yâ		Shikano (鹿野)
	Taimali	太麻里鄉	Thài-mâ-lí	Thai-mà-lî	Tjavualji^{Amis, Paiwan}
Mountain indigenous townships	Daren	達仁鄉	Ta̍t-jîn	Tha̍t-yìn	Tadren^Paiwan
	Haiduan	海端鄉	Hái-toaⁿ	Hói-tôn	Haitutuan^Bunun
	Jinfeng (Jinfong)	金峰鄉	Kim-hong	Kîm-fûng	Kinzang^Paiwan
	Lanyu	蘭嶼鄉	Lân-sū	Làn-yí	Ponso no Tao^Yami	Orchid Island
	Yanping	延平鄉	Iân-pêng	Yèn-phìn	Inpiing^Bunun

Colors indicates the common languages status of Hakka and Formosan languages within each division.

Politics

Taitung County elected one Democratic Progressive Party legislator to the Legislative Yuan during the 2016 legislative election.^[6]

Demographics

Historical population
Year	Pop.	±%
1985	276,389	—
1990	256,803	−7.1%
1995	254,375	−0.9%
2000	245,312	−3.6%
2005	235,957	−3.8%
2010	230,673	−2.2%
2015	222,452	−3.6%
Source:"Populations by city and country in Taiwan". Ministry of the Interior Population Census.

Taitung County is home to seven aboriginal ethnics, including Amis, Bunun, Kavalan, Paiwan, Puyuma, Rukai and Yami.^[7] Taitung County has the largest aboriginal to overall population of a county or city in Taiwan, at 35.5%.^[8]

Education

Education in Taitung County is administered under the Education Department of the Taitung County Government.^[9]

Culture

Taitung County possesses a very diverse collection of aboriginal cultures.^[10] Because Taitung is probably one of the least affected counties by the settlement of the Han Chinese, most of the aboriginal cultures are still very much a part of everyday society.

Energy

Taitung County houses the Lanyu Power Plant, a 6.5 MW fuel-fired power plant located in Orchid Island.

Tourist attractions

Transportation

Air

Taitung County houses the international Taitung Airport in the mainland Taitung County of Taitung City and another two airports at the outlying islands, which are Green Island Airport in Green Island and Lanyu Airport in Orchid Island.

Rail

Taitung County is crossed by two Taiwan Railways Administration lines of South-Link Line and Hualien–Taitung Line. The stations consist of Chishang, Dawu, Guanshan, Guzhuang, Haiduan, Jinlun, Kangle, Longxi, Luye, Ruihe, Ruiyuan, Shanli, Taimali, Taitung and Zhiben Station.

Water

Chenggong Fish Harbor, Fugang Fishery Harbor and Green Island Nanliao Harbor.

Notable natives

Yu Chang, Major League Baseball player^[11]
Yang Chuan-kwang, 1960 Summer Olympics decathlon medalist
Tank, singer
A-Mei, singer

Relative location

Notes

^
- Traditional Chinese script: 臺東縣
- Mandarin Pinyin: Táidōng Xiàn
- Hokkien: Tâi-tang-koān
- Sixian Hakka: Thòi-tûng-yen

References

^ Davidson, James W. (1903). The Island of Formosa, Past and Present : history, people, resources, and commercial prospects : tea, camphor, sugar, gold, coal, sulphur, economical plants, and other productions. London and New York: Macmillan & co. p. 244. OL 6931635M. Archived from the original on 8 January 2015. Retrieved 30 November 2014.
^ "Taitung County Government English-About Taitung". Archived from the original on 22 July 2018. Retrieved 27 February 2016.
^ ^a ^b "About Taitung". Taitung County Government English. Retrieved 14 April 2019. Population 234,123, Taitung has 16 townships, categorized as the following: County-Municipal City Taitung City Townships (Jheng) Chenggong Town Guanshan Town Townships (Siang) Beinan Township Luye Township Chishang Township Taimali Township Dawu Township Donghe Township Changbin Township Jinfeng Township Yanping Township Haiduan Township Daren Township Lanyu Township Ludao Township{...}Ludao (Green Island), {...}Ludao (Green Island)
^ ^a ^b "Township (City) Offices". Taitung County Government English. Archived from the original on 6 July 2017. Retrieved 14 April 2019. Ludao Township Office
^ 1.7-鄉鎮市區戶口數 [Population for Township and District]. Ministry of the Interior (in Chinese (Taiwan) and English). August 2020. Retrieved 21 September 2020. 臺東縣 Taitung County臺東市 Taitung City成功鎮 Chenggong Township關山鎮 Guanshan Township卑南鄉 Beinan Township大武鄉 Dawu Township太麻里鄉 Taimali Township東河鄉 Donghe Township長濱鄉 Changbin Township鹿野鄉 Luye Township池上鄉 Chishang Township綠島鄉 Ludao Township延平鄉 Yanping Township海端鄉 Haiduan Township達仁鄉 Daren Township金峰鄉 Jinfong Township蘭嶼鄉 Lanyu Township
^ "2016 The 14th Presidential and Vice Presidential Election and The 9th Legislator Election". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 17 January 2016.
^ "Taitung County Government English". Archived from the original on 16 February 2015. Retrieved 16 February 2015.
^ "Amis remains Taiwan's biggest aboriginal tribe at 37.1% of total". Archived from the original on 16 February 2015. Retrieved 16 February 2015.
^ 臺東縣政府教育處. www.boe.ttct.edu.tw. Archived from the original on 11 August 2014. Retrieved 24 August 2014.
^ "The Ethnics". Archived from the original on 11 April 2009. Retrieved 15 September 2009.
^ "Yu Chang #2". Yu Chang Stats, Fantasy & News. MLB Advanced Media, LP. Retrieved 29 September 2021.