T'ai-chung

T'ai-chung

City (pop., 2005 est.: 1,021,292), west-central Taiwan. Most of the old town was torn down under the Japanese occupation (1895–1945) and replaced by a planned modern city. An agricultural centre since the early 19th century, it is a major market for the rice, sugar, and bananas produced in the surrounding area. In the 1970s an international seaport was developed west of the city, and T'ai-chung was designated an export-processing zone to encourage foreign investment. It is also a cultural centre, with various institutions of higher education. In 1999 it suffered one of Taiwan's worst earthquakes.