Miaoli County (
Mandarin Pinyin
Hanyu Pinyin (), often shortened to just pinyin, is the official romanization system for Standard Mandarin Chinese in China, and to some extent, in Singapore and Malaysia. It is often used to teach Mandarin, normally written in Chinese fo ...
: ''miáo lì xiàn'';
Hakka
The Hakka (), sometimes also referred to as Hakka Han, or Hakka Chinese, or Hakkas are a Han Chinese subgroup whose ancestral homes are chiefly in the Hakka-speaking provincial areas of Guangdong, Fujian, Jiangxi, Guangxi, Sichuan, Hunan, Zhej ...
PFS: ''Mèu-li̍t-yen'';
Hokkien
The Hokkien () variety of Chinese is a Southern Min language native to and originating from the Minnan region, where it is widely spoken in the south-eastern part of Fujian in southeastern mainland China. It is one of the national languages ...
POJ: ''Biâu-le̍k-koān'' or ''Miâu-le̍k-koān'') is a
county
A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...
in western
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the no ...
. Miaoli is adjacent with
Hsinchu County and
Hsinchu City to the north,
Taichung
Taichung (, Wade–Giles: ''Tʻai²-chung¹'', pinyin: ''Táizhōng''), officially Taichung City, is a special municipality located in central Taiwan. Taichung has approximately 2.8 million residents and is the second most populous city of T ...
to the south, and borders the
Taiwan Strait
The Taiwan Strait is a -wide strait separating the island of Taiwan and continental Asia. The strait is part of the South China Sea and connects to the East China Sea to the north. The narrowest part is wide.
The Taiwan Strait is itself a ...
to the west. Miaoli is classified as a county in central Taiwan by the
National Development Council, while the Taiwan
Central Weather Bureau classifies Miaoli as a county in northern Taiwan.
Miaoli City is the capital of the county, and is also known as "Mountain Town", owing to the number of mountains nearby, making it a destination for hiking.
Name
The name ''Miaoli'' was coined by matching
Hakka Chinese
Hakka (, , ) forms a language group of varieties of Chinese, spoken natively by the Hakka people throughout Southern China and Taiwan and throughout the diaspora areas of East Asia, Southeast Asia and in overseas Chinese communities aroun ...
sound for the characters 貓貍 to the phonetically approximate ''Pali'' (''Bari'') from the
Taokas language. The resulting word () is a widespread but non-orthodox variant referring to
Viverridae. In 1889, during late
Qing rule, the name was modified from various forms () to its current form.
History
Evidence of settlement in Miaoli dates back a thousand years. Many archaeological artifacts have been found showing that during the prehistoric era, people lived in the
river terrace. They mainly led an agriculture life and engaged in hunting and fishing for their extra food source. About a thousand years ago, an indigenous group Taokas settled here.
In the mid-17th century,
Han Chinese
The Han Chinese () or Han people (), are an East Asian ethnic group native to China. They constitute the world's largest ethnic group, making up about 18% of the global population and consisting of various subgroups speaking distinctive v ...
began to migrate into the area, beginning a gradual process of deforestation and establishment of permanent settlement sites. The prior inhabitants of Miaoli were either assimilated into the dominant Han population, or migrated deeper into the mountainous range. After several hundred years, Miaoli had become the home of people from different origins, such as
Hakka
The Hakka (), sometimes also referred to as Hakka Han, or Hakka Chinese, or Hakkas are a Han Chinese subgroup whose ancestral homes are chiefly in the Hakka-speaking provincial areas of Guangdong, Fujian, Jiangxi, Guangxi, Sichuan, Hunan, Zhej ...
,
Hoklo
The Hoklo people or Hokkien people () are a Han Chinese (also Han Taiwanese) subgroup who speak Hokkien, a Southern Min language, or trace their ancestry to Southeastern Fujian, China and known by various endonyms or other related terms such a ...
,
Atayal and
Saisiyat.
Kingdom of Tungning
After
Koxinga took over Taiwan from the
Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
, he placed Miaoli into ''Tian-Sing County'' (
天興縣) and started an immigration plan to develop this area.
Qing Dynasty
After the last Tungning Ruler
Zheng Keshuang
Zheng Keshuang, Prince of Yanping (; 13 August 1670 – 22 September 1707), courtesy name Shihong, art name Huitang, was the third and last ruler of the Kingdom of Tungning in Taiwan in the 17th century. He was the second son of Zheng Jing and ...
surrendered to the
Qing Dynasty
The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speak ...
, Tian-sing County was renamed
Zhuluo County. In 1889, Miaoli Hsien (
苗栗縣) was established as an independent county under
Taiwan Prefecture. At the end of the 19th century, thousands of acres of high-quality fertile fields had been reclaimed in the area of
Nanzhuang
Nanzhuang Township is a rural township in Miaoli County, Taiwan.
Geography
It has a population total of 10,381 (January 2017) and an area of .
Demographics
The population consists of Hakkas, Hoklos and the indigenous Saisiyat and Ataya ...
,
Shitan,
Dahu
The dahu is a legendary creature that resembles a mountain goat and is well known in France and francophone regions of Switzerland and Italy, including the Aosta Valley. The dahu, a quadrupedal mammal, may have been inspired by the chamois, a ...
and
Zhuolan. Public and private schools were also established all over Miaoli which made the area a place of gathering intellectuals and elites in northern Taiwan.
Empire of Japan
The county was at first eliminated
under Japanese Imperial rule. existed from ca. 1901 to 1908, but was split over and in 1909. From 1920 to 1945, , and six villages were under the jurisdiction of Byōritsu District, under
Shinchiku Prefecture
was one of the administrative divisions of Taiwan during the Japanese era. The prefecture consisted of modern-day Hsinchu City, Hsinchu County, Taoyuan City, and Miaoli County.
Population
1941 ( Showa 16) census
*Total population: 838,011
**Jap ...
.
Republic of China
After the
handover of Taiwan from Japan to the
Republic of China
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the northeas ...
on 25 October 1945, the present day area of Miaoli County was incorporated to
Hsinchu County. On 16 August 1950, the government re-established Miaoli county with
Miaoli Township as the
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...
. On 25 December 1981, Miaoli Township was upgraded from
township
A township is a kind of human settlement or administrative subdivision, with its meaning varying in different countries.
Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, that tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, ...
to a
county-administered city.
Geography
Miaoli County is considered to be located in the central northern part of the island of Taiwan, contiguous with Hsinchu county, Hsinchu City, and Taichung City. The
Xueshan Range is located on the border between Miaoli county and Taichung City. Miaoli county north to south averages about 50 kilometers and east to west averages about 64 kilometers. It is roughly diamond-shaped in appearance. The overall coastline of Miaoli is about 50 kilometers long.
Miaoli has little flat lands (plateau) and very mountainous due to the Xueshan Range. Miaoli has rich rainfall along with abundant rivers.
Administrative divisions
Miaoli County is divided into 2
cities, 5
urban townships, 10 rural townships and 1 mountain indigenous townships. Miaoli County has the second highest number of urban townships after
Changhua County
Changhua County ( Mandarin Pinyin: ''Zhānghuà Xiàn''; Wade-Giles: ''Chang¹-hua⁴ Hsien⁴''; Hokkien POJ: ''Chiang-hòa-koān'' or ''Chiong-hòa-koān'') is the smallest county on the main island of Taiwan by area, and the fourth smal ...
.
Miaoli City is the
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...
which houses the
Miaoli County Government
The Miaoli County Government () is the local government of the Republic of China that governs Miaoli County.
History
The county government used to be housed in a building next to the current building which is now used as the Miaoli County U ...
and
Miaoli County Council. The incumbent Magistrate of Miaoli County is
Hsu Yao-chang of the
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang (KMT), also referred to as the Guomindang (GMD), the Nationalist Party of China (NPC) or the Chinese Nationalist Party (CNP), is a major political party in the Republic of China, initially on the Chinese mainland and in Ta ...
.
Colors indicate the common language status of
Hakka
The Hakka (), sometimes also referred to as Hakka Han, or Hakka Chinese, or Hakkas are a Han Chinese subgroup whose ancestral homes are chiefly in the Hakka-speaking provincial areas of Guangdong, Fujian, Jiangxi, Guangxi, Sichuan, Hunan, Zhej ...
within each division. Note that
Nanzhuang
Nanzhuang Township is a rural township in Miaoli County, Taiwan.
Geography
It has a population total of 10,381 (January 2017) and an area of .
Demographics
The population consists of Hakkas, Hoklos and the indigenous Saisiyat and Ataya ...
and
Tai'an are also
indigenous areas of
Atayal people.
Demographics and culture
Population
The main population of Miaoli County is comprised by the Han Chinese and the Taiwanese aborigines. The Taiwanese aborigines constitute about 1.9% of the total population where the rural areas is where the
Hokkiens are the main group in western urban areas of Miaoli, while the
Hakkas comprise the main group of Han Chinese in the rural southern and central parts of Miaoli county
;Taiwanese aborigines
The
Saisiat currently reside in the
Wufeng Township of
Hsinchu County and the
Nanzhuang Township of Miaoli County. Due to oppression by initial Han immigrants, the
Atayal aboriginal group and the
Nanzhuang Incident, the population of the Saisiat people has decreased to 5,000 people. It is the least populous Taiwanese aboriginal group after the
Thao people. The traditions and culture of the Saisiat is greatly impacted by the Atayal aborigines and
Hakka people in the region.
;Han Chinese
During the
Qing Dynasty
The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speak ...
, Miaoli was inhabited by Hokkiens in the coast and Hakka in the rural peasant mountainous areas. Currently, the inhabitants of the four coastal townships of Miaoli (
Nanzhuang Township,
Houlong Township,
Tongxiao Township, and
Yuanli Township) consists of primarily
Taiwanese Hokkien
Taiwanese Hokkien () (; Tâi-lô: ''Tâi-uân-uē''), also known as Taigi/Taigu (; Pe̍h-ōe-jī/ Tâi-lô: ''Tâi-gí / Tâi-gú''), Taiwanese, Taiwanese Minnan, Hoklo and Holo, is a variety of the Hokkien language spoken natively by about ...
speakers. With the exception of the four coastal townships and
Tai'an Township, the main population consists of Hakka.
Sports
The main sports and recreational structures in Miaoli include Miaoli Sports Hall, Miaoli County Tennis Court, and the Park of Zhunan Township. In Taiwan National Athletic Games of 2011, Miaoli is ranked 21 out of 22 teams with 1 gold, 1 silver, and 8 bronze.
Economy
Popular regional agriculture, food production and culture promoted by the government include strawberries from Dahu Township, Hakka zongzi, Sanwan Chinese pears, Touwu Daikons, Sanyi wood sculptures, Tai’an persimmons, and many more.
In 2019, annual revenue of Miaoli County is NT$19.1 billion, while its annual expenditure is NT$18.9 billion.
Monthly,
Miaoli County Government
The Miaoli County Government () is the local government of the Republic of China that governs Miaoli County.
History
The county government used to be housed in a building next to the current building which is now used as the Miaoli County U ...
spends NT$600 million on their staffs salaries and another NT$600 million for retirement obligation. As of July 2015, the county government has a debt of NT$64.8 billion.
On revenue, the county government received NT$9,572,442,000 from tax revenue (49.92% of all of its total revenue), NT$8,845,859,000 from subsidy and financial assistance (46.13% of all of its total revenue) and NT$283,792,000 from fines and compensation (1.49% of all of its total revenue). On expenditure, the county government spent NT$7,239,103,000 on education, science and culture (38.21% of all of its total expenditure), NT$4,457,682,000 for general and administration (23.53% of all of its total expenditure) and NT$2,267,660,000 on social welfare (11.97% of all of its total expenditure).
Education
Education-related affairs in Miaoli County is regulated by Education Department of the
Miaoli County Government
The Miaoli County Government () is the local government of the Republic of China that governs Miaoli County.
History
The county government used to be housed in a building next to the current building which is now used as the Miaoli County U ...
. At the end of 2004, the population of people older than 15 years old was 451,128, among which 97.91% of them were literate. There were 108,052 college-educated, 156,870 senior high school or junior college graduates, 176,755 junior high school or lower graduates. The percentage of people receiving education higher than college was relatively low.
Miaoli County houses several universities and colleges, such as the
National United University,
Yu Da University and Jen-Teh Junior College of Medicine, Nursing and Management.
Energy
Power generation
Miaoli County houses the gas-fired
Tunghsiao Power Plant in
Tongxiao Township, the second largest gas-fired power plant in Taiwan with a capacity of 1,815 MW. The county also houses Taiwan's first offshore wind power plant named
Formosa 1 Offshore Wind Farm.
Water supply
The
Mingde Dam
Mingde Dam () is a rockfill dam across the Laotianliao River in central Touwu Township, Miaoli County, Taiwan. The Mingde Reservoir ( ''Míngdé Shuǐkù'') behind the dam serves mainly for irrigation and municipal water supply for Miaoli C ...
in
Touwu Township supplies water for irrigation and water supply for the county. The dam has a capacity of 17.1 million cubic meters.
Tourism
Tourist arrivals to Miaoli in 2011 was 17,000,000 people.
Tourist attractions
Nature
Nature tourism in Miaoli County including
Flying Cow Ranch,
Longfeng Fishing Port,
Shei-Pa National Park,
Waipu Fishing Port and
Yongheshan Reservoir.
Museums and galleries
Miaoli County houses several museums, such as
Huoyan Mountain Ecology Museum
The Huoyan Mountain Ecology Museum () is a museum of ecology about Huoyan Mountain in Sanyi, Miaoli, Sanyi Township, Miaoli County, Taiwan.http://okgo.tw/butyview.html?id=02420
Transportation
The museum is accessible within walking distance sou ...
,
Miaoli Ceramics Museum,
Miaoli County Urban Planning Exhibition Center,
Miaoli Railway Museum,
Museum of Saisiat Folklore,
Sanyi Wood Sculpture Museum,
Taiwan Oil Field Exhibition Hall
The Taiwan Oil Field Exhibition Hall or Taiwan Petroleum Exhibition Hall () is a museum about oil in Gongguan Township, Miaoli County, Taiwan.
History
The museum was established in 1981 by CPC Corporation in the area where oil was first dis ...
,
Triangle Rush Exhibition Hall and
Zaochiao Charcoal Museum
The Zaochiao Charcoal Museum () is a museum about charcoal in Zaoqiao Township, Miaoli County, Taiwan.
Architecture
The museum building is a two-story building. The first floor is the meeting room, shop, DIY charcoal art area, charcoal art dis ...
.
Cultural centers
Cultural centers in the county include the
Miaoli Park,
Wu Chuo-liu Art and Cultural Hall,
Wugu Cultural Village
The Wugu Cultural Village () is a cultural center about ceramics in Gongguan Township, Miaoli County, Taiwan.
Name
The name ''Wugu'' was derived from the nearby temple name. It represents the Chinese agriculture with the meaning of "five grain ...
,
Yingtsai Academy and
Hakka Round House.
Entertainment centers
Entertainment centers in the county are
Nanzhuang Theater
The Jindong Movie Theater () is a movie theater and restaurant in Nanzhuang Township, Miaoli County, Taiwan.
Architecture
The movie theater building is decorated with various movie posters around it. It shows old movies and serves Hakka cuisin ...
and
West Lake Resortopia
The West Lake Resortopia () is a theme park in Sanyi Township, Miaoli County, Taiwan.
History
The theme park was established in 1989. Later on it was renovated to have a theme of Hans Christian Andersen.
Architecture
The theme park spans ov ...
.
Temples
Temples in the county are
Zhonggang Cihyu Temple,
Gongtian Temple
Baishatun Gongtian Temple () is a temple located in Baishatun, Tongxiao Township, Miaoli County, Taiwan. The temple is dedicated to the sea goddess Mazu, who is the deified form of Lin Moniang. Gongtian Temple is noted for its annual Baishatun ...
,
Shuntian Temple,
Yuqing Temple,
Miaoli Wenchang Temple
Miaoli Wenchang Temple ( zh, t=苗栗文昌祠, p=Miáolì Wénchāng Cì), formerly known as Yingcai Academy ( zh, t=英才書院, p=Yīngcái Shūyuàn), is a temple in Miaoli City, Miaoli County, Taiwan. The temple is dedicated to Wenchang D ...
,
Xuanwang Temple and
Maling Temple.
Festivals
The various cultural festivals of Miaoli County includes, Miaoli Marine Tourism, Meng-Hua Literary Award, Hakka Tung Hua Festival, Hakka folk song festival, Miaoli international tourism festival, etc.
Transportation
Rail
Miaoli Station of the
Taiwan High Speed Rail is located in
Houlong Township.
Miaoli County is also served by the
Western Trunk Line
Western Trunk line () is a railway line of the Taiwan Railways Administration in western Taiwan. It is by far the busiest line, having served over 171 million passengers in 2016. The total length of the line is 404.5 km.
The line is an offi ...
and
Taichung Line
The Taichung line (), also known as the Mountain line (), is a line of the Taiwan Railway Administration, which one of two parallel lines in Central Taiwan section offsetting to inland mountain area. It has a total length of 85.5 km, all of w ...
of the
Taiwan Railways Administration
Taiwan Railways Administration (TRA) is a railway operator in Taiwan. It is an agency of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, responsible for managing, maintaining, and running conventional passenger and freight railway services ...
.
Stations on the Coastal Line include:
*
Qiding
*
Zhunan
*
Tanwen
*
Dashan
Mark Henry Rowswell, CM (born May 23, 1965), better known by his Chinese stage name Dashan (), is a Canadian comedian and television personality popular in China. Relatively unknown in the West, from the late 1980s through the early 2000s Da ...
*
Houlong
*
Longgang
*
Baishatun
*
Xinpu
*
Tongxiao
Tongxiao Township is an urban township in southern Miaoli County, Taiwan. It lies between the Taiwan Strait on the west and mountains on the east.
History
The town was formerly called ''Thunsiau'' ().
Geography
*Area:
* Population: 35,389 (Ja ...
*
Yuanli Station
Stations on the Taichung Line include:
*
Zhunan
*
Zaoqiao
*
Fengfu
*
Miaoli
*
Nanshi
*
Tongluo
*
Sanyi Station
Sanyi () is a railway station on the Taiwan Railways Administration Taichung line and Former Mountain line. It is located in Sanyi Township, Miaoli County, Taiwan.
History
The station was opened on 7 October 1903.
Around the station
* ...
Road
Both
National freeway No 1 and
National freeway No 3 pass through Miaoli County.
Relative location
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
Taiwan placenames originating from Formosan languages