Zhongli District

Zhongli District (Chinese: 中壢區; pinyin: Zhōnglì Qū) is a district in Taoyuan City, Taiwan. Zhongli is spelled variously as Jungli, Jongli, Jhongli or Chungli on railway, bus stop and road signs. Historically, the city is the site of the Zhongli Incident of 1977, the most significant event of the democratization movement prior to the 1980s. Ethnically, it is considered a kind of capital city for the Hakka Taiwanese, who live in great numbers here and in surrounding areas; many of the elderly could speak Hakka in addition to Mandarin and Taiwanese Hokkien.[1] In recent years many foreign workers (mainly from the Philippines and Thailand) have also settled in and around the city due to the heavy industries in the suburbs of the city, making it a center for foreign laborers.[2] The city of Zhongli has three large parks and over 70 green reserves in the city for residents of Zhongli to enjoy.

Zhongli District office (then Zhongli City office)
Zhongli
Zhongli

中壢區

Jhongli, Chungli, Tiong-lek
District
Zhongli District
Clockwise from top left: Zhongli skyline, Taoyuan International Baseball Stadium, Zhongli Word-worshipping Paper Incinerator, Taoyuan Public Library Lungkang Branch, Matsu New Village, National Central University. Center: Zhongli Zhongzheng Park
Coordinates: 24°57′25″N 121°13′25″E
CountryTaiwan
MunicipalityTaoyuan City
Area
 • Total76.52 km2 (29.54 sq mi)
Population
 (January 2017)
 • Total397,083
 • Density5,200/km2 (13,000/sq mi)
Postal code
320
Area code(s)(0)34
Websitewww.zhongli.tycg.gov.tw
Zhongli District
Traditional Chinese中壢區

History

In the 19th century, the area was home to Pingpu aborigines. During the Qing dynasty, immigrants from Fujian and Guangdong Provinces arrived along with the Hakka.[3] The original name of the area was Kan-a-lek (Chinese: 澗仔壢; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Kán-á-le̍k) due to its location between Tamsui and Hsinchu.

Map of Zhongli (labeled as CHŪREKI) and surrounding area (1944)

During Japanese rule, the town was administered as Chūreki Town (中壢庄), Chūreki District, Shinchiku Prefecture.

After the handover of Taiwan from Japan to the Republic of China in 1945, Zhongli was reorganized as Zhongli Town. In October 1950, it was placed under Taoyuan County. On 1 July 1967, Zhongli was promoted to a county-controlled city and became Zhongli City. On 25 December 2014, as Taoyuan County was upgraded to a special municipality named Taoyuan City, Zhongli became a district of the municipality.[4]

Demographics

Zhongli's population was estimated at 397,083 in January 2017, including 8,417 Taiwanese aborigines.[5] Zhongli is one of the most multicultural cities due to its convenience and proximity to Taipei (easy to commute). Zhongli is subdivided into 85 villages, with the eight biggest but least populated villages on the western side of the district (39 square kilometers but with 35,000 people), while the eastern side is occupied by industrial factories and the heart of the metropolitan area. This reflects the imbalance of development of western and eastern Zhongli.

Administrative divisions

The district comprises 85 villages:[5] Chenggong, Deyi, Duhang, Fude, Fuhua, Fuxing, Guangming, Guoling, Heping, Houliao, Huaai, Huaxun, Jianhang, Jingpu, Jinhua, Jiuming, Linsen, Longan, Longchang, Longci, Longde, Longgang, Longping, Longtung, Longxing, Mingde, Neicuo, Neiding, Neili, Pujiang, Puqing, Puren, Puyi, Puzhong, Qiaxi, Renai, Rende, Renfu, Renhe, Renmei, Renxiang, Renyi, Sanmin, Shantung, Shitou, Shuiwei, Tungxing, Wenhua, Wufu, Wuquan, Xingfu, Xingguo, Xinghe, Xingnan, Xingping, Xingren, Xinjie, Xinming, Xinxing, Xinyi, Yongfu, Yongguang, Yongxing, Yuemei, Zhengyi, Zhenxing, Zhiba, Zhishan, Zhongfu, Zhongjian, Zhongjian, Zhongli, Zhongrong, Zhongshan, Zhongxiao, Zhongxing, Zhongyang, Zhongyi, Zhongyuan, Zhongzheng, Zhuangjing, Zijiang, Zili, Zixin and Zizhi.

Economy

Department Store and Shops

Zhongli TRA Station is surrounded by shops on the street, and Zhongli also has a SOGO-branched department store. Zhongli Night Market opens daily, usually from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. In addition, there are two shopping districts: Ta-tung (大同商圈) and Jung-ping (中平商圈), both within half an hour's walk from the Zhongli train station.

Industry

The Zhongli–Neili Industrial Park was established in December 1976. This is a combined multipurpose industrial park, controlled by Taiwan's Economic Bureau, with a total area of 433 sq. yards. There are currently 480 companies that have built either factories or offices here, belonging to electronic, metal, chemical, mechanical, food, textile and plastic manufacturers.

Education

Library
  • Zhongli City Library, four floors of books, allowed to be borrowed for a month
  • Neili Library
  • Longgang Library

Universities

Academies and institutes

Public high schools

Religious organizations

Buddhist Temples

  • Yuan Hua Uan
  • Un Ping Temple (永平寺)
  • Yuan Gaung Chan Temple
  • Chi Hui Temple

Christian Churches

  • Taiwan Lutheran Zhongli Truth Church
  • Zhongli Church of Christ
  • Zhongli Christian Bible Church[9]

Tourist attractions
Zhongli Arts Hall

Transportation
Zhongli Station

Railway

The city of Zhongli is centered around the TRA Zhongli Station. The TRA station is the third-busiest station in Taiwan. In addition, there is Neili TRA station. The only station situated in Taoyuan on the Taiwan High Speed Rail (THSR) is a 15-minute drive from central Zhongli. There are free shuttle buses from central Zhongli to the THSR station every 15–20 minutes. The Taipei/Airport MRT line has been open to the public since 2017. An extension of this MRT line from A21 (Huanbei Station) to the TRA station is still under construction as of October 2018. In addition, the Taiwan Railway Administration Zhongli Station provides conventional train connections to other Taiwanese cities.

Roads
Zhongli South Bus Station

Zhongli is served by both National Highway No. 1 and Provincial Highway No. 66. The nationally owned E-Go freeway buses, near the Zhongli Station, are an inexpensive means of transport to other cities.

Sister Cities

Notable natives

See also
  • Taoyuan City

References
  1. 總計畫：客家紮根研究 (PDF) (in Chinese). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 25, 2014. Retrieved January 8, 2014.
  2. 經濟部工業局中壢工業區服務中心--首頁.
  3. "History". Zhongli City. 2010-06-21. Retrieved 2010-07-03.
  4. http://163.29.191.47/en2013/intro/dept2/List.asp
  5. 人口統計 [Population statistics]. tycg.gov.tw (in Chinese). Department of Civil Affairs, Taoyuan. Retrieved 2017-02-15.
  6. "Education and Culture". Zhongli City. 2010-06-21. Retrieved 2010-07-03.
  7. Yuan Kwang Buddhist Academy, Taiwan.
  8. National Zhongli Commercial High School, Zhongli, Taiwan.
  9. Zhongli Christian Bible Church, Taiwan http://www.aizhu.com/zcbc
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