Pingtung County

Pingtung (Wade–Giles: Pʻing²-tung¹) is a county located in southern Taiwan. It has a warm tropical monsoon climate and is known for its agriculture and tourism. Kenting National Park, Taiwan's oldest national park, is located in the county. The county seat is Pingtung City. Name The name Pingtung means "east of Banping mountain", referring to a nearby mountain known as Banping mountain (Chinese: 半屏山; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Pòaⁿ-pêng-soaⁿ). History Early history Aboriginal inhabitants of Liuqiu Island (13 km [8.1 mi] southwest of Taiwan, and now part of Pingtung County) killed Dutch sailors on two occasions. In response, in the spring of 1636, Dutch sailors carried out a punitive campaign that became known as the Lamey Island Massacre. Modern-day Pingtung County and Kaohsiung City were part of Banlian-chiu (萬年州; Bān-liân-chiu) during the Kingdom of Tungning (1661–1683) and Fongshan Prefecture (鳳山縣; Hōng-soaⁿ-koān) during Qing dynasty rule (1683–1895). Until the seventeenth century, this area of Taiwan was a place of exile for Chinese criminals and the occasional landing point for international mariners. Only the settlements near present-day Checheng Township existed. In 1664, the Hakka settlers arrived from mainland China and farmed under a homesteading system introduced by Zheng Jing. Pingtung City, the biggest city in Pingtung County, also known as "A-Kau" (阿猴; A-kâu, English: the forest), was the home of Taiwanese Plains Aborigines. In 1684, settlers from China's southern Fujian region created the first Han Chinese villages near Pingtung. By 1734, most of the Pingtung Plain was cultivated, and Pingtung was expanded in 1764. In 1836, the government and locals worked together to build the city's four walls (the North Gate, the East Gate, the West Gate, and the South gate), and the roads were completed. In March 1867, fourteen American sailors were killed near Kenting by local aborigines in the Rover incident, which lead to the failed American Formosa Expedition three months later. In 1871, local aborigines killed 54 sailors from Ryukyu in the Mudan Incident. The Japanese carried out a punitive campaign against the local aborigines in the 1874 Japanese invasion of Taiwan. Empire of Japan Under Japanese rule (1895–1945), Hōzan Subprefecture (Japanese: 鳳山支廳); Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Hōng-soaⁿ Chi-thiaⁿ was initially under Tainan Ken (臺南縣); Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Tâi-lâm-koān, but political divisions frequently changed between 1895 and 1901. In 1901, Akō Chō (阿猴廳); Pe̍h-ōe-jī: A-kâu-thiaⁿ was established. In 1909, the name changed to Akō Chō (阿緱廳); Pe̍h-ōe-jī: A-kâu-thiaⁿ. In 1920, the name was changed to Heitō City (屏東市); Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Pîn-tong-chhī and was under Takao Prefecture administration, which consisted of modern-day Pingtung County and Kaohsiung. Republic of China Following the handover of Taiwan from Japan to the Republic of China on 25 October 1945, the area of present-day Pingtung County was incorporated into Kaohsiung County on 25 December 1945. On 16 August 1950, Pingtung County was established after being separated from Kaohsiung County. On 1 December 1951, Pingtung City was downgraded from provincial city to county-administered city and made the county seat of Pingtung County. Pingtung was the site of a 7.1 magnitude earthquake on 26 December 2006. In 2009, due to Typhoon Morakot, Pingtung received over 2,500 millimetres (98 in) of rainfall, breaking records for any place in Taiwan struck by a single typhoon. Geography With a land area of over 2,775 km2 (1,071 sq mi), Pingtung is the fifth-largest county in Taiwan, and the second-largest of Southern Taiwan after Kaohsiung City. Geographically, it borders Kaohsiung City to the north, Taitung County to the east, the Taiwan Strait to the west and the Bashi Channel to the south. Islands administered by the county include Hsiao Liuchiu (Lamay Islet; 琉球嶼) and Qixingyan (Seven Star Reefs; 七星岩). Climate Located in the southernmost part of Taiwan, Pingtung County is known for one of the warmest climates within the country. It has a tropical monsoon climate bordering on a tropical wet and dry climate (Köppen climate classifications: Am bordering on Aw). The climate differs across the large county due to its varying geography. Northern Pingtung, where Pingtung City is located, is characterized by high daytime temperatures year-round with average daytime highs of 30–40 °C (86–104 °F) from April to November, and 25–28 °C (77–82 °F) from December to March. The lowest nighttime temperatures are around 16 °C (61 °F), due to distance from the sea. Central Pingtung, such as the coastal Fangliao Township, has a lower daytime temperatures and warmer nights due to the regulating effect of the ocean, which is especially noticeable during winter. The mildest climate of Pingtung is at its southern tip, the Hengchun Peninsula, which is nearly surrounded by the Pacific Ocean. Daily highs reach 29–32 °C (84–90 °F) during summer and 23–26 °C (73–79 °F) during winter. Nighttime temperatures remain warm throughout the year with lows of around 25 °C (77 °F) during summer and 19 °C (66 °F) during the winter. Government Administrative divisions Pingtung County is divided into 1 city, 3 urban townships, 21 rural townships, and 8 indigenous mountain townships. Pingtung County has the largest number of rural townships and mountain indigenous townships among the counties of Taiwan. Colors indicate the statutory language status of Hakka and Formosan languages in the respective subdivisions. Politics Pingtung City is the county seat of Pingtung County which houses the Pingtung County Government and Pingtung County Council. The county head is Magistrate Pan Men-an of the Democratic Progressive Party. Pingtung County elected three Democratic Progressive Party legislators to the Legislative Yuan during the 2016 legislative election. Demographics Pingtung is home to the indigenous Rukai and Paiwan tribes, which makes up 7% of the population. As of January 2023, the total population of Pingtung County was 798,940. The county has been experiencing population decline for 15 consecutive years due to emigration to other cities. Religion As of 2015, Pingtung County had 1,101 registered temples, the third highest amongst Taiwan's counties after Tainan and Kaohsiung. Donglong Temple and Checheng Fu'an Temple are some of the most prominent temples in the county. Indigenous tribes like Makatao people also have their own places of worship like Jiaruipu Temple. Economy The agriculture and fishing industries dominate the county's economy. In recent years, the county has also promoted the tourism sector, which constituted 30% of Taiwan's tourism industry in 2015. In February 2014, the county government announced a plan to develop an industrial center that consists of a service center, workshop, and performance venue. The aim is to promote the development of industries that leverage the unique cultural attributes of the Linali tribe. On 22 September 2015, the National Development Council revealed a three-year large-scale development plan to boost the economy of the county by transforming Dapeng Bay, Donggang Township, and Lamay Island into a fishery, recreational, and tourism hub. Education Universities and colleges Meiho University National Pingtung University (amalgamation of National Pingtung University of Education and National Pingtung Institute of Commerce) National Pingtung University of Science and Technology Tajen University National Dong Hwa University Graduate Institute of Marine Biology Tzu Hui Institute of Technology High schools Pingtung Senior High School Pingtung Girl's Senior High School Da-Tong Senior High School Chao-Chou Senior High School Energy Pingtung County houses Taiwan's third nuclear power plant, the Maanshan Nuclear Power Plant. The power plant is located in Hengchun Township. It is Taiwan's second-largest nuclear power plant in terms of its capacity at 2 × 890 MW. Transportation Rail The Pingtung Line and South-Link Line of Taiwan Railway cross Pingtung County. These lines service Central Signal, Chaozhou, Donghai, Fangliao, Fangshan, Fangye Signal, Guilai, Jiadong, Jialu, Kanding, Linbian, Linluo, Liukuaicuo, Nanzhou, Neishi, Pingtung, Xishi, Zhen'an and Zhutian Station. The Pingtung Line links Pingtung County with Kaohsiung City, while the South-Link Line links Pingtung County with Taitung County. Ferries Ferry service operates between Donggang Township and Baisha Port and Dafu Port on the offshore Lamay Island. Tourist attractions See also List of county magistrates of Pingtung List of Taiwanese superlatives Notes References External links Pingtung County Government Archived 27 June 2015 at the Wayback Machine i-Pingtung - Tourist Service Archived 21 January 2018 at the Wayback Machine Geographic data related to Pingtung County at OpenStreetMap