Changhua

Changhua City
Changhua City
Chinese	彰化市
Hanyu Pinyin
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyin	Zhānghuà Shì
Bopomofo	ㄓㄤㄏㄨㄚˋ ㄕˋ
Gwoyeu Romatzyh	Janghuah Shyh
Wade–Giles	Chang¹-hua⁴ Shih⁴
Tongyong Pinyin	Jhanghuà Shìh
Yale Romanization	Jānghwà Shr̀
MPS2	Jānghuà Shr̀
IPA	[ʈʂáŋ.xwâ ʂɻ̩̂]
Hakka
Pha̍k-fa-sṳ	Chông-fa-sṳ
Southern Min
Hokkien POJ	Chiong-hòa-chhī or; Chiang-hòa-chhī
Tâi-lô	Tsiong-huà-tshī or; Tsiang-huà-tshī

Changhua

彰化市
Shōka
Changhua 彰化市 Shōka
County-administered city
	View of the Great Buddha on Baguashan at Changhua City
	Seal
	Nickname: Bamboo Town (半線城)
	Coordinates: 24°04′N 120°32′E / 24.067°N 120.533°E
Country	Taiwan
Province	Taiwan Province
County	Changhua County
Government
• Type	County-controlled city
• Mayor	Lin Shih-shen
Area
• Total	65.68 km2 (25.36 sq mi)
Population (March 2023)
• Total	226,564
• Density	3,400/km2 (8,900/sq mi)
ISO 3166 code	TW-CHA
Website	www.changhua.gov.tw/english/

Changhua (Hokkien POJ: Chiong-hòa or Chiang-hòa), officially known as Changhua City, is a county-administered city and the county seat of Changhua County in Taiwan. For many centuries the site was home to a settlement of Babuza people, a coastal tribe of Taiwanese aborigines. Changhua city is ranked first by population among county-administered cities. It is part of the Taichung–Changhua metropolitan area, which is the second largest in Taiwan.

Historically, Changhua city was a base for the Han Chinese when they invaded Taiwan against the Taiwanese aborigines, constructing a fortress built out of bamboo. Changhua has a nickname of "Bamboo Town".

Changhua is best known for its landmark Great Buddha Statue of Baguashan. At 26 metres tall, the statue sits atop Bagua Mountain overlooking the city. The main walkway up to the giant is lined with statues of figures from Buddhist lore. Another site of interest is Taiwan's oldest temple honoring Confucius.

History

Poasoa (transliterated into Chinese: 半線; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Pòaⁿ-sòaⁿ) was once a center of settlement for the Babuza people (a plains aboriginal tribe). During the Dutch period, the area was under the administration of Favorlang (modern-day Huwei, Yunlin) and was controlled by the Dutch East India Company. During the Siege of Fort Zeelandia, the area was also one of Koxinga's central defense and attack bases. During the Chinese immigration of the 17th century, Changhua city was one of the four cities that had major immigration; it was one of the oldest Han Chinese settlements.

By 1694, Poasoa Village (半線庄) had been established. During the late 17th to late 19th century the area continued to be one of the major urban settlements in central Taiwan. In 1723, Changhua County was established, following the Zhu Yigui rebellion. Despite that, rebellions and civil wars continued.

Empire of Japan

The origin of the modern Changhua City is attributed to the Japanese administration, as they made the city into the official county seat in 1897 under Taichū Ken (Japanese: 臺中縣). During this era, the Japanese pronunciation Shōka came into use, alongside the "Chinese spellings" of "Changwha, Changhwa, Changhoa, Chanhue, Chan-hua, Tchanghoua".^[1]

In 1901, the local administrative unit Shōka Chō (彰化廳) was established,^[2] but this merged with Taichū Chō (臺中廳) in 1909. In 1920, Shoka was governed under the new Taichū Prefecture. In 1933, Ōtake Village (大竹庄) and Nankaku Village (南郭庄) were merged with Shōka Town and upgraded to Shōka City.

Republic of China

After the handover of Taiwan from Japan to the Republic of China on 25 October 1945, Changhua City was established as provincial city of Taiwan Province on 25 December the same year. On 30 November 1951, the Changhua City Office was established and subsequently on 1 December 1951, it was downgraded to county-administered city and became the county seat of Changhua County.^[3]

Geography

Changhua city has plenty of flat lands, however, the flat lands are divided in two portions by the Central Mountain Range of Taiwan. One on the South Eastern area and the other on the North Western area. The North Eastern area, although being flat, is often affected by soil erosion caused by typhoons during the summer, thus is not suitable for living.

The temperature of Changhua city on average is 22.4 °C (72.3 °F), annually, with July being the hottest and January being the coolest. Annual rainfall is 1,723.4 mm (67.85 in), June being the wettest and November being the driest. Rainfall decreases westward closer to the coastline.

Climate

Climate data for Changhua (Dacun) (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1995–present)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	30.3 (86.5)	33.6 (92.5)	33.8 (92.8)	34.1 (93.4)	36.0 (96.8)	36.7 (98.1)	39.2 (102.6)	36.9 (98.4)	37.1 (98.8)	36.1 (97.0)	33.6 (92.5)	31.9 (89.4)	39.2 (102.6)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	21.6 (70.9)	22.3 (72.1)	24.2 (75.6)	27.3 (81.1)	30.0 (86.0)	32.0 (89.6)	33.2 (91.8)	32.5 (90.5)	31.9 (89.4)	29.9 (85.8)	27.2 (81.0)	23.4 (74.1)	28.0 (82.3)
Daily mean °C (°F)	16.4 (61.5)	17.1 (62.8)	19.5 (67.1)	23.0 (73.4)	25.9 (78.6)	27.8 (82.0)	28.9 (84.0)	28.4 (83.1)	27.5 (81.5)	24.8 (76.6)	21.9 (71.4)	18.2 (64.8)	23.3 (73.9)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	12.8 (55.0)	13.5 (56.3)	16.0 (60.8)	19.5 (67.1)	22.6 (72.7)	24.7 (76.5)	25.5 (77.9)	25.4 (77.7)	24.3 (75.7)	21.4 (70.5)	18.3 (64.9)	14.5 (58.1)	19.9 (67.8)
Record low °C (°F)	3.8 (38.8)	5.2 (41.4)	4.0 (39.2)	10.0 (50.0)	15.5 (59.9)	17.8 (64.0)	22.5 (72.5)	22.7 (72.9)	17.2 (63.0)	14.7 (58.5)	8.2 (46.8)	5.1 (41.2)	3.8 (38.8)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	27.8 (1.09)	51.4 (2.02)	62.8 (2.47)	93.8 (3.69)	187.3 (7.37)	260.5 (10.26)	216.9 (8.54)	243.5 (9.59)	104.6 (4.12)	19.9 (0.78)	21.3 (0.84)	27.1 (1.07)	1,316.9 (51.84)
Average precipitation days	4.4	5.4	6.7	7.1	8.6	10.3	8.8	10.2	5.3	2.6	3.0	3.6	76
Average relative humidity (%)	79.0	79.8	80.1	81.5	82.6	82.0	79.8	82.8	80.5	77.8	78.6	77.1	80.1
Mean monthly sunshine hours	171.8	150.2	161.0	161.8	189.5	198.1	228.6	208.7	207.7	215.5	167.1	165.3	2,225.3
Source: Central Weather Administration (precipitation days 1995–2020, sun 1991–2015)^[4]

Government

Changhua contains the Changhua County Government and Changhua County Council.

Administrative divisions

Changhua City is divided into the following villages (in romanized alphabetical order):

Anxi, Ayi, Baobu, Chenggong, Citong, Datong, Dazhu, Fuan, Fugui, Fushan, Futian, Fuxing, Guangfu, Guanghua, Guangnan, Guashan, Guosheng, Guyi, Hediao, Huabei, Huayang, Jiadong, Jianan, Jianbao, Jieshou, Kuaiguan, Longshan, Lunping, Minquan, Minsheng, Nanan, Nanmei, Nanxing, Nanyao, Niupu, Pinghe, Sancun, Shipai, Taifeng, Taoyuan, Tianzhong, Tungfang, Tungxing, Wanan, Wanshou, Wenhua, Wuquan, Xiabu, Xian Xiangshan, Xiangyang, Xingbei, Xinhua, Xinxing, Xinyi, Xishi, Xixing, Yangming, Yanhe, Yanping, Yongfu, Yongsheng, Zhangan, Zhangle, Zhongquan, Zhongshan, Zhongxiao, Zhongyang, Zhongzheng, Zhongzhuang, Zhuanyao, Zhuxiang and Zhuzhong.

Economy

Changhua City is one of the more developed areas of Changhua County, industrialization has been ongoing since the 1970s. This is reflected by an increase of factories in Changhua and decreasing amount of agricultural fields. From a poll in 1992, 43.2% of respondents worked in the service sector, 42.4% in the industrial sector and only 14.4% in either the agricultural or fishing sector.

Education

The earliest school in Changhua dated back to 1726 during the Qing dynasty. The Japanese administration also improved the education system in Changhua City. Changhua City has 15 elementary schools, 7 junior high schools, 7 senior high schools and 2 technical schools/universities.

Universities

High schools

National Changhua Senior High School
Changhua Girls' Senior High School
Changhua Arts High School (CHASH)
National Changhua Senior School of Commerce (CHSC)
The Affiliated Industrial Vocational High School of National Changhua University of Education (SIVS)
Zen Del Senior High School (ZDVS)
Ching Cheng High School (CCH)

Libraries

Changhua City Library

Tourist attractions

1895 Baguashan Anti-Japanese Martyrs' Museum^[7]
Anti-Japanese Martyrs' Monument Park
Baguashan Great Buddha
Baguashan Literature Walk (八卦山文學步道)
Baguashan Silver Bridge (八卦山銀橋)
Changhua Arts Hall
Changhua Confucian Temple
Changhua County Art Museum
Changhua Railway Hospital
Changhua Wude Hall
Changhua Roundhouse
Gu-Yue Folk Museum (古月民俗館)
Huayang Park (華陽公園)
Hsinding Old Street (新町老街)
Kaihua Temple
Lai Ho Memorial Hall
Museum of Traditional Nan Bei Music and Theater
Nanyao Temple
National Changhua Living Art Center
Red Hair Well (紅毛井)
Spring of Youth
Shengwang Temple
Yuanching Temple
Yuan Ching Kaun Tradition Art Museum (元清觀民藝館)

Transportation

Changhua Station is the only Taiwan Railways Administration station in Changhua City.

Freeway 1 connects Changhua City to Taichung City and is one of the primary route for commuters between the two cities. Freeway 3 intersects with Freeway 1 at Changhua and connects to Provincial Highway 74.