Pingtung County

Pingtung County 屏東縣
County
Flag Seal
Pingtung County in Taiwan
Coordinates: 22°40′31.78″N 120°29′29.09″E / 22.6754944°N 120.4914139°E / 22.6754944; 120.4914139Coordinates: 22°40′31.78″N 120°29′29.09″E / 22.6754944°N 120.4914139°E / 22.6754944; 120.4914139
Country	Taiwan
Region	Southern Taiwan
Seat	Pingtung City
Largest city	Pingtung City
Boroughs	1 cities, 32 (3 urban, 29 rural) townships
Government
• County Magistrate	Pan Men-an (DPP)
Area
• Total	2,775.6003 km2 (1,071.6653 sq mi)
Area rank	5 of 22
Population (2016)[1]
• Total	839,001
• Rank	10 of 22
• Density	300/km2 (780/sq mi)
Time zone	National Standard Time (UTC+8)
Website	www.pthg.gov.tw
Symbols
Flower	Hairy Bougainvillea (Bougainvillea brasiliensis)
Tree	Coconut tree

Pingtung County (Chinese: 屏東縣; pinyin: Píngdōng Xiàn) is a county in Southern Taiwan known for its agriculture and tourism. In recent years, it promotes specialties such as tuna and wax apples. Pingtung is where Kenting National Park, the oldest and the largest national park in Taiwan established in 1984, is located. The capital of the county is Pingtung City.

Name

The name Pingtung refers to a former nearby mountain known as Half-Screen Mountain (Chinese: 半屏山; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Pòaⁿ-pêng-soaⁿ). Pingtung means "East of Half-Screen Mountain."

History

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). Pingtung County is a recently developed county. Its largest city is Pingtung City.

Until the seventeenth century this area of Taiwan was a place of exile for Chinese criminals and occasional landing point for international mariners. Only the settlements near present-day Checheng Township existed. In 1664 Han Chinese, Cantonese and 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), was the home of Taiwanese Plains Aborigines. In their language, "A-kau" means "the forest".

The first settlements by Han Chinese people were not established until 1684 with the creation of villages near Pingtung by people from China's southern Fujian region. By 1734 most of the Pingtung Plain was cultivated and in 1764 Pingtung was expanded. In 1836 the government and locals worked together to build the four walls of the city (the North gate, the East gate, the West gate and the South gate), and the roads were also properly finished.

Empire of Japan

Under Japanese rule (1895–1945), Hōzan Subprefecture (Japanese: 鳳山支廳) was initially under Tainan Ken (臺南縣), but political divisions changed frequently between 1895 and 1901. In 1901, Akō Chō (阿猴廳) was established. In 1909, the name was modified to Akō Chō (阿緱廳). In 1920, the name was changed to Heitō City (屏東市) and was administered under Takao Prefecture, which consisted of modern-day Pingtung County and Kaohsiung.

Republic of China

After the handover of Taiwan from Japan to the Republic of China on 25 October 1945, the area of present-day Pingtung County was incorporated to 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-controlled city and county seat of Pingtung County.

Pingtung was the site of an 7.1 magnitude earthquake on 26 December 2006. In 2009, Pingtung received rainfall in excess of 2,500 millimetres (98 in); breaking all rainfall records of any single place in Taiwan induced by a single typhoon.

Geography

With a land area of over 2775 km², Pingtung is the 5th largest county in Taiwan, the 2nd 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.

Climate

Due to being located at the southernmost part of Taiwan, Pingtung County is well known of having one of the warmest climate within the country. The whole county experiences a tropical wet and dry climate, but due to being such a large county with various geographical differences, climate differs in different areas of the county. Northern Pingtung, such as the Pingtung City, is characterized by having a high daytime temperature year round, averaging from 30-34 degrees Celsius during the warmer season of April–November to 25-28 degrees Celsius during the cooler season of December–March, while also having the lowest nighttime temperatures within the county with temperatures usually dropping below 16 degrees Celsius at night in January due to being located further away from the sea than any other flatland settlements within the county. Central Pingtung, such as the Fangliao Township, compared to northern Pingtung, has a relatively lower daytime temperature but has warmer nights due to the temperating affect of the ocean especially noticeable during winter. The southern tip of Pingtung, the Hengchun Peninsula, has the mildest climate within the county due to being nearly completely surrounded by the Pacific Ocean with the exception of the mountains on the north. Daily highs during the warmer season reach around 29-32 while daily highs during the cooler season vary around 23-26 degrees C, but, on the other hand, night time temperatures remain warm throughout the year from around 25 degrees Celsius during summer to around 19 degrees Celsius during the winter.

Government

Pingtung County Government

Pingtung City, the county seat of Pingtung County

Taiwan Pingtung District Court

Typical railroad scenery of Pingtung

Pan Men-an, the incumbent Magistrate of Pingtung County

Administrative divisions

Pingtung County is divided into 1 city, 3 urban townships, 21 rural townships and 8 mountain indigenous townships. Pingtung County has the most number of rural townships and mountain indigenous townships among other counties in Taiwan. Pingtung City is the county seat of Pingtung County which houses the Pingtung County Government and Pingtung County Council. The county is headed by Magistrate Pan Men-an of the Democratic Progressive Party.

Politics

Pingtung County voted three Democratic Progressive Party legislators out of three seats to be in the Legislative Yuan during the 2016 Republic of China legislative election.^[4][5][6]

Demographics

Pingtung is home to aboriginal culture of Rukai and Paiwan tribes, which makes up 10% of all aborigines in Taiwan.^[7] There are also the Hoklo people which live in the coastal area and the northern plain. They are highly influenced by Fujian culture.^[8] As of December 2015, the total population of Pingtung County amounted 841,253 residents. The county has been experiencing population decline for 14 consecutive years due to emigration to other cities.^[9]

Religion

As of 2015, Pingtung County has the third most number of registered temples at 1,101 after Tainan and Kaohsiung.

Economy

The economy of Pingtung County has been traditionally dominated by agriculture and fishery industries. However, the Pingtung County Government has been greatly promoting the tourism sector of the county in recent years.^[8] Currently, tourism sector in the county contributes to 30% of the tourism industry in Taiwan.^[10]

In February 2014, the county government announced a plan to develop an industrial center which consists of a service center, workshop and performance venue. This was aimed to promote the development of industries that leverage the unique cultural attributes of the Linali tribe.^[11] 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.^[12]

Education

National Pingtung University

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
• Tzu Hui Institute of Technology

High schools

• National Pingtung Senior High School
• National Pingtung Girl's Senior High School
• Pingtung Prefectural DaTong High School
• National Chao-Chou Senior High School

Energy

Maanshan Nuclear Power Plant

Pingtung County houses Taiwan's third nuclear power plant, the Maanshan Nuclear Power Plant. The power plant is located in Hengchun Township and is Taiwan's second largest nuclear power plant in terms of its capacity at 2 X 890 MW.

Tourist attractions

Chuanfan Rock of Kenting National Park

Transportation

Air

Pingtung Airport

The county is served by two domestic airports, the Pingtung Airport in Pingtung City and the Hengchun Airport in Hengchun Township.

Rail

Pingtung Station

The Pingtung Line and South-Link Line of the Taiwan Railways Administration lines cross Pingtung County, consist of 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.

Relative location

		Kaohsiung City
	Fujian  China / Taiwan Strait (South China Sea)		Taitung County
		Pingtung County
	Guangdong  China / South China Sea	Bashi Channel Batanes  Philippines

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Pingtung County.

• County (Taiwan)
• List of magistrates of Pingtung County
• Hengchun Township
• Southern Taiwan
• Pingtung City

Notes

External links

• Pingtung County Government
• i-Pingtung - Tourist Service

Administrative divisions of Taiwan
Special municipalities (6)	Kaohsiung New Taipei Taichung Tainan Taipei Taoyuan
Provincial cities (3)	Chiayi Hsinchu Keelung
Counties (13)	Changhua Chiayi Hsinchu Hualien Kinmen Lienchiang Miaoli Nantou Penghu Pingtung Taitung Yilan Yunlin
Free area of the Republic of China Streamlined Provinces Taiwan Fujian List of administrative divisions of Taiwan

Cities and townships of Pingtung County
County seat: Pingtung
Cities	Pingtung
Urban townships	Chaozhou Donggang Hengchun
Rural townships	Changzhi Checheng Fangliao Fangshan Gaoshu Jiadong Jiuru Kanding Ligang Linbian Linluo Liuqiu Manzhou Nanzhou Neipu Wandan Wanluan Xinpi Xinyuan Yanpu Zhutian
Mountain indigenous townships	Chunri Laiyi Majia Mudan Sandimen Shizi Taiwu Wutai