Banqiao District
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| Banqiao City | |||||||||||||
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| Traditional Chinese | 板橋市 | ||||||||||||
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Banqiao City
板橋市 | |
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| Country |  Republic of China |
| County | Taipei County |
| Established | 1846 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Hui Chen Chiang (江惠貞) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 23.42 km2 (9.04 sq mi) |
| Population (2006) | |
| • Total | 543,342 |
| • Density | 23,199.9/km2 (60,087/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+8 (CST) |
| ZIP code | 220 |
| Area code | 02 |
| Website | www.banciao.gov.tw |
Banqiao City is the county seat of Taipei County in northern Taiwan (ROC). It is the most populous county-controlled city in Taiwan. In 2009 the entire county is due to become a city in its own right: a special municipality called New Taipei.[1]
Geography
Banqiao is located in western part of the Taipei Basin of northern Taiwan, in the subtropical climate zone.
Banqiao is surrounded by several cities and towns: Taipei to the east, Sanchong to the north, Xinzhuang to the northwest, Shulin to the southwest, Tucheng to the south, and Zhonghe to the southeast. Banqiao is also bordered by two rivers, Xindian River (新店溪) to the northeast and Dahan River (大漢溪) to the northwest.
Name origin
The city's old name was 枋橋 (py: Fāng-qiáo), pronounced Pang-kiô in Taiwanese, and means "bridge made of wooden planks". The name's origin goes back to the Qing Dynasty during the reign of the Qianlong Emperor (1735 - 1796 AD). A wooden bridge was built for pedestrians to cross a brook located in the west of today's Banqiao. Eventually, this place acquired the name Pang-kiô (枋橋). In 1920, the Japanese government changed the name to 板橋 (py: Bǎnqiáo, tw: Pán-kiô), which has remained unchanged to this day. In Taiwanese, the name continues to be pronounced Pang-kiô.
Education
Banqiao is home to several universities, including the National Taiwan University of Arts. The National Banqiao Senior High School is considered one of the top high schools in the Taipei County[citation needed].
Colleges
- National Taiwan University of Arts (國立臺灣藝術大學)
- Oriental Institute of Technology (亞東技術學院)
- Chihlee Institute of Technology (致理技術學院)
High schools
- National Banqiao Senior High School (國立板橋高級中學)
- National Haishan Senior High School (國立海山高級中學)
- National Overseas Chinese Senior High School(國立華僑高級中學)
- Kwan Jen High School (光仁中學)
Tourism
The Lin Family Mansion and Garden (林本源園邸) is one of the best examples of Qing era Chinese architecture in Taiwan. It was originally built in the late 1800s.
Sports facilities
Due to its position as the county seat of Taipei County, Banqiao has several sports facilities, and the annual Taipei County sports game is hosted in the city. However, Banqiao lacks major baseball facilities, forcing its baseball fans to go to Taipei or Xinzhuang to watch baseball games.
Transportation
Banqiao is well served by multiple public transportation services. A couple of dozen bus lines[citation needed] connect Banqiao with downtown Taipei and nearby cities. Five MRT stations are located in Banqiao: four along the Banqiao Line and one on the Tucheng Line. Taiwan High Speed Rail bullet trains and older Taiwan Railway Administration trains are served by Banqiao Station. All rails through Banqiao have been located underground since 1997.
Sister cities
Notable residents
- Scott Chang - CEO of Lastertech
- Chung-Cheng Hsiao, M.D. - Superintendent of Hsiao Chung-Cheng Hospital 蕭中正醫院
- The members of Lin Family of Banqiao (板橋林家).