| 1882 Perron map KEELUNG / CHI-LUNG, TAIWAN, #107 |
Nice map titled Keloung, from wood engraving with fine detail and clear impression, approx. size with margins is 21 x 16 cm. From La Nouvelle Géographie universelle, la terre et les hommes, 19 vol. (1875-94), great work of Elisee Reclus. Cartographer is Charles Perron.
Chi-lung
conventional Keelung
shih (municipality), northern Taiwan, and the principal port of Taipei, 16 miles
(26 km) southwest. Chi-lung first became known by that name, said to have been a
corruption of Ketangalan, the name of a tribe of aboriginal peoples who lived in
the district, in the 17th century. The location was occupied in 1626 by the
Spanish, who built a fort on the island of Ho-p'ing at the mouth of the harbour,
and then in 1642 was occupied by the Dutch, who again occupied it from 1664 to
1668. After the incorporation of Taiwan as part of the Chinese sheng (province)
of Fukien in 1638, the settlement of northern Taiwan began in earnest. Most of
the immigrants to the area around Chi-lung were from Chang-chou in southern
Fukien. The settlement of Chi-lung itself began in 1723, and a small township
grew up in the late 18th century. In 1800 a road was opened up to I-lan, on the
east coast to the south, and by 1840 Chi-lung had grown into a small port with
about 700 households. In the mid-19th century, foreign ships began to call
there. Chi-lung has an excellent natural harbour, surrounded by mountains and
free of silt. Coal, moreover, was discovered in the vicinity. In 1860 Chi-lung
was opened to foreign trade as a treaty port, and its trade began to expand
rapidly. In 1875 it became a subordinate division of the prefectural
administration at Taipei. The Ch'ing dynasty (1644–1911) government made some
attempt to fortify the port, but the fortifications were never completed. In
1883–85, during the Sino-French War, the port was occupied by French troops.
Later, a reformist governor of Taiwan, Liu Ming-chuan, refortified the port and
further developed the coal-mining industry. It was, however, during the Japanese
occupation (1895–1945) that Chi-lung grew into a large, modern city. Its growth
was helped by the fact that the administration of Taiwan, formerly centred in
T'ai-nan, had been transferred to Taipei in 1891. At the same time, Tan-shui,
Taipei's traditional port, had fallen into decline when its harbour had silted
up. The completion of the railway system based on Chi-lung ensured the latter's
dominance.
The Japanese expanded the area of the city, partly by filling in portions of the
bay. It became a commercial centre, and, in the later stages of the Japanese
occupation, some industry was established there. With ample coal reserves and
several hydroelectric facilities nearby, Chi-lung since 1945 has continued to
prosper under the Chinese Nationalist regime. It has developed fertilizer and
cement industries, several shipbuilding yards, and some small engineering works.
As an international port its role has changed considerably. Whereas under the
Japanese it was essentially an exporting port, sending raw materials for
processing to Japan, it is now primarily an importing centre for Taipei. It is
connected with the rest of Taiwan by railway and by the Sun Yat-sen Memorial
Freeway, which opened in 1978. Chi-lung is also a large fishing port, equipped
with fish-freezing and canning plants, and has the Taiwan Provincial College of
Marine and Oceanic Technology. Area 51 square miles (133 square km). Pop. (2008
est.) 390,397.