World > Asia > Taiwan > Taipei

Taipei is capital city of Taiwan. Founded in 1708, it became an important centre of the tea trade in the mid 19th century. When Taiwan was proclaimed a province of China in 1886, Taipei was later made the capital, retaining that designation under Japanese rule (1895–1945). In 1949 it became the capital of the Chinese Nationalist government. It is the commercial, financial, industrial, and transportation centre of Taiwan. Its many educational institutions include the National Taiwan University (1928). The city's National Palace Museum houses one of the world's largest collections of Chinese artifacts.