Located centrally on the west coast of the island, Taichung literally means “middle of Taiwan” and this name still applies as the city develops as an important economic and transportation hub.
The city is the transport centre connecting north and south Taiwan, as well as linking Taiwan with mainland China as the key base for cross-Strait travel.
Excellent road and rail links in and out of the Taichung between the two major cities of Taipei to the north and Kaohsiung to the south have led the city to grow quickly over the past 30 years.
The construction of highways and high-speed railways between the cities has allowed Taichung to become a seat for international trade, supporting import and export in Taiwan.
With the second largest port in Taiwan, Taichung handles almost five million tonnes of cargo every month and receives ships from all over the world.
In addition to this, Taichung’s new international airport welcomes thousands of visitors to Taiwan each year.
Taichung is so well located because it is positioned in the centre of the Taiwan Strait: a vital shipping route for trade between the Middle East, Malaysia, Japan and Korea.
The harbour at Taichung also provides the shortest shipping route between Taiwan and the south-eastern coast of China now that trade has opened up across the Strait.
The increasing cross-Strait activity from Taichung has stimulated economic development in the city, as international banks, hotels and shops have begun springing up, catering for, and attracting, new residents.
With its growing port and international airport, Taichung is becoming a major entry point for cross-Strait transportation as business travellers and tourists may now travel directly into Taiwan from China.
Visitors arriving in this central city can transfer to the larger cities to the north or south of Taiwan via the strong ground-transport links radiating from Taichung.
For business between China and Taiwan, Taichung is becoming a vital starting point both physically and economically in cross-Strait relations.