Chiayi City

Chiayi City (嘉義市) is the third largest settlement in southern Taiwan after Kaohsiung and Tainan. Originally a Hoanya Indigenous settlement, it developed into a Han Chinese town during the Qing dynasty era. Under Japanese rule it became a prosperous hub for the timber industry, with the Alishan Forest Railway terminating at the main station since 1912.

Although most of downtown Chiayi was firebombed to oblivion late into World War 2, the city manages to preserve many relics of its colonial past, including the Shinto Shrine in Chiayi Park and the wooden Beimen Railway Station. During the golden age of Taiwanese cinema the city supported two dozen theaters, many of which stood until recently in West District. Administratively the city is divided between West District and East District (東區).