The premiere of the new high-definition documentary "Megacities: Taipe", jointly produced by the Government Information Office (GIO) and the National Geographic Channel International (NGCI), was held on the 91st floor of the world's tallest building, Taipei 101. In his speech, Minister Shieh Jhy-wey of the GIO said that Taiwan is a reflection of three features, namely imagination, fascination and combination. As such, Taipei was chosen as a candidate for the "Megacities" series. The GIO is pleased to enter a professional "combination" with the National Geography Channel in bringing out an HD documentary on Taipei. Through National Geographic, the city's characteristics of "imagination" and "fascination" will be spread to audiences worldwide. As Taipei 101 represents the fusion of design concepts of the East and the West and a harmony of adventure and safety, this high-definition program can bring the uniqueness of Taipei and Taiwan to the world, whose audiences can see a more beautiful world from the shoulders of Taipei 101. Minister Shieh pointed out that this documentary will serve the purpose of promoting the development of high-definition TV industry in Taiwan. The public will be given a taste of the TV of the future. In addition, he specially expressed his gratitude to the National Geography Channel production teams as well as for the attendance of many honored guests, including representatives of foreign missions in Taiwan. Bryan Smith, Executive Vice President Production, National Geographic Channels International, stated that he is pleased to see Taipei become the subject of "The Megacities" series' ninth show. It takes viewers to share the city's secrets of being a great metropolis. To do so, The Megacities: Taipei documentary applies an innovative method to record Taipei. With cutting-edge high-definition (HD) and computer animation analysis technologies applied in the production, the audience will be amazed by seeing the inner workings of the megacity known as Taipei. Taipei, officially known as Taipei City (/ˌtaɪˈpeɪ/; Chinese: 臺北市 or 台北市; pinyin: Táiběi Shì; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Tâi-pak Chhī), is the capital of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of Taiwan, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River; it is about 25 km (16 mi) southwest of Keelung, a port city on the Pacific Ocean. It lies in the Taipei Basin, an ancient lakebed bounded by the two relatively narrow valleys of the Keelung and Xindian rivers, which join to form the Tamsui River along the city's western border. The city proper is home to an estimated 2,618,772 people. Taipei, New Taipei, and Keelung together form the Taipei--Keelung metropolitan area with a population of 6,900,273. They are administered under three municipal governing bodies. "Taipei" sometimes refers to the whole metropolitan area, while "Taipei City" refers to the city proper. Taipei City proper is surrounded on all sides by New Taipei. Taipei is the political, economic, and cultural center of Taiwan. Considered to be a global city, Taipei is part of a major industrial area. Railways, high speed rail, highways, airports, and bus lines connect Taipei with all parts of the island. The city is served by two airports -- Taipei Songshan and Taiwan Taoyuan. Taipei was founded in the early 18th century and became an important center for overseas trade in the 19th century. The Qing Dynasty of China made Taipei the provincial capital of Taiwan in 1886. Japan acquired Taiwan in 1895 after the First Sino-Japanese War. Taiwan became a colony of Imperial Japan with Taipei as its capital. Taiwan's Japanese rulers embarked on an extensive program of advanced urban planning that featured extensive railroad links. A number of Taipei landmarks and cultural institutions date from this period. The Republic of China took over the island in 1945 following Japanese surrender. After losing Mainland China to the Chinese Communist Party in the Chinese Civil War, the ruling Kuomintang (KMT) relocated the ROC government to Taiwan and declared Taipei the provisional capital of the Republic of China in December 1949. In 1990 Taipei provided the backdrop for the Wild Lily student rallies that moved Taiwanese society from one-party rule to multi-party democracy. The city is today home to Taiwan's democratically elected national government.

• published: 03 Jan 2014
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