Chilung
Chilung (Keelung, Jilong) is situated on the northeast coast of Taiwan and is the seaport of the capital Taibei, 27 kilometers to the southwest. Chilung is built at a natural harbor sheltered by mountains. The harbor is not located near the mouth of a river, so there is no problem with silting. A fort was built during the Spanish occupation in 1626. Later, the harbor came under Dutch occupation, but the town was not founded until 1723 when Chinese settlers brought it under Chinese jurisdiction. In 1862, Chilung became one of the treaty ports, and during the Japanese occupation of Taiwan (1895–1945), the harbor was enlarged and developed. When the Japanese retreated, the harbor was totally devastated and clogged with more than 150 sunk vessels.
The harbor has been renovated and connected with the city by a highway and railway tunnel, and it is one of the most important deep-water harbors in the region. Chilung has a large modern fleet of fishing boats and a substantial fishing industry. Important industries are shipyards, manufacture of fertilizers and cement, and computer hardware and accessories.
Further Reading
Hsieh, Chiao-min. (1964) Taiwan-ilha Formosa: A Geography in Perspective. London: Butterworths.
Zhang, Chantal. Les Européens aux portes de la Chine: L'Exemple de Formose au XIXe siècle. Aix-en-Provence, France: Publications de l'Université de Provence.
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