Banqiao District

History

In the early 20th century, Pankyo (Pankyu) was a walled city and said to be owned by a "very wealthy Chinaman" who had lived there "in feudal style", surrounded by armed retainers.

Empire of Japan

From 1920 to 1945, during Japanese rule, the area was administrated as Itahashi Town (板橋街), Kaizan District, Taihoku Prefecture.

Republic of China

Banqiao originated from an urban township which was then upgraded to a county-controlled city as Panchiao City of Taipei County on 1 July 1972. The city was upgraded to a district as Banqiao District on 25 December 2010.

Geography

Banqiao is located in western part of the Taipei Basin of northern Taiwan, in the subtropical climate zone. Banqiao is surrounded by Taipei to the east, Sanchong to the north, Xinzhuang to the northwest, Shulin to the southwest, Tucheng to the south, and Zhonghe to the southeast. Banqiao is also bordered by two rivers, Xindian River to the northeast and Dahan River to the northwest.

Name origin

The city's old name was Pang-kio (Chinese: 枋橋; pinyin: Fāngqiáo; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Pang-kiô; literally: "timbered bridge"), which dates back to the Qing Dynasty during the reign of the Qianlong Emperor (1735 - 1796 AD). A wooden bridge, locally called Pang-kio-thau (枋橋頭), was built for pedestrians to cross a brook located in the west of today's Banqiao. The spellings Pankyu, Pankio, and Pankyo can be found in English-language works of the early 20th century.

In 1920, the Japanese government modified the name to Itahashi (板橋, "planked bridge"). The same characters are still used today, but are read Bǎnqiáo in Mandarin. However, in Taiwanese Hokkien, the old name Pang-kiô is still the norm.

Economy

Agriculture sector thrived in Banqiao in the 1950s. In the 1960s, manufacturing sector started to appear in the region and in the 1970s industries and commerce have developed. In the 1980-1990s, finance and commercial grew in the area.

Education

Banqiao is home to several universities, including the National Taiwan University of Arts. The National Banqiao High School is considered one of the top high schools in New Taipei City.

Colleges

High schools

Tourist attractions

Sports facilities

Due to its position as the government seat of New Taipei, Banqiao has several sports facilities (including Banqiao Stadium), and the annual New Taipei City sports game is hosted in the city. However, Banqiao lacks major baseball facilities, forcing its baseball fans to go to Taipei City or Xinzhuang District to watch baseball games.

Transportation

Banqiao is well served by multiple public transportation services. Bus lines connect Banqiao with downtown Taipei and nearby cities. Five metro stations are located in Banqiao: four along the Banqiao Line and one on the Tucheng Line. High-speed rail bullet trains and conventional rail TRA trains are served by Banqiao Station. All rails through Banqiao have been located underground since 1997. The future Metro Circular Line will also run through the district.

By road, the district is served by Provincial Highway No. 3 and Provincial Highway No. 64.

Sister cities

Notable residents

Notable natives