Get to know Chiayi City
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- Administrative area
- County / city · 縣市
- Part of
- Taiwan
- Chinese name
- 嘉義市
- Local areas
- 2 local areas
Area & population
- Area in the source
- 60.03 km²
- Administrative seat
- East District
Source: cited geographic source, as of the dates shown.
The Hoanya people inhabited present-day Chiayi under its historical name of Tirosen prior to the arrival of Han Chinese in Taiwan and was ruled by the Dutch and the Kingdom of Tungning under various names. During the Qing dynasty, Tirosen was governed as part of Taiwan Prefecture in Fujian under Zhuluo County and the city was renamed Kagee in 1787. The city adopted the Japanese reading Kagi during the Japanese era. Soon afterwards an earthquake in 1906 destroyed much of the town. Kagi was administered as part of Tainan Prefecture from 1920 onwards. Following the surrender of Japan in 1945, the Republic of China, who deposed the Qing in 1911, took control of the city (which from then on was rendered as Chiayi City, following the Chinese pronunciation) and administered it as a provincial city of Taiwan Province before being integrated into Chiayi County in 1950 as a county-administered city. The city was restored to its status as a provincial city in 1982. In 1998, Taiwan Province was streamlined and Chiayi City has been governed directly since then by the Executive Yuan.
Tourist attractions
Alishan Forest Railway & Railway Park Art Site of Chiayi Railway Warehouse Chia-Le-Fu Night Market Chiayi Art Museum Chiayi Botanical Garden Chiayi Cheng Huang Temple Chiayi City Municipal Baseball Stadium Chiayi Cultural and Creative Industries Park Chiayi Jen Wu Temple Chiayi Municipal Museum Chiayi Park Chiayi Confucian Temple Kagi Shrine Sun-Shooting Tower Chiayi Prison Museum Hinoki Village Lantan Lake Museum of Old Taiwan Tiles St. John's Cathedral Taiwan Hinoki Museum Water Source Water Meter Room Wenhua Road Night Market Historic Archives Building of Chiayi City (史蹟資料館) 228 Memorial Park National 228 Memorial Park Chung Cheng Park
Chiayi is the city of wind music in Taiwan. The wind music festival started as a local event in 1988, when it was more like a joint performance by local wind music bands. Over the years the festival has become the most anticipated annual event in Chiayi.
Explore Chiayi City
Core places to explore, with English and Chinese names.
Places to explore around Chiayi City
Wooden building at Hinoki Village in Chiayi City · 嘉义市桧意森活村木造建筑 Source-recorded photograph date: 2026-07-01 12:08:30.Hinoki Village桧意森活村
Hinoki Village preserves former forestry residences near Beimen in Chiayi City.
Read the place guide →Turntable at Alishan Forest Railway Garage Park in Chiayi City · 嘉义市阿里山森林铁路车库园区转车台 Source-recorded photograph date: 2017-11-03 14:55:56.Alishan Forest Railway Garage Park阿里山森林铁路车库园区
The Alishan Forest Railway Garage Park in Chiayi City occupies the historic Beimen repair-workshop area.
Read the place guide →Local life & food
Chiayi City local specialties
嘉義市特色美食 · 10 specialties to discover
Chiayi Chicken Rice 嘉义鸡肉饭
Chiayi Chicken Rice (嘉义鸡肉饭) is associated with turkey served over white rice. In the traditional Chiayi (嘉義) preparation, poultry juices and lard dress the rice, with fried shallots adding aroma and a slice of pickled yellow radish alongside.
Read the dish guide →
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Fish Head Casserole 砂锅鱼头
Fish Head Casserole (砂锅鱼头) is a clay-pot stew of fried bighead carp in a pork-bone and shacha broth, and a well-known dish of Chiayi City (嘉义市).
Read the dish guide →Photo adjustments
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Chiayi turkey rice 嘉義火雞肉飯AI illustration · AI 示意图
The rice carries aromatic meat juices, while turkey gives a leaner, fibrous bite than braised pork. Small amounts of fat and sauce provide much of the richness.
Source ↗Read the dish guide →
Square Flaky Biscuits 方块酥AI illustration · AI 示意图（仅供参考，非实拍）
Square Flaky Biscuits (方块酥) are layered biscuits associated with Chiayi City (嘉義市). Flour, butter or lard, sesame and sugar form the local snack, which originated on Min Guo Road (民國路), near a military dependants' village.
Source ↗Read the dish guide →
Cold Noodles with Mayonnaise 凉面加美乃滋
Cold Noodles with Mayonnaise (凉面加美乃滋) is the Chiayi City (嘉义市) way of serving cold noodles: wide, flat noodles dressed with sesame paste and mayonnaise, which people in Chiayi call "white vinegar" (白醋).
Read the dish guide →
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Flat Rice Noodle Soup 粿仔汤
Flat Rice Noodle Soup (粿仔汤) is listed among the local specialties of Chiayi City, Taiwan. The term 汤 points to soup.
Read the dish guide →Photo adjustments
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Tofu Pudding in Soy Milk 豆浆豆花AI illustration · AI 示意图（仅供参考，非实拍）
Tofu Pudding in Soy Milk (豆浆豆花) appears in the local food directory for Taiwan. The Chinese introduction below explains the named food and its preparation in the linked culinary reference.
Source ↗Read the dish guide →
Luoshan Sauced Sticky Rice 罗山米糕Reference photo of a similar dish · 同类菜品参考照片
Luoshan Sauced Sticky Rice (罗山米糕) is listed among the local specialties of Chiayi City, Taiwan. The term 糕 points to cakes.
Read the dish guide →
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All dish names · 全部菜名 (10)
More dishes from across Taiwan are in the Taiwan food guide.
Townships, districts & local cities in Chiayi City
2 areas belong directly to Chiayi City.
2 areas
East District 東區
East District is a district in east Chiayi City, Taiwan. The district is the city seat of Chiayi City.
Explore the area →DistrictWest District 西區
West District is a district in west Chiayi City, Taiwan.
Explore the area →No areas match this name.
Plan your visit
Getting there
Search for 嘉義市 in a map app to find stations and your accommodation.
Where to stay →Build your route
Hinoki Village and Alishan Forest Railway Garage Park are both listed here. The linked place guides have entrance and visit details.
Continue with Taiwan →More in Taiwan
Sources & geographic information
Administrative names and parent areas: Official geographic directory · Reference date 2026-09-06.
Background text adapted from Chiayi — Wikipedia contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0. Text has been shortened and reorganized; source revision 1367804735.
Photo: Hinoki Village · Jonashtand · CC BY-SA 4.0. Full-frame source proportionally resized and converted to WebP for display. No subject alteration. Source-supplied marks and edits remain; cards may crop the view.
Photo: Alishan Forest Railway Garage Park · ddio · CC BY-SA 2.0. Full-frame source proportionally resized and converted to WebP for display. No subject alteration. Source-supplied marks and edits remain; cards may crop the view.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Pins mark approximate centres, not entrances or boundaries.