關於台北

「台北」在地形上是大河孕育而成的盆地平原，早在七千年前就有人類生活足跡，今日台北已成為台灣行政中心，但成為「城市」的歷史卻非常晚近。不過，城市內部持續有不同文化來到此處交流、積累，創造出層層疊疊的文化資源。台北之所以獨特，正是此因。
“Taipei” sits on basin plain formed by two large rivers. Although there has been evidence of human habitation as early as 7,000 years ago, but it was until very recent that Taipei became a city. Taipei City is the capital city of Taiwan, and through the years have attracted people from different origin to come together, creating layers of cultural resources which makes it very unique.

目前已知台灣被在地圖上被標示是在十七世紀，航行於亞洲太平洋地區的歐洲各國記錄下了當時的台灣。這段時期台灣北部的基隆、淡水，先是由西班牙人進駐，後被殖民台灣南部的荷蘭人北上佔據。但台北盆地的原住民大多維持著傳統漁獵、農耕的生活模式。
Taiwan first appeared on maps in 17^th century when Europeans saled in the Far East. Keelung and Tamsui, ports in Northern Taiwan, were first stationed by Spaniards, later colonized by the Dutch. During this time, Taipei basin habitants remain living by hunting and fishing.

十七世紀末，清代統治台灣，越來越多中國沿岸住民陸續來到台灣，主要集中在台灣南部。台北盆地多處低窪。奉命至台北北投開採硫磺的文人郁永河，從關渡沿淡水河溯流而上時紀錄: 「水忽廣，漶為大湖，渺無涯矣。」因此，今日許多研究者認為十七世紀的台北曾經是一座大湖。
By the end of 17th century, the Qing Dynasty claimed Taiwan, more and more Chinese coastal residents moved to Taiwan. Taipei, due to its low-lying, was rather unsuitable for living. Yu Yonghe, a scholar who was ordered to go to Taipei Beitou to mine sulfur, recorded his observation when he sailed up the Tamsui River from Guandu: “The water suddenly widened and became a large lake, with no end in sight.” Many researchers today therefore believe that Taipei basin was once a large lake.

直到十八世紀起，有漢人移民向清朝政府申請進入台北盆地及近山地區開墾移居，淡水河流域中逐一出現農業聚落。又隨米糧產量日多，加上近山木材、靛青等物資開發及後續產生的經濟作物需求，新莊、艋舺、大稻埕等地乃至中上游大溪、三峽、鶯歌等河港市街陸續誕生，建立起島內外貿易網絡。每一個河港聚落都有自己的發展歷史及時間，但都脫不開與淡水河系之間的交通網絡。
It was not until the 18th century that Chinese immigrants requested to enter the Taipei Basin and nearby mountainous areas for reclamation and migration, and agricultural settlements appeared one after another by the Tamsui River. And with the increasing produce of rice and grain, coupled with the demand for wood and indigo, settlements Xinzhuang, Manga, Dadaocheng, as well as river ports such as Daxi, Sanxia, and Yingge, establishing a trade network in and out the island. Each river port settlement has its own development history and time, but they are inseparable from the transportation of Tamsui River.

因淡水及沿岸開港，越來越多洋商匯聚進入台北盆地建立商貿據點，進而促成在台北盆地內建立起更高等級的行政機構，與更早發展的臺南「南北分治」。又因戰爭影響及主政官員主導下，台北城進一步成為全台灣的行政中心，政府投注大量資源，盆地內出現台灣最早的鐵路、工業產業等建設。
As trading flourished, many local and foreign merchants have made Taipei their business center, which attracted the Qing to set up Taipei walled-city to demonstrate its sovereignty and increase its control over this treasurable place. With adequate funding, Taipei became Taiwan’s administrative center, a lot of resources was invested, Taiwan’s first railway landed in Taipei, and the earliest industries rooted in Taipei.

1895年日本政府成為台灣島的主人。殖民政府繼續在清代台北城所在地建立政治中心。逐步引入都市規劃，重新建構自來水及下水道系統、道路、鐵路系統及定下明確的建築興建規則，台北在1930年代已經發展成為不輸給各國的進步城市。

同時，沿著鐵路系統逐一建立起工業廠房。1930年代在前一階段的工業基礎上，原有廠房擴大(如台北酒廠、建國啤酒廠等)，或往松山新建更大量體的廠房(如台北機廠、松山菸廠等)。二次大戰後隨日資工廠均納入政府統一管理，今日得以保存工業遺產並逐步成為台北重要的文化基地東西廊帶。
In 1895, Japanese took rule of Taiwan. The colonial government continued to establish its political center on the site of the old Taipei walled-city, urban planning was gradually introduced, re-structured the water, sewer, and road system; continued on to construct railway throughout the island, and even introduced building codes. In the 1930s, Taipei had developed into a progressive city that was not inferior to any others.
At the same time, factories emerged one after another along the railways in Taipei. By 1930s, many factories had an upgrade expansion based on their initial structure, expansion examples include the Taipei Winery and Taipei Beer Brewery, relocation and expansion examples include Taipei Railway Workshop and Songshan Tobacco Factory. After World War II, Japanese-funded factories were brought under the unified management of the new government. Today, a few industrial heritages are preserved and they gradually linked up to become the important cultural bases in Taipei.

結束了日本統治後，台北迎來了中華民國政府及來自中國各地的大量移民，盆地各地出現不同的聚落型態但隨1970-1980年都市化高度發展下卻又逐一消失。保存至今的聚落群，成為台北獨特的風景。台北城南聚落群─寶藏巖聚落、蟾蜍山聚落就是當中的代表。
After WWII, Republic of China government came to Taiwan along with a lot of immigrants. Different settlement that were scattered in Taipei Basin had nearly all disappeared due to the rapid urbanization in the 1970s to 1980s. A few riverside settlements remained and have transformed, Baozangyan settlement and Toad Mountain settlement are two examples.

不同文化資源匯聚而成的台北，也有著全台灣最多的文化資產數量。反映出開發與文化保存之間持續拉扯，培養出許多關心文化保存的市民大眾與公民團體。文化保存下的各種樣貌與底蘊、文化資源跨域整合呈現出的創意，居民尋求共識的凝聚努力，透過不同機制的努力等等，都是能在台北見到的都市風景。
Taipei is abundant in cultural resources, and also has the largest number of cultural assets. The heritage in Taipei constantly faces the battle between development and conservation, but over the years more and more citizens and civic groups have voiced their care and love for cultural preservation.
The various methods negotiated for cultural preservation, the creativity presented by the cross-domain integration of cultural resources, the cohesive efforts of residents to seek consensus, and the efforts through different mechanisms are all ingeniously incorporated in today’s Taipei, together wishing to make a better city, better home.