Taipei City Map Poster

About Taipei

Taipei is also a common alternate Chinese romanization referring to the Republic of China (ROC). The spelling "Taipei" derives from the Wade–Giles romanization "T'ai-pei", which is pronounced in Standard Mandarin. The pronunciation of the name was recorded as early as 1629, although this pronunciation was given in English and other foreign languages even before then. In Taiwan, Tongyong Pinyin (), which sounds almost identical to the original name's recording by non-Mandarin speakers, has become more popular for use in international contexts; however it remains one of several alternative Romanizations recognized by Taiwanese authorities. Taipei officially adopted Tongyong Pinyin as its official Romanization system on 1 January 2009 but continues to allow local governments and enterprises to use their own preferred spellings at their discretion within public documents such as street signs or business names printed on company logos etc., due mainly because those unofficial spellings are well established among locals for decades prior.