Chunghwa Post
Encyclopedia
The Chunghwa Post Co., Ltd. , formerly Taiwan Post Co. (台灣郵政), is the official postal service of the Republic of China
(ROC), providing mail service for Taiwan Area of the Republic of China. It also provides a savings account
service. Chunghwa Post was a government organization of Ministry of Transportation and Communications
until 2003, when it was reorganized into a government-owned corporation
.
Its affiliation with the Universal Postal Union
began in 1914, but ended in 1972 when it was replaced by the China Post
shortly after China's seat in the United Nations
was handed over to the People's Republic of China
. Because of its non-UPU affiliation, domestic mail envelope and package labeling does not follow UPU standards.
International Reply Coupon
s are not available to Taiwan Area, and mail is not delivered to or sent directly from Taiwan Area, but rather routed through third-party countries, with Japan Post
as a major route facility for incoming mail sent from the Americas region.
, parcels, and express mail through Taiwan Area. There are twenty-three large offices through the country which supervises some 1,300 smaller post offices.
at the suggestion of the foreign powers, with branch offices in five major trading cities. On 20 March 1896, the Customs Post Office became the Great Qing Post, which in 1911 became independent of the customs service.
On 1 January 1912, the Republic of China
was established, replacing the Qing Dynasty
. The Great Qing Post changed its name to the Chunghwa Post. "Chunghwa" is a transliteration of one of the names of China, which connotes the cultural
or ethnic nation
of "China". Alternatively spelled "Zhonghua" (in pinyin
transliteration), this term is part of the Chinese language
name of both the Republic of China
and the People's Republic of China
.
, Qing
Governor of Taiwan Province
, established the Taiwan General Post Office
of the Great Qing Postal service. However, in 1895, Taiwan was ceded by Qing Dynasty to Japan
following the first Sino-Japanese war
. The Taiwan GPO was abolished, with postal service in Taiwan conducted by a variety of bodies such as the Field Command postal service, and after 1924, the Letters Department of the Ministry of Transport.
Taiwan was taken over
by the Republic of China
in 1945. In 1946, the Republic of China government incorporated the postal service in Taiwan into Chunghwa Post. In 1949, the Republic of China
lost control of much of mainland China
to the People's Republic of China
. The operation of Chunghwa Post was soon after restricted to Taiwan, several surrounding islands, and a few islands off the coast of mainland China
still under the control of the Republic of China
government. In 2003, Chunghwa Post changed its structure from a government department to a government-owned corporation
.
In February 2007, ROC President Chen Shui-bian
announced that the name of the postal service would be officially changed to Taiwan Post, with sign changes occurring at branches in Taiwan on February 12. Media reports noted that "Taiwan Post" was more consistent with the name Governor Liu Ming-chuan used when he founded the Taiwan Post Administration in 1888. Furthermore, Taiwan Post began printing "Taiwan" instead of "Republic of China" on postage stamps.
On February 9, the board of directors resolved to change the name of the corporation to Taiwan Post Co. (台灣郵政) after a delay of several hours due to protests from unions. However, a bill to recognise the change of law was blocked by the KMT-dominated legislature. As a result, the law still mandated the postal monopoly for "Chunghwa Post" despite the name change.
In 2008, the Kuomintang
took power in Taiwan following a legislative election victory and the election of Ma Ying-jeou
to the presidency. Following his election, Ma Ying-jeou
publicly stated that he did not wish his inauguration commemoration stamps to be marked "Taiwan Post", because the name change was "illegal". The postal service marked the inauguration stamps with Chinese
characters for the "Republic of China", as well as "Republic of China (Taiwan)" in English
.
On 1 August 2008, the company resolved to reverse the name change and restored the name "Chunghwa Post". The Board of Directors, as well as resolving to restore the name of the corporation, also resolved to re-hire the chief executive dismissed in 2007, and to withdraw defamation proceedings against him.
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
(ROC), providing mail service for Taiwan Area of the Republic of China. It also provides a savings account
Savings account
Savings accounts are accounts maintained by retail financial institutions that pay interest but cannot be used directly as money . These accounts let customers set aside a portion of their liquid assets while earning a monetary return...
service. Chunghwa Post was a government organization of Ministry of Transportation and Communications
Ministry of Transportation and Communications (Republic of China)
The Ministry of Transportation and Communications of the Republic of China is a cabinet-level governmental body of the Executive Yuan. It is in charge of all policy and regulation of transportation and communications networks and administration of all transportation and communications operations...
until 2003, when it was reorganized into a government-owned corporation
Government-owned corporation
A government-owned corporation, state-owned company, state-owned entity, state enterprise, publicly owned corporation, government business enterprise, or parastatal is a legal entity created by a government to undertake commercial activities on behalf of an owner government...
.
Its affiliation with the Universal Postal Union
Universal Postal Union
The Universal Postal Union is an international organization that coordinates postal policies among member nations, in addition to the worldwide postal system. The UPU contains four bodies consisting of the Congress, the Council of Administration , the Postal Operations Council and the...
began in 1914, but ended in 1972 when it was replaced by the China Post
China Post
China Post , which is the name used by the State Post Bureau of PRC in business, is the official postal service of the People's Republic of China. China Post is operated by the State Post Bureau of the People's Republic of China. The State Post Bureau, commonly referred to as China Post, is both a...
shortly after China's seat in the United Nations
China and the United Nations
China's seat in the United Nations and membership of the United Nations Security Council was originally occupied by the Republic of China since October 24, 1945. During the Chinese Civil War, the Communist Party of China repelled the government of the ROC from Mainland China to the island of...
was handed over to the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
. Because of its non-UPU affiliation, domestic mail envelope and package labeling does not follow UPU standards.
International Reply Coupon
International reply coupon
An international reply coupon is a coupon that can be exchanged for one or more postage stamps representing the minimum postage for an unregistered priority airmail letter of up to twenty grams sent to another Universal Postal Union member country...
s are not available to Taiwan Area, and mail is not delivered to or sent directly from Taiwan Area, but rather routed through third-party countries, with Japan Post
Japan Post
was a government-owned corporation in Japan, that existed from 2003–2007, offering postal and package delivery services, banking services, and life insurance. It had over 400,000 employees and ran 24,700 post offices throughout Japan and was the nation's largest employer. One third of all Japanese...
as a major route facility for incoming mail sent from the Americas region.
Facilities
Chunghwa Post delivers standard letters, registered mailRegistered mail
Registered mail describes letters, packets or other postal documents considered valuable and need a chain of custody that provides more control than regular mail. The posted item has its details recorded in a register to enable its location to be tracked, sometimes with added insurance to cover loss...
, parcels, and express mail through Taiwan Area. There are twenty-three large offices through the country which supervises some 1,300 smaller post offices.
Origins of Chunghwa Post
The direct ancestor of Chunghwa Post is the Customs Post Office of the Qing Empire, established in 1878 by Li HongzhangLi Hongzhang
Li Hongzhang or Li Hung-chang , Marquis Suyi of the First Class , GCVO, was a leading statesman of the late Qing Empire...
at the suggestion of the foreign powers, with branch offices in five major trading cities. On 20 March 1896, the Customs Post Office became the Great Qing Post, which in 1911 became independent of the customs service.
On 1 January 1912, the Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
was established, replacing the Qing Dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
. The Great Qing Post changed its name to the Chunghwa Post. "Chunghwa" is a transliteration of one of the names of China, which connotes the cultural
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
or ethnic nation
Zhonghua minzu
Zhonghua minzu , usually translated as Chinese ethnic groups or Chinese nationality, refers to the modern notion of a Chinese nationality transcending ethnic divisions, with a central identity for China as a whole...
of "China". Alternatively spelled "Zhonghua" (in pinyin
Pinyin
Pinyin is the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet in China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. It is also often used to teach Mandarin Chinese and spell Chinese names in foreign publications and used as an input method to enter Chinese characters into...
transliteration), this term is part of the Chinese language
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
name of both the Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
and the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
.
Early postal service in Taiwan
In 1888, Liu MingchuanLiu Mingchuan
Liu Mingchuan was a Chinese official during the Qing dynasty. He adopted a style name of Xingsan . Liu became involved in the suppression of the Taiping rebellion at an early age, and worked closely with Zeng Guofan and Li Hongzhang as he emerged as an important Huai Army officer...
, Qing
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
Governor of Taiwan Province
Taiwan Province
Taiwan Province is one of the two administrative divisions referred to as provinces and is controlled by the Republic of China . The province covers approximately 73% of the territory controlled by the Republic of China...
, established the Taiwan General Post Office
General Post Office
General Post Office is the name of the British postal system from 1660 until 1969.General Post Office may also refer to:* General Post Office, Perth* General Post Office, Sydney* General Post Office, Melbourne* General Post Office, Brisbane...
of the Great Qing Postal service. However, in 1895, Taiwan was ceded by Qing Dynasty to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
following the first Sino-Japanese war
First Sino-Japanese War
The First Sino-Japanese War was fought between Qing Dynasty China and Meiji Japan, primarily over control of Korea...
. The Taiwan GPO was abolished, with postal service in Taiwan conducted by a variety of bodies such as the Field Command postal service, and after 1924, the Letters Department of the Ministry of Transport.
After World War II
Retrocession Day
Retrocession Day is an annual observance in the Republic of China to commemorate the end of 50 years of Japanese colonial rule of Taiwan on October 25, 1945.-Background:...
by the Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
in 1945. In 1946, the Republic of China government incorporated the postal service in Taiwan into Chunghwa Post. In 1949, the Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
lost control of much of mainland China
Mainland China
Mainland China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term that refers to the area under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China . According to the Taipei-based Mainland Affairs Council, the term excludes the PRC Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and...
to the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
. The operation of Chunghwa Post was soon after restricted to Taiwan, several surrounding islands, and a few islands off the coast of mainland China
Mainland China
Mainland China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term that refers to the area under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China . According to the Taipei-based Mainland Affairs Council, the term excludes the PRC Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and...
still under the control of the Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
government. In 2003, Chunghwa Post changed its structure from a government department to a government-owned corporation
Government-owned corporation
A government-owned corporation, state-owned company, state-owned entity, state enterprise, publicly owned corporation, government business enterprise, or parastatal is a legal entity created by a government to undertake commercial activities on behalf of an owner government...
.
Name changes
Chen Shui-bian
Chen Shui-bian is a former Taiwanese politician who was the 10th and 11th-term President of the Republic of China from 2000 to 2008. Chen, whose Democratic Progressive Party has traditionally been supportive of Taiwan independence, ended more than fifty years of Kuomintang rule in Taiwan...
announced that the name of the postal service would be officially changed to Taiwan Post, with sign changes occurring at branches in Taiwan on February 12. Media reports noted that "Taiwan Post" was more consistent with the name Governor Liu Ming-chuan used when he founded the Taiwan Post Administration in 1888. Furthermore, Taiwan Post began printing "Taiwan" instead of "Republic of China" on postage stamps.
On February 9, the board of directors resolved to change the name of the corporation to Taiwan Post Co. (台灣郵政) after a delay of several hours due to protests from unions. However, a bill to recognise the change of law was blocked by the KMT-dominated legislature. As a result, the law still mandated the postal monopoly for "Chunghwa Post" despite the name change.
In 2008, the Kuomintang
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
took power in Taiwan following a legislative election victory and the election of Ma Ying-jeou
Ma Ying-jeou
Ma Ying-jeou is the 12th term and current President of the Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan, and the Chairman of the Kuomintang Party, also known as the Chinese Nationalist Party. He formerly served as Justice Minister from 1993 to 1996, Mayor of Taipei from 1998 to 2006, and Chairman...
to the presidency. Following his election, Ma Ying-jeou
Ma Ying-jeou
Ma Ying-jeou is the 12th term and current President of the Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan, and the Chairman of the Kuomintang Party, also known as the Chinese Nationalist Party. He formerly served as Justice Minister from 1993 to 1996, Mayor of Taipei from 1998 to 2006, and Chairman...
publicly stated that he did not wish his inauguration commemoration stamps to be marked "Taiwan Post", because the name change was "illegal". The postal service marked the inauguration stamps with Chinese
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
characters for the "Republic of China", as well as "Republic of China (Taiwan)" in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
.
On 1 August 2008, the company resolved to reverse the name change and restored the name "Chunghwa Post". The Board of Directors, as well as resolving to restore the name of the corporation, also resolved to re-hire the chief executive dismissed in 2007, and to withdraw defamation proceedings against him.
See also
- Chunghwa Postal MuseumChunghwa Postal MuseumThe Chunghwa Post Museum is located on Nanhai Street in the Zhongzheng District of Taipei, Taiwan.-History:It began operation at its previous location in Xindian on March 20, 1967 on the 70th Anniversary of the Chunghwa Post. Due to remoteness of the Xindian location and the lack of space, the...
- DesinicizationDesinicizationDesinicization is a term that describes the act of the elimination of Chinese influence, which is the opposite of "sinicization".-Historical:...
- China PostChina PostChina Post , which is the name used by the State Post Bureau of PRC in business, is the official postal service of the People's Republic of China. China Post is operated by the State Post Bureau of the People's Republic of China. The State Post Bureau, commonly referred to as China Post, is both a...
- Hongkong PostHongkong PostHongkong Post is a department under the Government of Hong Kong responsible for postal services, though operated as a Trading Fund. Founded in 1841, it was known as Postal Department or Post Office before the handover of Hong Kong in 1997...
- CTT (Macau)CTT (Macau)Correios de Macau , formerly CTT Correios de Macau, is a department under the Government of Macau responsible for postal services....
- List of postal services abroad