Gaoxiong

Gaoxiong (: 高雄; : Gāoxióng), offically the Republic of Gaoxiong (: 高雄民國; : Gāoxióng Mínguó) is a semi-presidential republic located in central Sinju on Tiandi. It is bordered by Zaihan to the west, Liu to the southwest, Cengui to the southeast, and Meisaan to the east. The nation is divided into 9 subdivisions, with 7 being provinces (省), and 2 being municipalities (市). Gaoxiong covers square kilometers and has a population of about 47 million.

Following the collapse of Tianqi, an empire spanning thousands of kilometers, some of the territory of present-day Gaoxiong was unified under the Yin dynasty and it developed to be an empire of its own. The nation expanded and was fractured numerous times. In 1941, following the Eulhae War, the last dynasty, the Ying dynasty collapsed and Gaoxiong became a republic under the leadership of President Xiao Wen.

Jiang Jie-ping, who was a leader in the Guomindang and an ally of Sun Xiao, took power in 1951. Under his rule, Gaoxiong became a nationalist single-party dictatorship. After Jiang died in 1975, his son Jiang Yan-qing became the President. His rule came to an end with the Dingmao Uprising. Li Zhe-qiang, the Vice President at the time, took office. Following this, a new constitution was ratified, reforms were made, and Gaoxiong was once again democratized. Today, Gaoxiong's economy is growing at a high rate, with it having the third largest GDP (PPP) per capita in the world. It has improved tremendously following the election of President Li and succeeding Presidents opened up the economy for foreign investment.

Etymology
In 1800, (following the Joengic Wars) the Jiatai Emperor changed the name to Gaoxiong, (: 高雄; : Gāoxióng) literally meaning "high bravery." There are many theories surrounding this name. Some say that its origins point to the thought of the nation and people having high bravery during the Joengic Wars.

Prehistory
Evidence suggests that early inhabited Gaoxiong at a maximum of 900,000 years ago. A significant amount of sites have been found, such as remains of a culture from approximately 20,000 to 30,000 years ago. These indicate use of  and tools. Early communities fished along the southern coast. Other communities in the eastern part of the country were agricultural and mainly produced rice. These communities date back to 8500 BCE, and the inhabitants were.



In 7000 BCE, cultures began emerging. These cultures cultivated rice and millet, hunted, and were reliant on fish. These were characterized by stone adzes and cord-marked pottery. With advances in agriculture and fishing in the southern coast particularly, the population increased. At approximately 6500 BCE, the coast was established as a center of agriculture. In 3000 BCE, these cultures spread from the coast to the northern and western parts of the country.

There is evidence of silk cloth in other settlements as a result of the domestication of the silkworm, which arrived in 2000 BCE. Natural disasters, such as floods, caused this civilization to end abruptly.

Classical Gaoxiong
The first states started to evolve in 900 BCE. These were small political entities, with most being city-states, but these began to grow in significance at around 400 BCE. States grew in size and influence by invading and conquering other states. By 300 BCE, three major states had formed. These were Huang which controlled the east; Zhao, which had the central part under its control; and Wu, which controlled the west. This is generally given the name "The Period of the Three States". These three states vied and fought several wars for control of the entire country, military strength, and influence.

The coast was divided between two states: Huang and Zhao. Huang had the port of Yuhua (located in the western coast) under its territory, and therefore became affluent due to trade. Zhao had the western coast under its control, traded for weapons, and built a military arsenal. Wu, however, was unstable, with the monarchy powerless. Instead, it was controlled by regional nobles. The area was also prone to famines, which killed tens of thousands. Seeing weakness, Zhao invaded Wu in 237 BCE. By 230 BCE, Zhao held control of all the land of the former state.

Huang and Zhao both grew in military strength and affluence, even though several wars were fought between them. All of these ended in stalemate. However, in 150 BCE, Huang began to deteriorate. This was due to constant fighting with Zhao, which lead to an almost-successful rebellion. It was invaded by Zhao in 110 BCE in the final war fought between them, the War of Zhuhe (later known as the First Unification War). Zhao had unified all of Gaoxiong under King Ronghe. However, the rule of this unified entity would be cut short.



Tianqi began influencing Gaoxiong at the beginning of the 1st century CE. Most of Gaoxiong was annexed and incorporated into Tianqi. By 100 CE, all of the area had been annexed to the empire. The polytheistic religion native to the area became obsolete. Tianqian nobles began to arrive, leaving an effect on the culture of Gaoxiong. Civil service exams were also introduced. Gaoxiong possessed de facto autonomy, and in practice, had control over its affairs, with the Tianqian entity being mostly feudal.

The Tianqian ownership of Gaoxiong began to decline in the 8th and 9th centuries, with rebellions, natural disasters, and nomadic invasions severely affecting the empire. A mass migration of Tianqian nobles occurred. Rebels and invaders, including Gaoxiongese forces, took Danyang in 876, ending Tianqi. The country was divided into several states again. In 895, the northern states unified under Hong De, the son of a Tianqian noble and the first emperor of the Yin dynasty. Within a period of 7 years, in the Second Unification War, this state invaded the southern parts, and the Yin dynasty of Imperial Gaoxiong was created.

Imperial Gaoxiong
Hong De, now Emperor Gao, standardized the government with Tianqian influence by making Tianqian the official language. He established a capital at Yuhua. A centralized government was established. The Yin dynasty would last for 125 years, ending in 1030 with the death of Emperor Wendi. The Hua dynasty was founded by Li Zheng, now Emperor Yuan

Under the early years of the Hua, the empire went through a golden age. Advancements in technology, art, music, and philosophy were made. It also continued the military oriented ideology of the Yin, and expanded west. The Hua created a cultural identity that lasts to this day. However, towards the latter part of the dynasty, corruption began to have a presence in the imperial government. Taxes were significantly raised to pay for the Hua's wars of expansion. In 1347, a coup d'etat brought an end to the Hua dynasty. General Yan Cui, its leader, started the Yan dynasty.

The Yan relocated the capital from Yuhua to Zhongjing. During this period, even though they were in use since the Hua, civil service examinations became much more prominent. Officials who passed the exams transitioned the elite from a military-aristocratic one to bureaucratic. Under later Yan emperors, the economy was transformed into a rich and prosperous one, with the central government having little presence in economic affairs. The Yan dynasty was the ruling dynasty for 107 years, ending in 1454. It was overthrown by a peasant named Yu Bao, who founded the Dong dynasty.

During the Dong, trade and other contact with foreign nations increased considerably. Confucianism began to have an influence on the government once more. Emperor Jianle (Yu Bao) placed a base for a government not particularly interested in commerce (like the Yan), but more in the agricultural sector. The Dong economic system put an emphasis on agriculture, unlike the Yan, which relied on trade for revenue. As a result, peasant landowners dominated in this sector.



Industries specializing in textiles and porcelain flourished. The dynasty established a central government that controlled the nation, and a powerful navy. The empire began to take interest in lands overseas, as a result of Emperor Qiangqing's desire to increase Gaoxiong's influence beyond its territory. However, the bureaucracy, which prevented the Dong from adapting to changes in society, would contribute to the decline and collapse of the dynasty in 1661.

The Ying dynasty would be the last imperial dynasty in Gaoxiong, founded by Emperor Xuankang. The period from 1661 to 1801 is called the Early Ying. This dynasty continued to increase contact with other nations, and its influence increased as a result. However, in the 1790s, a Misani named Joeng Sin-Feng invaded the nation in the Joengic Wars. Emperor Jiatai and his family were exiled. The Revolutionary Armies were defeated in 1801 by a coalition of Uju nations. The Campaign for the Twenty-Six Forts severly weakened Joeng's army, and the Concert of Uju sent him back to Minghoi.

In September of that year, the imperial family returned from exile, and the nation was renamed Gaoxiong. This period is often called the Later Ying. For the rest of his reign, the Emperor emphasized restoration. This is known as the First Restoration. The Industrial Revolution saw the growth and industrialization of the nation. The empire's territory was at its peak during this period. Imperial examinations were used until the reign of Emperor Yongwu, officially being ceased to be used in 1906.



In the Eulhae War (1935-1941), Gaoxiong entered as a Contingent nation. It suffered significant casualties in deaths. Republican forces, led by Xiao Wen, began to rise. His political philosophy, the People's Three Principles, called for nationalism, democracy, and the people's livelihood. These forces has significant support across the country. By February 1, 1942, the Republicans reached and took Zhongjing. Emperor Yongwu abdicated soon after. The abdication marked the end of Imperial Gaoxiong, and the Republic was declared.

Republic of Gaoxiong
Xiao Wen of the Nationalist Party was the first president of the Republic, ruling for 4 years. The Three Principles were implemented, which have a significant impact on the government today. He attempted to restore the country from the Eulhae War in the Second Restoration. This included turning Gaoxiong into a modern democratic state. Xiao died in 1946 due to. He is widely known as the "Father of Gaoxiong" today. Following Sun's death, which was a setback for the Republic, a new President named Yuan Shichang was elected. He continued Sun's reforms until 1949, when Jiang Jieping took power.



Under Jiang, it became a single-party state, ruled under the Nationalist Party. This was the beginning of the White Terror. This suppressed political dissidents, mainly those who were perceived to be anti-Nationalist Party or Communist. It saw the arresting, torture, execution and imprisonment of many people, particularly intellectuals. This was criticized in foreign nations as being undemocratic, as the Nationalist Party controlled all media. It did not allow the creation of any new parties, and competitive elections did not exist.

In 1964, Jiang Jieping died from hemorrhage. His son, Jiang Yanqing, took office. During the early years of his term, the President maintained many of his father's policies, and the country was still under martial law. However, in that same year, the Yuhua Incident, a student protest, was stopped by authorities. Due to criticism and pressure from the Sinju Union and from other government officials, Jiang Yanqing lifted martial law in 1965. Political freedoms were restored. Gaoxiong's economy became more technology oriented in the 1960s and 1970s. This growth became much more prominent during Li Zheqiang's presidency. The period occured due to liberalization of economic policies, which included pulling the nation away from isolation and opening it up to free trade.

Li Zheqiang became the President in 1980. Two years later, the Liberal Democratic Party was formed as the opposition to the Nationalist Party. He continued the reforms of Jiang Yanqing. Li was elected to a second term in 1984. Some said that Li had changed the government with reforms too much, while others said his reforms were not enough.

The 1988 election marked the end of the Nationalists' grip on the Presidency. A non-Nationalist President, Chen Yao of the Liberal Democratic Party was elected. He would be elected to a second term in 1992. There was legislative gridlock due to an opposition-controlled Legislative Yuan (by the Nationalists). Polarized parties, the Nationalist Party, and the Liberal Democratic Party, developed in the government.

In 1996, another member of the LDP, Lin Jiade was elected President. During his term, he continued many of the policies of his predecessor, including foreign affairs. In the 2008 elections, the Nationalists held their grip on the Presidency and Yang Jincong, the incumbent President, was elected. He was reelected to a second term in 2012.

Administrative divisons
Gaoxiong is divided into nine first-level subdivisions. Seven of these are provinces and two are municipalities. The provinces are divided into counties (縣; Xiàn), and the municipalities are divided into districts (區; Qū). A county may be divided into rural townships (鄉; Xiāng), urban townships (鎮; Zhèn) or county-controlled cities (縣轄市; Xiànxiáshì). The townships and county-controlled cities are further divided into urban villages (里; Lǐ), rural villages (村; Cūn), and neighborhoods (鄰; Lín).