Chiayi, city in southern Taiwan, the capital of Chiayi County, on a coastal plain. A major sugarcane and lumber center in an agricultural area, the city is also a road and rail junction; sugar mills, sawmills, and distilleries are here, and manufactures include cement and tile. In the surrounding area rice, pineapples, sweet potatoes, and tobacco are grown. The nearby Ali Shan lumbering area is linked with the city by rail. Warm springs and Buddhist shrines are adjacent. The city dates from the 1700s. The name is also spelled Chiayi or Kiayi. Population (1997 estimate) 262,860.
