Dan Jacobson （積丹尼）*
A lighthearted list of what makes Taiwan maps special.
Keywords: Taiwan maps, cadastral maps, house addressing, Taiwan Map Service, OpenStreetMap.
輕鬆列台灣的地圖些特色。
關鍵詞： 台灣地圖、 地籍圖、 門牌號碼、 國土測繪圖資服務雲、 開放街圖。
Taiwan maps are something special, because (some) are:
台灣的地圖， 特別特別，因為（有些）：
You know what? Just a few years ago even parcel numbers could not appear on Taiwan cadastral maps. You had to click each parcel to find out its number. Nowadays the regulations have been thankfully loosened. The numbers are back on the map.
您知道嗎， 台灣的地籍圖， 沒幾年前， 連地號不標示。 要知道地號就得逐筆點選。 現在好多了。 地號能直接顯示於地籍圖上。
And, it just so happens that in um, normal countries, not only do cadastral maps show parcel numbers, they also show "Mr. and Mrs. John B. and Anna M. Phlippenstein Jr." right there smack dab on the map. You know, the owners' names. And hey, you don't even need to sign up for a county assessors cadastral club account or whatever. It's all open on the web.
在國外呢， 就不一樣囖。 國外別講地號， 連所有的所有權人之姓名， 鉅細靡遺， 大剌剌的直接標示於地籍圖上， 且免登入什麼會員， 直接上網就有。
Taiwan? Err, well that's going to cost you $NT10 per parcel to look up. And all you are going to get is "Phlippenstein", one word.
台灣呢？ 要查所有權人， 那就要逐筆 10 元新台幣了， 且只能查到姓， 沒有名。
True, as a bonus they also throw in the owners' legal address (but in .GIF image format, so forget about cutting and pasting the text elsewhere.)
沒錯， 您花該 10 元， 也贈送所有權人的地址 （但不是文字， 而是逐字之小圖塊 .GIF ， 怕人複製貼上…）
Now let's talk about general purpose government maps, say around Jinmen (Kinmen). They're even more blank than above.
現在講政府出版的一般性地圖， 譬如靠金門， 比上述的更空白。
Unlike e.g., OpenStreetMap, which boldly drapes an international border where official maps, no matter ROC's (Taiwan's) or PRC's, just have salt water.
不像譬如開放街圖 OpenStreetMap (OSM) 大喇喇劃什麼國界在什麼地方。 而兩岸官方圖， 該各處僅有海水。
As a matter of fact the story is not so bad. One notices on the official maps they've got some tricks up their sleeve, absolutely ingenious as a matter of fact, to show who is in charge of what land. Take the islands around Jinmen again:
其實沒那麼悲觀。 我們發現官方仍有些技巧， 確高明， 仍能精準表達所有效控制之土地到哪兒為止， 同時也巧妙的避開不小心宣布喪失國土。 再舉金門附近為例：
(Sorry I'm not including any images or links to the official maps... That would make them less official! (Actually I'm afraid of permalink failure, and don't want to save images from other websites.))
（抱歉本文未加圖片或連結到官方各圖… 因… 依官方為準！ （其實我只是怕連結失效， 以及不想儲存別的網站的圖片。）
| Lands we control 我國掌握的 |
Other lands 其他土地 |
|
|---|---|---|
| Island color 島色 |
Yellow 黃 |
White 白 |
| Island name 島名 |
Indicated 註名 |
Not indicated 無名 |
No unsightly border lines， anywhere!
破壞地圖美觀與氣氛之國界線通通不見。
But the official maps still manage 100% to indicate all the land controlled by Taiwan (ROC), vs. all the land controlled by "the other leading brand country".
但即使是官方地圖， 仍有效清楚表達那些土地是我國控制的， 以及那些， 暫時， 是「他們」在管理。
And at the same time no territory has been "surrendered". If pressed on the issue they can say they merely have prioritized mapping the land with easy transportation access (i.e., that they control), and haven't got around to mapping their other land, you know, "the back 40 (acres)", (that has been temporarily occupied by someone else, ho hum, with a million missiles) yet.
同時也沒有喪失任何國土， 被逼就可以說 「只是今年我們還沒有過去測量後面那塊而已。」
One also notes this yellow / white method is only possible because this is a map of only one country, with all the other countries (ETC.!) not mapped.
這樣黃白處理， 只能用於個單一國家（等等！）地圖。
Once one wishes to map all the land within the map bounding box, one can no longer use such a technique.
一旦想也把圖框內周圍國家（等等！）內容也畫上去， 就無法這樣處理。
OK, these are all islands. But: Q: What if there was a land border involved? Would the yellow color abruptly stop at some point? A: I'm sure those are interesting questions. But let's reserve them for Korea. We're talking about Taiwan today.
這些都是島嶼。 那麼， 問： 假設有土壤上的界線。 黃色會不會突然斷呢？ 答： 問題很有趣， 但恐得保留給南、 北韓。 本文僅講台灣。 謝謝。
Excuse me one more time, but: Q: There still is the water separating the yellow and white islands. So how do the official maps show whose boats can float on which water areas? A: Don't ask me. I don't know how to swim. Sorry.
不好意思， 仍得問一下： 還有黃色島與白色島嶼之間之水域。 官方圖有無方法也把水域巧妙的劃分呢？ 答： 不知道咧， 我不會游泳。
Q: Hey not so fast. Wait a second, PRC maps just map both areas, theirs and ours, the same, i.e., with full detail, as if they control everything. What gives? A: Indeed. But have you checked the map quality of the areas they have never set foot on? Would you trust their map of Taiwan next time you go to the grocery store?
ㄉㄉㄉ等一下， 大陸的地圖把兩岸都畫了齊全。 不搞軟腳委婉黃白之分！ 答： 是的， 但您有沒有仔細看其所未去過， 那些地方所畫的品質呢？ 有無更新？
While we are on it, there still is a rather interesting question: what did OSM mappers come up with their ROC/PRC border? They require Ground truth, right? Well this is no Niagara River with an international treaty with numbered turning points and even an International Boundary Commission to boot.
還有疑點： 到底 OSM 們 「憑什麼」 這樣劃？ 他們不是都堅持什麼都要填依據欄嗎？ （ 地面實況， 對， 但根據誰第三客觀者？ ） 那麼這兒不像尼加拉河， 有國界轉角點條約， 甚至常設委員會。
Well I suppose all the OSM mappers can fill in is "Source: common knowledge". Well at least they are more flexible than any official map could ever be.
那麼好像 OSM 作圖們只能填 「依據：常識」。 反正至少 OSM 們彈性永遠超越任何官方圖。
This got me thinking. Let's say we are a government or big mapping corporation, and really, really want to make some line on the map (to prevent oh, say, nuclear wars, due to some toilet paper drifting into somebody else's waters.) How to proceed?
我在想， 如果我是政府機關， 或有品牌的地圖商， 而很想很想畫線， 怕若地圖沒顯示某界線， 就容易發生以外， 喔，如核戰， 因某屑衛生紙飄到對方領域等等， 那麼我可以用什麼藉口劃呢？
Ah, I got it: use school district boundaries, zip code service area boundaries, mosquito abatement district boundaries, Nerdsome Florist Inc. free delivery coupon redemption zone… anything.
啊！ 我想到， 可以畫如校區、 郵遞區號範圍、 本公司免費送花範圍等等。
Although its not the heavy dashed international boundary, but at least you got some line on the map.
雖不明註為國界， 線條也不粗， 但至少線畫到了。
But what are you going to do if you are the Taiwan Civil Aviation Administration, publishing the boundary of the Taipei FIR? You aren't like Jeppesen where people are paying you for the straight facts. (Because there's no time for diplomatic fun and games at 40,000 feet.)
但是若果您是台灣民航局， 要公布台北飛航情報區的界線， 而其實際範圍尷尬， 您也就不像傑普遜公司 (Jeppesen) 公司， （有人付錢向您購買實況報告， 因為在四萬英尺高飛航時無暇談外交遊戲。）
So OK, you have choices:
那麼， 可以選：
Don't draw any boundary. Fine. I see. Let your neighbors define your borders?
界線不畫： 那就讓鄰近國決定您的界線，嗎？
Draw the de facto boundary, like Jeppesen does: But we can't. We're the government. Sorry, we can only draw de jure boundaries, or no boundaries.
畫實際界線： 像 Jeppesen 公司的地圖。 但是我們是政府， 只能畫法定界線， 或不畫， 故「歉難辦理」。
Draw a smaller area: Uh huh, in other words fork over territory? Bzzzt. Wrong answer.
畫較小範圍： 開玩笑？ 喪失國土！
Draw a larger area: Bingo! And that's what they did. A nice big rectangle… Overlapping the Shanghai FIR (ZSHA). Well at least it doesn't just casually extend to the north pole. Yes, must overlap, but for how far? Flip a coin…
畫較大範圍： BINGO! 無誤， 即其所公佈， 而重疊上海飛航情報區 (ZSHA) 就不管… 不得不這樣做。 唯一可調是要重疊多寬。
Did I tell you about the "phone reception along mountain trails" maps and markers?
有山區步道沿路行動電話收訊信號強度圖、 山區手機可通訊點標示、 等等， 很好。
Sounds helpful. I will know what parts of the trail to expect good cellphone reception.
聽起來像登山客的福音。 就會知道步道那段較沒有信號。 別在那兒紮營。
Well that's all great. But I have an additional idea: just reveal where the cell towers are in the first place, like other countries!
都很好， 只是， 可不可以像其他國家， 直接公布基地台位置。 免繞圈圈。
I just love the Taiwan Map Service。 (The main source of the official maps mentioned in this article.)
我超愛國土測繪圖資服務雲。 （也是本文每提及官方地圖之主要來源。）
One little problem: they are operating under the directive that they will only be providing transportation features down to the level of automobiles (thus e.g., no sidewalks). Well, can't blame them. Can't map everything, you know. Only 24 hours in a day.
小問題： 上層命令圖資僅做到汽車能通等級， 暫未考慮行人級設施， 如人行道。 也不能怪他們。 人力有限。
I.e., they have formally restricted themselves from putting any pedestrian bridges on the map. No matter how wide the river, no matter how far it is to any other bridge.
結果， 自己限制自己無法標吊橋， 不管河多寬， 不管要多遠才有第二橋。
So you would be in big trouble wasting valuable time consulting such a map during a rescue operation.
那麼， 救災時可別拿這種地圖到現場喔。
Quick, select a different map. Ah, there's a bridge right around the bend. No different maps on hand? Then use orthophotomaps.
殊不知， 原來有座橋， 又很近。 手上無其他圖資， 那就換空照圖吧。
Oh and by the way, don't you hate how they have two sets of tiles. The blurry (upon zooming) ones have the open copyright. What a pleasure using blurry tiles… (When editing OpenStreetMap they are the "Taiwan e-map Open Data" etc. background (wmts.nlsc.gov.tw EMAP*_OPENDATA)). How about blurry books, blurry music… a blurry life ™ ® LB, Life's Blurry / Bad.
該服務雲也有兩種圖磚： 清楚的， 跟（放大就）模糊的。 雖然均為納稅人付錢， 但後者才有開放版權。 故編輯 OpenStreetMap 時， 就戴不戴眼鏡， 一樣模糊。 (wmts.nlsc.gov.tw EMAP*_OPENDATA).
Info all there, just blurred…
資料均在， 只是模糊化…
Upon exiting many Taiwan transit stations, we oh, take a quick look at the map on the wall, and off we are for our destination. We even whistle while we walk. How about a stick of gum? You know, LG, Life's Good.
台灣很多車站出站時， 瞄一下牆上的地圖確認目的地。 走著也吹口哨、 嚼口香糖。
What's the deal? How come we are getting further and further? We thought we were walking northwest but it turns out we are walking southeast!
走走走， 怎麼愈走愈遠？ 要向西北， 怎麼變成東南？
Or did we put our pocket compass too close to a speaker magnet yesterday and now its polarity has reversed?
還是昨天口袋指北針放太靠近喇叭的磁鐵， 導致變指南針了嗎？
Bad news. Got to break it to you. You're too old. For some reason you expected all maps have north = up. Isn't that just on of the 360+ possibilities? Well take another look at the compass rose on that map. Yup. All officially properly presented. The map passes the test, you don't.
喔， 沒注意地圖上之指北針， 是指南針： 上邊寫個 【南】。 只能怪自己老頭子， 以為所有的地圖北上南下。 其實有 360+ 個可能性。
(So we see in this paper, I just don't go around criticizing things left and right. Sometimes those things are correct, and I instead criticize myself.)
（可見本文， 不只是走著， 左邊的東西也批評， 右邊的東西也批評。 不是。 偶爾那些東西都好好的。 換批評我自己。 ）
Meet Taiwan's orthophotomap sequential numbering, and my quick YX improvement.
看看 【臺灣地區像片基本圖圖幅】、【林區像片基本圖】 等等順序編碼， 以及我 YX 略改善式：
$ echo 120.86617 24.18169 | taiwan_datums/programs/longlat2taiwanmapno #1> 120.86617 24.18169 1:5000 : 9521-2-025 1:10000: 9521-2-09 1:25000: 9521-2-NW 1:50000: 9521-2 1:50000: 2219-1 #an older system 某舊制
Each 1:10000 quadrangle covers an area equal to four 1:5000 quadrangles.
每張 1:10000 圖涵蓋四張 1:5000 的面積。
| 001 | 002 | 003 | 004 | 005 | 006 | 007 | 008 | 009 | 010 |
| 011 | 012 | 013 | 014 | 015 | 016 | 017 | 018 | 019 | 020 |
| ... | |||||||||
| 091 | 092 | 093 | 094 | 095 | 096 | 097 | 098 | 099 | 100 |
| 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 |
| 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
| ... | |||||||||
| 90 | 91 | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 |
| 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 |
| 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 |
| ... | ||||
| 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 |
| 00 | 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 |
| 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 |
| ... | ||||
| 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 |
We observe with the YX format, predicting neighboring numbers is more consistent. Also we don't need three digits.
可見 YX 式預料周圍圖幅號碼較有秩序， 且免三碼那麼多。
However if we don't use three digits, then we lose the distinction between 1:5000 and 1:10000 maps, at least for the first 25 numbers.
但若不採三碼， （對前 25 幅）就難區分 1:5000 與 1:10000 了。
(But then again it is sort of like Gwoyeu Romatzyh#Tonal_spelling overloading (result: you step on your own toes and make a mess) in the first place: trying to express two things (scale and sheet number) all via one format. )
（但那有點像國語羅馬字#聲調規則， 編碼超載問題 （結果得不償失）。 欲用同一號碼格式， 有傳達比例、 又傳達幅號。 ）
So if I'm so smart, how would I differentiate them? OK, maybe 5K-..., 10K-...
那麼如果我那麼聰明， 我會在編號中怎麼區別比例呢？ 也許採 5K-..., 10K-...
Anyway nobody needs to start from 1, unless they are following some order from their superiors. Starting from 0 we see is better.
反正除非上級命令一定從 1 開始， 不然自 0 開始聰明多了。
Also might as well start from the southwest corner, and use XY instead of YX. I do believe that is the more modern approach.
且應自西南角開始， 比自西北角較主流， 加上採 XY, 免 YX 了。
Of course the all this beats the Public Land Survey System (PLSS), and the Dominion Land Survey (DLS), with their boustrophedon 1..36 numbering!
當然以上均比如 Public Land Survey System (PLSS) 及 Dominion Land Survey (DLS) 好。 免搞牛耕式轉行法 1~36 編碼！
[Source code for tables above. 製上表程式碼。]
No, you're not going to see address grids on Taiwan maps. As, guess what? Taiwan, like most of the Old World, doesn't use them.
西式門牌號碼方格網， 台灣的地圖裡您看不到。 「舊世界」就這樣。
But then again, the Taiwan
numbered lane and alley system has got the
West New World (the Americas) beat in
other ways…
但是台灣的幾巷幾弄制，
也在某些方面贏了西方「新世界」（南北美洲）…
…That's right. With Taiwan's brilliant road / lane / alley house numbering system for short trips you can chuck your map in the dumpster, and fold up that cellphone.
…無誤， 憑著台灣的好用的幾巷幾弄制度， 短距離旅行， 紙版地圖可拿去回收， 手機摺回去， 根本不需要。
Whereas Williamstone Avenue might have a Phillipstone Court branching off from it, in Taiwan these all would likely just be Alley 79 Lane 435 (I.e., Court 79 Avenue 435), etc. A tree structured naming, with no combing back and forth, or needing further lookup, to find where Phillipstone Court branches off.
譬如西方某 Williamstone Avenue 或者有條 Phillipstone Court 岔路， 在台灣這都也許僅稱某 435 巷， 以及其 79 弄。 如此樹形編織， 免徘徊找 Phillipstone Court 哪裡分起來的。
Oh, and while we are discussing addresses: Q: Why can't I find any house numbers ending in "4" on maps of newer areas of Taiwan? Are they really reserved for intergalactic space invaders?
對， 提及門牌， 還有： 問： 為何台灣較新社區的地圖裡， 我找不到門牌末碼為 4 者？ 保留給外星人是真的嗎？
OK, our rural man$$$ion qualifies for an address plate, the number of which we naturally mention to the gardening crew who are coming to clean up our acres and acres of rolling lawn.
敝人們豪華莊園有資格申請門牌號碼。 那麼園丁們要來割草， 當然要告知門牌使其順利抵達。
We at least we thought they were coming. They seem to have got stuck near some cliff. Perhaps on the bottom, perhaps on the top. We can't really tell because they seem to be very excited and have a thick accent.
怎麼迷路， 又說什麼山崖， 聽不太懂。
When telling people a rural location, due to various assumptions Google makes about Taiwan addresses, and the fact that Google Maps is on every cellphone, one's painstakingly applied for legal address one dare not give to people trying to get to your house.
是因人人手機均有谷歌， 而谷歌地圖對台灣地址有些過度樂觀假設。 故好好的合法門牌， 在台灣鄉下反而是導航毒藥。
Google maps often assumes house 500 is halfway between house 0 and house 1000. That's not the case in Taiwan, alas, 99% of the time, (despite me telling the local governments to mend their ways.)
And when encountering
"unknown (in the West) quantities" like
"411-5" (a house nearby house 415), Google
Maps throws up its hands and just gives a
halfway point along the road. You know
what? I'm not going to discuss what Google
Maps does. Because 1) it is a proprietary
algorithm so we aren't sure anyway. 2) It
might have changed before the ink is even dry
on this paper. 3)Who cares. There are
alternatives…
算了， 我免詳細谷歌地圖對台灣地址的誤解。
反正種植因素， 導致客人越走越遠。
So just give a latitude / longitude pair (seems more common than longitude / latitude, among garden crews) instead. (You know, genuine WGS84.) That will increase the chances of a successful Google navigation from 20% to a whopping 45%. Watch out for those cliffs though…
所以您那枚新牌閉嘴。 講個經緯度就好了。 （且切莫舊 TWD67 ！） 只要附近無山崖， 朋友遲早會到。 有山崖， 仍會到下方。
Oh my, why do Taiwan maps seem to have about six different ways to spell, I mean romanize, the same street name?
請問， 台灣那些街道圖， 路名怎麼好像有六種拼音法？
Don't get me started about the Pinyin battles.
別叫我講拼音鬥爭史。
The TaiPower pole and cabinet labels just happen to have life-saving grid references that you can plot on your map. No electronics needed. Whereas in your average run-of-the-mill other country, the poles merely bear a mass of numbers only meaningful to the electric company, during business hours. And in fact that's what TaiPower thought they were. Mere map references. Until yours truly came along, and with the help of my buddies at an atlas company, brought the system to the public, and public service officers.
台電電桿與箱座標標籤， 救了不少迷路者。 免電， 用紙筆亦能定位。 一般別的國的電桿上的號碼， 只是一般公司內部編號， 又僅上班時間在用。 可惜。 哈哈， 台電本來以為這些只是地圖索引編號。 未料我來了， 結合地圖出版社友人， 大肆公布該系統， 嘉惠民眾及警消。
In PLSS/DLS areas, all boundaries and even house addressing systems are tied to the same (PLSS/DLS) system. In Taiwan on the other hand, property boundaries maintained by land offices, and then e.g., township boundaries are casually draped on the map, not necessarily following any property boundaries at all. And then even a wildly draped village boundary needs a vote by the city council to revise.
在 PLSS/DLS 區域裡， 所有的 界線都綁上去 PLSS/DLS 架構， 連門牌號碼方格網也是。 而在台灣房地界線由地政事務所管， 如鄉鎮區界則， 如鄉下， 隨便畫的… 與土地界線橫衝直撞不理。 且連一條亂畫的里界都要議會投票才能改。
Kind of reminds one of what a boundary is in the first place: there is the physical part, markers and perhaps fences and troops. Then there is the mental part: some thick line on a map, and people rooting for two different sport teams.
讓我想起界線之本質： 有物質方面： 界碑、 籬笆、 甚至軍隊。 另除圖上粗線， 還有心裡方面： 必也有人信它， 像兩個球隊的粉絲。
Our story takes us to a rural ridge top. Say between Taichung City and Nantou County.
故事轉到， 譬如沿著某稜線的南投與台中縣市界。
Let's say there is this road, on the Taichung side. But at the very end the road crosses the ridge line into Nantou County. So what are you going to give the farmer who lives at the end of the road, a Taichung, or a Nantou address?
那麼， 假設台中這面有一條路上去， 但最末端翻山到確實是南投土地。 且那兒有一戶。 您要給他一枚南投門牌， 還是台中的？
Sure, the map and their property title deeds all say Nantou. But to get to (the rest of) Nantou they've got to go miles and miles. Something the postman certainly isn't willing to do either.
沒錯， 其所有權狀， 以及所有的地圖都顯示南投。 但是他要到南投其他地方要繞很遠， 且郵差也不願意繞。
Thus it is perfectly logical and legal to give them a Taichung address, despite what all maps say.
給他台中門牌合情合理合法就是， 不管所有但地圖說什麼。
Thus we see the distinction between civil administration and land administration!
讀者就明白民政（戶政）與地政， 在台灣之不同點。
So in Taiwan their household
registration would be Taichung. But in the
US they would probably… Oops,
drifting off topic again. Yes, we are talking
about a
practical enclave, or pene-enclave.
這類查稱 " pene 外飛地"。
中文： 詳【用地圖來行騙】
Take a rural address 1313 Lane 257 Mockingbird Street. Well government maps would naturally show "Lane 257" and city people would assume it must be a public road.
And with the river naming algorithm, if unnamed, even the tiniest creek gets the same name as the main river.
And why is the map broken, not showing your address? A: Because your illegal structure didn't qualify for an address, so you made your own address. And then you promptly forgot. Right. Uh huh.
And in rural areas the cadastral map might have a 10+ meter drift from "reality". But that's not so special: same problem in other countries.
OK, our story's over, and we're about to end our short visit to Taiwan.
故事完了， 短暫訪台結束了。
But why don't the maps give us a clue to what those funny signs mean, all the same, over and over, all lit up, along each road, on each lamppost.
但為何地圖不幫忙解釋沿路奇怪標誌。 每燈桿， 每路， 也特地照明。
We check our Chinese and English dictionaries. We ask passersby. Nobody knows.
查漢、英字典， 問路人， 無人知。
I know, they must mean "virus infected area!"1 Ah ha. I'm getting out of here! See ya. Bye. It was a gas presenting this paper, but I've got to go.
啊， 我知道了。 一定是【疫區】警告符號了！ 1。 我走人了。 文章發表的很愉快， 但是該走… ㄗㄗㄗ再見！
1District logo of Datong District, Taipei, Taiwan. 台北市大同區徽。 好像一棟房子！…。
Presented at 2024 University of Taipei Digital Era Mapping Innovation and Application International Conference, December 13, 2024.
發表於【2024 年臺北市立大學數位時代的地圖學創新與應用國際研討會】， 2024 年 12 月 13 日。
Last modified: 2025-01-01 02:51:56 UTC