Chiayi, officially known as Chiayi City (Chinese: 嘉義市; pinyin: Jiāyì Shì; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Ka-gī-chhī) and sometimes as Chia-I, is a provincial city located in the plains of southwestern Taiwan. Formerly called Kagee during the late Qing dynasty and Kagi during the Japanese era (Chinese and Japanese: 嘉義), its historical name is Tirosen.