The basin was a swamp just over a hundred years ago, but the gradual accumulation of sand and silt carried by the rivers filled in the marshes, making it possible for the city to be built. During the Ching dynasty, Taipei became the capital of Taiwan Province and it remained so through 50 years of Japanese occupation.
盆底又匯集大漢溪、基隆河、新店溪，經淡水河出海；而淡水河的台北橋段及關渡海口河槽狹窄，河流無法暢洩，所以颱洪時期，兩岸低窪地區常易泛濫成災（見圖）。