Taiwan

People & Language

The bulk of Taiwan’s population- around 84%- is made up of local Taiwanese, who have their ethnic roots in China, having migrated from the mainland about four to five centuries ago. Other than these, there are Mainland Chinese, and a small minority of native aborigines. The latter were amongst the first people to come to Taiwan, and many scholars believe that they reached this island from the Pacific islands thousands of years ago. They’re a dwindling population now, dominant being the Taiwanese themselves. As in Mainland China, in Taiwan too social norms are fairly flexible- you won’t be frowned at for wearing shorts or for pointing at someone. As long as you’re neat and clean (and polite- yelling at people isn’t the done thing), you won’t be offending too many people. Remember one thing, though: generosity is highly regarded in Taiwan, and should you be invited to a local household, take along a gift of some sort- it’s almost expected of you. Similarly, if you’re at a restaurant with Taiwanese for company, it’s considered good manners to offer to foot the bill- not just part of it. Mandarin Chinese and Taiwanese are

the languages spoken.

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Religion

There are two main religions in Taiwan, Buddhism and Taoism, both of which have thousands of devout followers, lots of temples and a whole string of religious feasts and festivals attached to them. There are some Christians (4.5%) and even fewer followers of animism and other micro cults, but the majority of Taiwanese follow a mixture of Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism.

Food

Most people come to Taiwan expecting the traditional Chinese food- after all Taiwan was once part of China and its people are predominantly from Mainland China. But standard Chinese fare like sweet and sour chicken, chop suey and fried rice are actually quite difficult to find. Taiwanese food is delicious and full of fresh seafood, tofu and all kinds of tasty noodle dishes. A local favourite during the winter is hot pot. If you go for the real ma la ho guo (spicy hot pot), you are most likely to sear your taste buds forever! You may never eat ‘Chinese” again. Vegetarians will be pleased to find a huge selection of tofu dishes all cooked and served to look like meat by Taiwan’s vegetarian Buddhists. The pre-packed meals eaten by locals are called biandongs and are small boxes of lunches and dinners of white rice, vegetables and meat and cost a reasonable NT$50. The Taiwanese are inveterate travelers and in modern Taiwan, you find several establishments catering American style fast food choices as also many Asian specialty restaurants serving Thai, Vietnamese and Indian food and Japanese sashimi and sushi bars. Tanshui, just

a half-hour ride from the centre of Taipei, is easily accessed by train or car and promises a picturesque view of the northeast coast and the best seafood restaurants in Taiwan.

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Culture & Crafts

Taiwan’s culture is much like that of neighbouring China, but somewhat more cosmopolitan- it’s the kind of country where Buddhism is the guiding force for much of the population, where funerals are occasions for great feasting, techno music and bikini clad women. Irreverent, perhaps, but that’s Taiwan- on the one hand, extremely traditional but one the other so completely modern that it can be a bit baffling for the foreigner. Taiwan is virtually a replica of China, and considering the fact that many Taiwanese were originally from China; it’s hardly surprising that much of Taiwan’s culture is Chinese in essence. This applies to the arts and crafts of Taiwan too- you’ll find the same handicrafts as in China, and just as well made. Among the more popular crafts are rattan work, basketry, woodcarvings, jewellery and carved jade. Certain cities and towns in Taiwan are known for speciality crafts; for instance, aboriginal handicrafts, marble and jade are specialties of the town of Hualien (east Taiwan), and Makung (Penghu) is renowned for items- mostly trinkets and the like- made from coral, seashell and agate. Rattan is a specialty

of Kuanmiao, while Kaohsiung is known for brassware. Bamboo furniture and basketry are mainly produced in Chushan and Chiayi, and Sanyi (central Taiwan) is best known for its woodcarvings. All of these items make excellent souvenirs, and you’ll be able to find some of them in Taipei.

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