When visiting temples, be sure to enter using the right gate and exit using the left gate (facing inwards). The larger middle gate is traditionally reserved for deities and the Emperor of China, a bit like the central archway of London’s Admiralty Arch. Also be sure to avoid pointing at the statues of deities with your index finger, as it is considered to be very disrespectful.
Confucianism serves as the foundation of both Chinese and Taiwanese culture. The majority of Taiwanese people usually combine the secular moral teachings of Confucianism with whatever religions they are affiliated with. Each province is subdivided into cities and counties, which are further divided into townships and county-administered cities. Some divisions are indigenous divisions which have different degrees of autonomy to standard ones. In addition, districts, cities and townships are further divided into villages and neighborhoods.
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Although the two sides briefly united against Japan during World War II, they quickly began fighting again after the war was over. The Nationalist government, remnants of their army, and hundreds of thousands of supporters then fled to Taiwan, but also retained control of several offshore islands of Fujian. From Taipei, they continued to assert their right as the sole legitimate government of all China.
Culture
There are also the standard fast food places such as McDonalds (a standard Big Mac Meal costs NT$140), KFC and MOS Burger. In addition, there are large numbers of convenience stores (such as 7-Eleven and Family Mart) that sell things like tea eggs, sandwiches, bento boxes (便當) and drinks. Michelin publishes a guide to restaurants and covers major cities in Taiwan. That said, many locals take the Michelin guide with a pinch of salt because of a gap between the guide and the locals.
Agriculture, while not as dominant as industry, remains an important sector, with Taiwan producing rice, fruits, vegetables, and tea, which are staples of both the domestic market and international exports. Taiwan is also home to several lakes, such as Sun Moon Lake, located in the central part of the island. Taiwan’s waterways, including the rivers and lakes, are crucial for transportation, particularly in rural areas, as well as for supporting the country’s agricultural and industrial needs. Taiwan’s landscape is characterized by dramatic topography, which includes rugged mountains, fertile plains, and coastal areas. The island’s mountainous terrain is a dominant feature, with the Central Mountain Range running from north to south. These mountains, which include the island’s highest peak, Yushan (Jade Mountain), reaching an elevation of 3,952 meters (12,966 feet), account for roughly two-thirds of Taiwan’s land area.
Most of Taiwan’s rivers originate on the slopes of the Chung-yang Range, and those that flow east are steeper and have faster flowing currents than those that flow west. Riverbeds of the west-flowing streams, after leaving the mountains, tend to be wide and shallow and that, together with the fact that those rivers carry considerable silt, makes managing water resources difficult. The Cho-shui (Zhuoshui) River in central Taiwan is the island’s longest, at 116 miles (186 km), and the Kao-p’ing (Gaoping) River in the south has the largest drainage basin. Most of the farmland and consequently most of the population are to be found on the western part of the island.
When warring troops stopped fighting and shared a picnic
All hot springs will have shower areas where you must wash yourself and rinse off all the foam before entering the pool; not doing so is a major faux pas even if you are a foreigner. Ferries connect the main island of Taiwan with some of the outlying islands. There are ferries from Keelung to the Matsu islands, from Kaohsiung to the Penghu islands, and from Taitung to Orchid Island and Green Island.
When in Kinmen or Matsu, you should call the country the “Republic of China”, and use “Taiwan” only to refer to the island of Taiwan. Unless you know your listener well, it is unwise to say anything (either positive or negative) about the current government, about historical figures in Taiwanese history, about Taiwan’s international relations, or about relations with mainland China. Some political figures such as Sun Yat-sen (who is also popular in the PRC and with the Chinese government) and Chiang Ching-kuo are generally seen positively, but others (Chiang Kai-shek, Lee Teng-hui, Chen Shui-bian, and Ma Ying-jeou) arouse very polarized feelings. Many foreigners end up doing the same job as their colleagues who were employed in the Taiwan office but for perhaps 3 or 4 times their pay. If you like to use a credit card, the seller normally wants to add anything up to 8% to the price as a “card fee” etc.
Most Taiwanese are very accepting of foreigners and react with curiosity and admiration for trying the local tongue. Generally, most people in Taiwan converse using a combination of Mandarin and Taiwanese by code-switching. Taiwan’s official languages are four varieties of Chinese — Mandarin, Taiwanese (a dialect of Minnan), Hakka, and Matsu dialect — as well as the indigenous Austronesian languages.
Japanese occupation
More than 8,300 people have been evacuated from their homes in Taiwan ahead of the weakened typhoon Fung-wong’s arrival in the southern part of the island on Wednesday. Taiwan is home to a rich literary tradition, with classical Chinese literature playing a central role in Taiwanese education. In recent years, Taiwanese writers have gained recognition for their works, which often explore themes of identity, politics, and modern life. The promotion of the Taiwanese language (Hokkien) and indigenous languages is also important in queenwin casino the context of Taiwan’s cultural revival. The political scene in Taiwan is characterized by competition between the DPP and the KMT, with debates over the country’s future relations with China, economic policy, and social issues. Taiwan’s political environment remains dynamic, with ongoing discussions about national identity, sovereignty, and democracy.
This is reminiscent of incense sticks at a temple, and has connotations of wishing death upon those around you. When putting down chopsticks, either place them on the provided porcelain chopstick rest (at fancier restaurants) or rest the chopsticks across the top of your bowl. Also, do not use your chopsticks to spear your food or move bowls and plates. As with Chinese cuisine elsewhere, food in Taiwan is generally eaten with chopsticks and served on large plates placed at the center of the table and shared among multiple people. Oftentimes, a serving spoon or pair of communal chopsticks (公筷 gōngkuài) accompanies the dishes and guests do not use their own chopsticks to transfer food to their plates.
- Mandarin, Taiwanese and Hakka are all tonal languages, and are difficult for most foreigners to master.
- Popular locally, and gaining traction with foreign tourists due to YouTube and travel bloggers, is the pastime of indoor shrimp fishing.
- Numerous indigenous Taiwanese have had successful careers in the entertainment industry, perhaps the most famous example being the singer Kulilay Amit, better known by her Chinese name Chang Huei-mei, who is of Puyuma ethnicity.
- Taekwondo was introduced to Taiwan in 1966 for military training and has become a mature and successful combat sport in Taiwan.537 The first two Olympic gold medals won by Taiwanese athletes belong to the sport.
- — and reliability and turning up on time for work are the major factors for keeping your job.
- Even in Taipei and New Taipei there are a variety of trails to suit hikers of any level.
- China gained control there in the late 17th century and ruled Taiwan for some two centuries.
You can also avoid the queues for long-distance tickets at major stations by buying your tickets from the automated ticket machines. The English prompts on the automated machines are hard to spot but they are present, usually in the top left corner of the screen. The stations and platforms are wheelchair-friendly and all trains include a wheelchair-accessible car (wider doors, ample space, accessible bathroom). It costs NT$14 to get in and out of the same railway station within an hour, in case you instead decide to take the bus.
- Rice, noodles, and seafood are staples of the diet, while vegetables and fruits are abundant due to the island’s fertile land.
- The Chinese government in Beijing has maintained that it has jurisdiction over Taiwan and has continued to propound a one-China policy—a position that few countries in the world dispute.
- If you’re on a budget, the cheapest food can be found in back-alley noodle shops and night market stalls, where you can get a filling bowl of noodles for around NT$35-70.
- Other key rivers include the Tamsui River in the north, which flows through the capital, Taipei, and the Love River in Kaohsiung, which is central to the city’s geography.
- As of January 2025, there are 3 three-starred Michelin star restaurants in Taiwan.
Jobs teaching other languages (mainly European or Japanese) do exist but have a much smaller proportion of the market. In finding employment with a language school, experience, teaching qualifications and references are not required but obviously help. As Taiwan is a subtropical island with the southern part in the tropics, it cannot hurt to drink a lot, especially during the summertime. Drink vending machines can be found virtually everywhere and are filled with all kinds of juices, tea and coffee drinks, soy milk and mineral water. Due to the increase in Southeast Asian visitors or workers in Taiwan, many of them Muslims, you can find halal (清真, qīngzhēn) food with some patience, despite pork being a main part of Chinese cuisine. In fact, some convenience stores have created halal food corners for Muslims.
As Taiwan was spared from the Cultural Revolution, the Taiwanese have also retained some elements of traditional Chinese culture that have been lost in mainland China. Defeated by the Japanese, the Qing Empire ceded Taiwan to Japan under the terms of the treaty of Shimonoseki in 1895. Japan ruled the island until the end of World War II in 1945, and exerted profound influences on its development.
According to the sole water company of Taiwan, tap water is in general safe to drink. However, most locals prefer to boil the tap water before drinking in order to eliminate residual chlorine and bacteria. Taiwan is also on the Pacific Ring of Fire, which means that earthquakes are a common occurrence.