What to Know Before Visiting Taiwan?

Country Facts:
 If the population of Taiwan was just 100 people, 84 would be Taiwanese, 14
would be mainland Chinese, and 2 would be indigenous, or Formosan.
 Taiwan boasts the largest collection of Chinese art in the world.
 The name "Taiwan" is thought to mean "terraced bay," for the active terrace
building that has taken place on the island.
 Settled in 1590, T'ai-nan is the oldest city in Taiwan.
 The Taiwanese consider it rude to say "no." Instead they may say, "eh, maybe."
 In Taiwan, the number 4 (like the number 13 in America) is considered unlucky.
Buildings such as hospitals and hotels don't have a 4th floor.
 Toilets cannot handle toilet paper in Taiwan. Signs next to the potty instruct
people to place used tissue in the trash can instead.
 It rains almost every afternoon during the summer in Taiwan.
 It takes about eight hours to drive around the entire island of Taiwan.
 In Taiwan, women make up 50.46% of the labor force and 33% of the legislature,
a rate higher than Japan, South Korea, and the United States.
 During the last Ice Age 10,000 years ago, scientists speculate that Taiwan was
connected to mainland China by a land bridge.
 The Portuguese "discovered" Taiwan in 1590 and named it "Ilha Formosa" or
"Beautiful Island."
 The highest mountain in Taiwan is Yu Shan (or Jade Mountain) in Yu Shan
National Park.
 Taiwan has only one Nobel Prize winner, Yuan T. Lee. He won the prize for
chemistry in 1986.
 The most internationally well-known Taiwanese celebrity is Oscar-winning
director Ang Lee.
 The most popular surname in Taiwan is Chen, at around 12% of the population.
Source: https://www.factretriever.com/taiwan-facts

Country Flag:
Capital: Taipei is the capital of Taiwan.
Government: The Republic of China government received Taiwan in 1945 from Japan,
then fled in 1949 to Taiwan with the aim to retake mainland China. ... In reality, the PRC
rules only Mainland China and has no control of but claims Taiwan as part of its territory
under its "One China Principle".
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taiwan,_China
President: Tsai Ing-wen is President of Taiwan since 20 May 2016.
Economy: Taiwan has a dynamic capitalist economy that is driven largely by industrial
manufacturing, and especially exports of electronics, machinery, and petrochemicals.
This heavy dependence on exports exposes the economy to fluctuations in global
demand. For the 2019 estimate, GDP per capita in Taiwan will be $55078 in PPP per
capita and $24828 in nominal per capita.
Population: The population of Taiwan was estimated to be 82 million in 2019.
Religion by Percentage:  Buddhism 35.1%, Taoism, Chinese Buddhism and folk
religion 33.0%, Yiguandao 3.5%, Protestantism 2.6%.
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_Taiwan

Top Taiwan Foods: Taiwan is a food lover’s paradise. From the freshest seafood to the
most delicious street food at the local night markets, there’s something for everybody
when it comes to Taiwanese cuisine. But what are the most famous delicacies this
island has to offer? Below are top “must try” dishes for visitors to Taiwan:

 Yinafei: Yinafei mountain cake is a traditional Taiwanese sticky rice cake or

dumpling that is typically cooked in leaves. This dish is a specialty of the
indigenous Puyuma people, who live in the East Rift Valley in Taiwan. Also
referred to as mountain cake, this rice dumpling resembles another indigenous
dish called alivongvong or alifengfeng, a sticky rice dumpling with a meat filling
which is typical of the Amis aboriginal nation.

 Banun Millet Cake: Bunun millet cake is a traditional Taiwanese dish that is
typical of Aboriginal Taiwanese cuisine. The cake is typically made with local
glutinous varieties of millet such as foxtail millet, common millet, and sorghum.
Millet grits are soaked in water, then boiled, and finally pounded into a sticky
dough, which is then steamed inside a banana leaf wrapping. Traditionally, this
sticky millet cake is sweetened with honey. As its name suggests, this cake is
one of the specialties that have been traditionally prepared by the Bunun people,
for whom millet has long been a prized food crop and a symbol of happiness and
fortune. In Taiwan, these sticky millet cakes, along with millet wine, have
traditionally been prepared for festive occasions and holidays such as New
Year’s Eve and weddings. Other indigenous Taiwanese people including the
Paiwan and the Rukai have also prepared similar millet cakes.

 Cassava and spareribs Soup: This traditional Taiwanese dish is a simple,

clear soup of cassava chunks and pork spareribs. Typical of aboriginal
 Taiwanese cuisine, the soup is usually seasoned with salt, pepper, and rice wine,
and it also contains ingredients such as shallots, ginger, garlic, and fresh herbs.
Warm and filling, this soup has been traditionally prepared by the Saisiyat
people, who live in the mountainous region of Taiwan's Hsinchu and Miaoli
counties.

 Chou Doufu: Chòu dòufu or stinky tofu is a fermented variety of the popular soy
product and the most famous Taiwanese snack. The fermentation process is
highly variable, but it typically includes brine in which tofu is left to sit for up to
one week

 Fried Wild Rat with Basil: Fried wild rat with basil is an unusual delicacy typical
of aboriginal Taiwanese cuisine. The dish is prepared by deep-frying locally
caught wild rats which have been cleaned, skinned, and coated with seasoned
batter, and then flavoring the meat with freshly chopped Taiwanese basil. Said to
have a hint of gaminess in it, the flavor of wild rat meat is often compared to that
of a rabbit. This dish has been traditionally prepared by the indigenous Puyuma
people.

 Millet Qinafu: Traditionally prepared by the indigenous people of Taiwan, millet

qinafu is a sticky cake or dumpling consisting of millet (usually glutinous foxtail
millet) and pork or boar meat, which is typically boiled or steamed in a leaf. Shell
ginger leaves have been most commonly used for the wrapping, but other types
of leaves can also be used, such as bamboo, talibaw (Macaranga tanarius), taro,
banana, liavilu (Nicandra physalodes), or alabolro (Trichodesma khasianum)
leaves. Some variations of the dish call for using a different type of starch instead
of millet, such as taro flour, sticky rice, sorghum, or even bananas. In Taiwan,
millet qinafu has been traditionally prepared on special occasions such as
weddings, naming ceremonies, funerals, and harvest festivals. Versions of this
dish have been made by the Paiwan, Puyuma, and Rukai people.

 Grilled boar with papaya: Grilled boar with papaya is a traditional Taiwanese
dish that is typical of aboriginal Taiwanese cuisine. This specialty uses meat from
the Formosan wild boar, a type of boar native to the mountainous areas of
Taiwan, and combines it with chunks of sweet papaya. The dish has been
traditionally prepared by the Saisiyat indigenous people.

 Alivongvong: Originally made by the Amis, one of Taiwan’s aboriginal nations,

alivongvong is a traditional delicacy comprised of a sticky rice dumpling filled with
meat, and the whole thing is carefully enclosed within a small, hand-crafted leaf
basket. Steamed white and black rice is usually used for the rice dumpling, while
the typical filling contains pork, wild boar meat, or fish and mushrooms. 

Language: There are three main Chinese languages found in Taiwan: Mandarin,
Taiwanese and Hakka. Though the three are often described as "dialects," the fact that
the spoken versions are mutually unintelligible makes them closer to distinct languages
like Romance languages in Europe.

Dress for Men and Women: Women wear conservative suits in blue or gray, elegant
dresses, pantsuits, blouses and skirts. For example, men have to wear suits and ties
with good leathern foot-wear.
Holidays: There are several national holidays in Taiwan such as:
 New Year's Day
 2020 Taiwanese presidential and legislative elections
 Chinese New Year's Eve
 Chinese New Year
 Peace Memorial Day
 Children's Day
 Qingming Festival
 Labour Day
 Dragon Boat Festival
 Mid-Autumn Festival
 National Day of the Republic of China
Travel Tips:

 There is still a language barrier although English is a mandatory subject

throughout the education system, many Taiwanese have little or no chance to
practice their English outside of school.
 Taiwanese people are extremely willing to assist in any way that they can. In fact,
they are so helpful that it’s not uncommon to see lost tourists surrounded by
locals trying to get them to their destination.
 The stores of Taiwan are so well stocked with foreign goods (or their local
equivalents) that there are very few items that expats and tourists could want for
during their stay.
 The local travel card is called an EasyCard, and it makes traveling around the
city a coin free breeze. Originally designed for use on local buses and the MRT
(subway), now convenience stores, supermarkets, Youbikes, and even parking
lots accept them as prepaid credit.
 Staying for a short time doesn’t really happen, those that are planning extended
stays of a year or so generally tend to stay longer.
 This should come as no shock, but there are many that assume they will pick up
the language as they go along and this simply doesn’t happen.
 Taiwanese often carry foldable umbrellas everywhere and with good reason.
 The best time of year to visit is from Oct-Dec, although the occasional typhoons
can spoil the fun. Spring is also nice, although it rains more than during autumn.
During the typhoon season, the east coast bears the brunt of the damage as it is
facing the Pacific Ocean.
  Foreign nationals of the following countries can enter Taiwan visa-free as a
visitor provided that their passports are valid for at least 6 months upon entry.
 Taxis are a dime a dozen in major Taiwanese cities.
 The legal driving age in Taiwan is 18. Luxgen, a Taiwanese automaker is
extremely popular.
 Tipping is generally not practiced in Taiwan, with the possible exception of
bellhops in high end hotels.
 As Taiwan is a subtropical island nation with the south part in the tropics, it
cannot hurt to drink a lot, especially during summertime.
 it is best to drink water both filtered and boiled.
 Taiwan is very safe for tourists, even for women at night. This is not to say,
however, that there is no crime, and you should always exercise caution.

Top 10 Attractions and places to visit:

1. Taipei 101
2. Taroko National Park
3. Sun Moon Lake
4. National Palace Museum
5. Kenting National Park
6. Jioufen
7. Yangmingshan National Park
8. National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall
9. Shi-men Ting
10. Lukang
Taiwan Boys Name:
 Pai-han
 Cheng-han
 Kuwan-lin
 Kuan-ting
 Chia-hao
 Yan-ting
 Che-wei
Top 10 Universities in Taiwan:
1. National Taiwan university
2. National tsing hua university
3. Taipei medical university
4. China Medical University, Taiwan
5. National Chiao Tung University
6. National Cheng Kung University (NCKU)
7. National Taiwan Normal University
 8. Asia University, Taiwan
9. Chang Gung University
10. Fu Jen Catholic University
Top 10 Websites:
1. Google.com
2. Youtube.com
3. Ettoday.net
4. Pixnet.net
5. Yahoo.com
6. Facebook.com
7. Momoshop.com.tw
8. Google.com.tw
9. Ltn.com.tw
10. Setn.com
Top 3 Search engines used:
1. Google
2. Yahoo
3. Bing
Top exports:
 Semiconductors
 Petrochemicals
 Ships
 Displays
 Steel
 Plastics
 Electronics
 Computers
Top 5 Cars:
Top cars in Taiwanincludes:
1. Mercedes Benz
2. Peugeot
3. Nissan skyline
4. Toyota corolla
5. Terios
Natural Disasters:
Many types of natural disasters occur in Taiwansuch as:
 Drought
 Earthquakes
  Typhoons
 Floods
 Landslides
Home Designs / Architecture:
There are independent houses in Taiwan. They are called “toutiencuo” a town-house
like houses which several were built together at the same time with walls being shared
with neighbors. Many were started being built around the 1970s in most cities and
towns. They are two to four stories high.
Deaths and Mortality:
In 2019, death rate for Taiwan Province of China was 7.7 per 1,000 people. Death rate
of Taiwan Province of China increased from 5.3 per 1,000 people in 1970 to 7.7 per
1,000 people in 2019 growing at an average annual rate of 0.75%.
Source: https://knoema.com/atlas/Taiwan/Death-rate