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.

Military and security service personnel strengths

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.

• They need your passport and identification documents of your country of origin, driving license or identification card.
• Primary and secondary education is compulsory, and the country boasts some of the best universities in the world, such as National Taiwan University.
• Especially in the summer, the humid and hot weather makes mosquitos very active.
• Referring to the Republic of China as a whole as “Taiwan Province” will draw a negative reaction from most Taiwanese.
• It has an area of 35,808 square kilometres (13,826 square miles), with mountain ranges dominating the eastern two-thirds and plains in the western third, where its highly urbanized population is concentrated.

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.

Government and politics

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.

Credit/debit cards

The UI number is the number on the Alien Residence Card for those on long-term visas. Short-term tourists can obtain a “UI No. Basic Information Form” for free from the local Immigration Agency office, but it is not accepted by all banks. The larger banks will often have English-speaking staff available to assist foreigners. In fact, most large businesses prefer to do their banking outside of Taiwan due to the restrictive nature of the system on the island. It should be possible to rent a scooter by the day, week or month, depending on the city in which you’re staying.
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.

• Taiwan is a presidential republic modelled after the American system of government, with influences from the traditional Chinese system of government as envisioned by Sun Yat-sen, the founding president of the Republic of China.
• These storms can bring intense rainfall, high winds, and flooding, posing a serious risk to both infrastructure and agriculture.
• Drivers are usually happy to help, but may not speak English or any other foreign language.
• Many Taiwanese practice a blend of Buddhism and Taoism, with elements of Confucianism also influencing cultural practices, particularly around family life and rituals.
• When entering Taiwan, present your Taiwan Entry Permit to Taiwanese immigration officer.
• Many indigenous communities have dogs freely running around their communities.
• In many schools, there is a prejudice against teachers applying for jobs who are not of white appearance, seen as the typical Western appearance in Asian countries.

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 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.

Population growth rate

Just walk into any official shop to apply (also at all international airports). They need your passport and identification documents of your country of origin, driving license or identification card. Importantly, if continuing on to mainland China later, these travel SIMs or Taiwan Mobile’s roaming plans do not censor data there as a local SIM would. Citizens of the above countries presenting an emergency or temporary passport will be required to apply for a visa on arrival by supplying a passport photo and paying a fee of NT$2,400, or NT$800 for citizens of countries with reciprocal agreements.

Military exercises

Initially very repressive, the government began to loosen control in its fourth decade under the leadership of Chiang Kai-shek’s son, Chiang Ching-kuo. Taiwan also experienced rapid economic growth and modernisation under the leadership of Chiang Ching-kuo, becoming one of the world’s richest and most modern economies and earning it a place as one of the East Asian Tigers. Today, Taiwan is generally regarded as a modern, developed economy, and is the world’s largest producer of semiconductor chips.
Hence, a trip from Kaohsiung or Pingtung to Kenting will be stated with 3-4 hr, even though it will just take 1 hr. Therefore, it will also often suggesting the wrong connections and transfers. However, it gives a very good indication on the possible route, vehicle number(s), frequency, availability and price of buses and trains. A popular holdover from the Japanese colonial era is the railway bento tradition, known in Taiwan as the Taiwan Railway Bento (臺鐵便當 tái tiě biàn dàng).
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.
At the end of your travel, do not put too much money onto your card, because it can only be given back and cashed-out at certain locations, like some THSR stations. In addition to the NT$100 purchase fee, there is a NT$20 fee for returning the card within 3 months. Besides saving you the hassle of having proper change ready for your ticket, it mostly always gives discount on the chosen journeys. For instance, the price for any train queenwin casino (TRA) is calculated based on the price of a local train and a 10% discount.

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.
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. The standard prefix for international calls from Taiwan is 002, though some other companies may use alternative prefixes at lower rates. Most payphones work with telephone cards (電話卡) which are available at all convenience stores. Introduced in the mid-2010s, this is Taiwan’s free, convenient and widespread WiFi, and answer to today’s mobile-dependent population.
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.