Culture Walls

Geography

Taiwan is located in Eastern Asia and its neighboring countries are China, Japan and the Philippines. The capital of Taiwan is Taipei and it is located in the northern part of the country. Taiwan is about the size of Massachusetts and Connecticut combined. 

 Taiwan has many different types of landforms like mountain or volcanic ranges, rivers and other bodies of water. The highest mountain in Taiwan is Yushan. Yushan is 13,110 feet tall or 3,996 meters tall. 

Population

The population of Taiwan taken in 2003 is 22,370,46 people. In Taiwan the most common age for males to live is 73.81 years. The common age for females to live is 79.51 years. In Taiwan most people over age 15 can read and write. 

Climate

In Taiwan the typical weather patterns, are 16^oC (in the winter) and it ranges between 24^oC and 30^oC the rest of the year. Also in Taiwan the humidity is about 80%. In Taiwan, they usually have monsoons, in winter and summer, and high, strong winds. 

Economy

The currency in Taiwan is the New Taiwan Dollar or NT$. In Taiwan there are many small cottage industries and they could easily change global economic trends in Taiwan.

 Religion

In Taiwan 93 percent (of the people) practice a combination of Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism. About 5 percent (of the people) are Christians, of various types. Worshiping rituals and beliefs come from the Buddhism religion. But the Confucianism, emphasizes ancestor veneration and is not a religion among the Chinese people.

Taipei Temple

Non-Verbal Communication

In Taiwan they have different ways to do things like point and wave but they still have the same meaning. For example: when you point to a person or thing, you use your open hand (not your index finger, like in the United States). Also, in the United States when saying "no" you shake your head (left to right), but in Taiwan when saying "no", you shake your hand from side to side and your palm faces forward. When you wave, you would shake all of your fingers, but your palm but be facing downward. There are also many body gestures like winking, passing things with one hand and putting your arm around another's shoulder that are considered impolite. 

Food

In Taiwan the most common type of crop is rice. Some people grow their own food, but most food is bought from a market and cooked at home. Every dinner meal is eaten with rice and every food is placed in it except for bones and seeds. Soup, seafood, pork, chicken, vegetables and fruit are common food but are not the staple food (rice). Every person at the table gets their own rice bowl and when it is empty it is refilled.

In Taiwan most people eat with chopsticks and a soup spoon. A typical days menu would be a light breakfast, a lunch eaten in a cafeteria or restaurant (for working people), or boxed lunch made at home (for children in school). Dinner is the main meal and it includes soup, rice, and meat and/or vegetables.  

Useful Expressions:

In Taiwan the official language is Mandarin Chinese. But, many people also speak Taiwanese which is the language of the first Chinese immigrants. Hakka is another Chinese dialect spoken in Taiwan. Some people know Japanese and aborigines speak some of their own language.

English

Translation

Have you eaten?/How are you?

 Chr bau le meiyou?

 Are you at peace?

Ni hau ma?

Is everything okay?

Hai hau ma?

Please sit.

Ching tzou.