11 Interesting Facts About Taiwan
The “art of observation” is one important skill a solo traveller will most likely learn to develop along the way. From time to time, as I discover the world, I hope to bring you with me as I share important quirks of a certain place or culture. Here are some observations I would like to share with you as I explored Taiwan in 10 days.
DID YOU KNOW that:
Taiwan has TONS and TONS of 711 and Family Mart stores. These stores grow like mushrooms. They’re everywhere! In these convenience stores, you can buy food, tea, coffee, pay bills, send money, withdraw money and even use a restroom! Talk about real convenience, right?
It can get cold and hot but even though the temperature reaches a comfortable 22 degrees celsius, Taiwanese still like to dress up in layers. Europeans and other travellers from much colder countries would be wearing a shirt, a pair of flip flops and shorts!
Taiwan has a very efficient transport system. The trains stop operations at 12 midnight to avoid inconvenience to residential areas that are located nearby Metro stations and railways.
Taiwan’s official language is Mandarin which is obviously a huge influence coming from China but Taiwan is an island country that operates independently. Taiwanese cuisine has a lot of Chinese influence also. They adore beef noodle soup and use almost all of an animal’s parts in some of their recipes. It is said that the reason why they use every part is because each one of it has a unique taste. These meaty recipes are not about nutrition, but rather about taste.
Taiwan’s taxis look like the yellow taxis in New York, New York!
Milk tea is famous! No wonder it became famous in neighbouring countries in Asia such as the Philippines.
There are bikes available for rent in the cities, especially in Taipei. Tourists can use them, too.
The buses travelling from one city to another have rest rooms. At first glance, you won’t realize this because the rest room is partly hidden. It is usually located in the middle part of the bus. This means that you NEVER go out of the bus to take a pee even though you thought the driver understood you. There is a big chance that you will be left behind.
Because of an obvious Chinese influence, some locals like to SPIT in the streets. It’s the same in the Philippines especially in the provinces. Not a good habit, really.
They are fond of NIGHT MARKETS! This is the best place to see or taste Taiwanese street food. As I mentioned in number 4, you’ll witness that almost every part is used in their cuisine. I asked what meat was the one in the picture below and I was told it was chicken ass.
Did you know that Taiwanese people are so crazy about toy crane machines? Just like 711 and Family mart, toy cranes are everywhere in Taipei. (Thanks to one of the solo travellers I met in Taiwan, Jose Vicente Rapirap, for reminding me of this one).
There has been news buzzing around though which made these toy cranes controversial. The claw game, which usually costs NT$10 to play, is a big phenomenon across the country but it attracted critics due to its unregulated rules and “fake” prizes. Some get hooked only to find out that they won a “non-functioning fake phone”. In 2017, some women wearing bikinis were placed inside the claw machines which drew large crowds and garnered national attention.
These are 11 interesting observations about Taiwan and for sure there are more out there. If you wish to add, feel free to comment. Thank you for reading and feel free to share!
