The peculiarity of the Taiwanese soul. Taiwan Customs and Traditions Residential Property Tax

The Taiwanese people are very interesting and their culture is fascinating. Traditions are something that intrigues citizens from different countries.

And who inhabits this country?

The backbone is Han nationality. These are those citizens who moved to the country from mainland China. The first migrations began about four hundred years ago. According to the stories of local citizens, these are the people who, for various reasons, were wanted by the government of the Chinese monarchy, and in this state they found their salvation.

The second stage of migration to the island is the time when the last Chinese Qin dynasty ruled (that is, the nineteenth century).

In 1949, World War II ends, followed by the end of the war in China.

During this period, in addition to Hanei, the Hakka (Ke Jia) lived here. These people have wider eyes than the Taiwanese Chinese and dark skin. In addition to the above-mentioned peoples, this country is inhabited by “aboriginals” - nationalities (about nine) who have lived here for a long time, even before citizens of the Han nationality arrived here.

The official language is Chinese. Almost the entire population of the state (approximately 90%) speaks it fluently. The next most common dialect is the Taiwanese dialect. It was “brought” from Fu Jian Province by the mainland Chinese. The Hakka people speak the Khaki language, and the aborigines speak their own dialect. Some of them have difficulty speaking Chinese.

Taiwanese soul

What is she like? How is it different from ours (Russian)?

The first is the politeness of the population everywhere (both in the provinces and in the city). If you go to a store and don’t find the product you need on the shelves, the seller will even explain to you why this or that item is not there. Then also apologize to you for the inconvenience caused.

If you speak English, then don't worry, it's not a problem. Almost all the young people in the country will be able to talk to you. If you don’t know either Chinese or English, you’ll never get lost here anyway. The locals are very kind and helpful.

The people of the country are very decent, and they are also very careful about everything that entails responsibility. Local citizens usually answer specific questions with long phrases.

They never give a definite answer in order to leave themselves a path to retreat if they don’t like something.

Local citizens lead a healthy lifestyle. The elderly get up at five in the morning, gather in groups and practice Chinese gymnastics.

The country's youth are indifferent to alcoholic beverages and tobacco. Young men and women spend their free time playing sports or in social circles.

Psychologists say that people who live in a country with a hot climate are more cheerful and optimistic. Their words are based on medical research. This state of affairs cannot but affect the general mood of the nation. The Taiwanese are excellent proof that the above theory is correct. There is always a smile on the faces of the local population, which, as you understand, is accompanied by endless energy.

It is surprising that the residents of this state know little about the Russian Federation. What they know about Russia is that the country is far away. In addition, they heard that it was cold there and there was a lot of vodka. If you tell the Taiwanese that there are live bears walking around our cities, many will take your word for it. Of course, in recent years everything has been slowly changing for the better, but it is happening too slowly. By the way, few people in Russia know about such a country as Taiwan. For some reason, many people call this state Thailand.

The island of Taiwan is located in the Pacific Ocean 150 kilometers from the People's Republic of China. Formally, it is part of the PRC, but in fact considers itself a separate state. When the Portuguese arrived on the island in the 16th century, they named it Formosa or Beautiful Island. Taiwan has retained its beauty to this day, despite the fact that the economy and industry began to develop at an accelerated pace, and the island has become one of the most economically successful regions in Asia. For decades now, it has attracted travelers, businessmen and students from all over the world, because life in Taiwan is extremely rich and varied.

Pros and cons of living in Taiwan

Speaking about the positive aspects of life in Taiwan, the first thing to note is the friendliness and responsiveness of the local population. The culture of behavior of the island's inhabitants is the first thing that catches the eye of any foreigner. Russians in Taiwan often note that Taiwanese do not throw garbage on the street, do not take seats on public transport reserved for older people, and even line up at bus stops.

The food deserves special attention. Local cuisine is a unique mixture of Chinese, Japanese and Korean culinary traditions. There is a cult of food here. The Instagram and Facebook pages of young Taiwanese are flooded with food photos. There are small shops scattered throughout the island where you can buy ready-made food that you just need to heat up (this can be done right in the store).

The only drawback is the very expensive dairy products that are imported from Australia or New Zealand. For example, 100 grams of cheese will cost about 200 rubles. Although, if you are only going to relax in Taiwan and not move there to live, this will not be a problem.

The main disadvantage of living in Taiwan is the weather. It rains here very often: during the so-called rainy season, tropical downpours can last for weeks. In winter there is very high humidity and quite cold, and the houses do not have central heating. In summer it is also very humid, which, combined with the heat, creates the effect of a real steam room. However, it also has its charms: in the south of the island it is warm enough even in winter, so you can swim in the ocean all year round.

High quality of life

In 1987, the country set a course for economic freedom and democratization of society, and from that moment rapid economic growth began. Now we can safely say that over the years, Taiwan has become a highly competitive country with a developed technology sector.

Taiwan has one of the highest standards of living in Asia. There is freedom of the press, affordable healthcare, political and economic rights and freedoms. It should be noted that Taiwan's economy is very different from the economic structure of mainland China. At one time, Taiwan benefited from the flight of well-educated wealthy Chinese from mainland China - at the beginning of the Qing dynasty, supporters of the previous Ming dynasty quickly moved to this island in order to survive.

Healthcare

And finally, the most interesting thing is the restriction of travel abroad for debtors. It is the status of the debtor that is easiest to “forget” when getting ready for your next vacation abroad. The reason may be overdue loans, unpaid housing and communal services receipts, alimony or fines from the traffic police. Any of these debts may threaten to restrict travel abroad in 2018; we recommend finding out information about the presence of debt using the proven service nevylet.rf

The basis of Taiwanese healthcare is insurance medicine.

Taiwan's universal health insurance program, adopted in 1995, is now considered one of the most effective in the world.

Its characteristic features are active support from the state and a low level of contributions. The size of the contribution depends on the size of the annual income and the number of so-called dependents in the family (children and the elderly).

All working citizens make monthly contributions. For those who are just starting to work, the amount of the insurance premium does not exceed 5% of the monthly salary. Every Taiwanese citizen who has reached the age of 40 is entitled to receive free medical care once a year, and citizens who have reached the age of 65 receive this right twice during the year. Health insurance is voluntary, but it covers 97% of the population.

Education system

Almost all residents of the island are certified specialists, since it is almost impossible to get a job in Taiwan without a higher education.

Children start school early (ages 4-6) and study for 12 years. After 9th grade, you can go to work, but few choose this option, since without completing school education, you cannot enter a higher educational institution. Admission to a university occurs based on the results of a selection process, which is carried out in the final year of school.

The most popular is the bachelor's degree (4 years), and only half of the students go on to the master's degree (2 years). It should be taken into account that training in some specialties requires more time: for example, to become a doctor you need to study for seven years. To enter the university you will need knowledge of Chinese or English. Moreover, the choice of language of instruction remains with the student.

Higher education institutions in Taiwan

There are private and public universities on this sunny island, but both are subject to fees for both local residents and visitors. At the same time, you can always take out a bank loan for education. Sometimes universities offer their own scholarship programs. In Taiwan, the Bologna education system operates: 4 years of bachelor's degree and two years of master's degree.

Many local universities have received international recognition and occupy quite high places in various educational rankings. For example, National Taiwan University is one of the top 100 best universities in the world and one of the top three universities in Asia.

Moreover, studying here is more like studying at Harvard than at Moscow State University. Also very popular are: Pedagogical University (Taiwan Normal University, Political University (National Chengchi University), Chenggong University and Tamkang University.

If the purpose of your trip is to study the Chinese language, you should pay attention to the Pedagogical University (Taiwan Normal University). The best teachers in the country work there, publishing 99% of the methodological literature.

If you decide to enroll in a higher education institution in Taiwan, be sure to be patient - the admission process usually takes up to six months.

How much does it cost to study in Taiwan?

Tuition varies depending on the institution, but on average a semester will cost 1,300 US dollars (from 1,000 to 1,670). Of course, a semester at a private university will cost significantly more than at a public university. The situation is similar with textbooks: materials for studying at a private university will cost an average of $250, while textbooks for a public university will cost only $70.

As elsewhere in the world, Taiwanese students predominantly live in dormitories, but there are separate dormitories for men and women. Two to four people can live in one room. Wealthier students have the opportunity to rent a room or even an apartment. We will tell you more about real estate prices below.

Real estate prices

It is not entirely correct to talk about real estate prices in Taiwan by measuring area in square meters. They have their own system of measures. So, the area is measured not in square meters, but in pins (a pin is a square measuring 1.82 by 1.82 meters with an area of ​​3.312 sq. m).

According to available data, in 2019, one pin costs an average of $22,650. If we count in square meters, then in the capital of Taiwan, Taipei, 1 meter of housing costs on average $6,851, in the cities of Taoyuan and Taichung it is slightly cheaper - $6,666.

How much does it cost to rent a house?

Monitoring rental prices in the capital of the island provides the following information:

• The average monthly rent for a $2 million home would be $2,000.
• A room of 12 square meters (with a shared bathroom for four rooms) will cost only $100.
• A one-room apartment without a kitchen will cost an average of $175.
• A one-room apartment with a kitchen will cost about $225 per month.

These prices are relevant for not the most prestigious areas of Taipei. Speaking about other cities, we can safely divide the above figures in two.

How much will it cost to buy a home?

Property prices in central Taipei and the so-called good areas are two to three times higher than throughout the rest of the island.

According to the Bank of America Merrill Lynch news agency, real estate prices in Taiwan have increased by 90% since 2008. To put this into perspective, it will take the average Taipei resident with a salary of a thousand dollars approximately 15 years to purchase a one-room apartment in a not very elite area with an area of ​​15 pins.

Residential property tax

According to Taiwan's land law, the annual rent from residential properties should not exceed 10% of the property's value. As for foreign citizens who own real estate in Taiwan, they are required to annually transfer 1.38% of the current value of the property to the state as a real estate tax.

Security questions

Today, Taiwan is considered one of the safest countries in the world - the police here really know their stuff. This country is also considered one of the most comfortable for travelers, since it is calm here and the crime rate is extremely low.

What also makes life easier for travelers is that many local residents speak English, and all signs and signs are necessarily duplicated in English, which greatly simplifies orientation in space for those who do not speak Chinese.

The only thing that a traveler who is planning to visit this country should definitely take care of is health insurance and vaccinations.

For example, vacationers are strongly recommended to get vaccinated in advance against yellow fever, which poses a direct threat to human health and life. You should also adhere to the standard rules: do not drink unboiled water and thoroughly wash fruits and vegetables.

Job Opportunities in Taiwan

Taiwan is rightfully considered one of the world leaders in the production of high-tech products. Industries such as petrochemistry, metallurgy, mechanical engineering, textile industry, financial market, tourism and the service sector in general are actively developing here.

Prices in Taiwan

With the exception of real estate, prices for all other goods and services in Taiwan are not very high - 500 US dollars is enough for a month of modest living for an entire family, including food costs, rent, clothing and even education. If you move deeper into the island, away from Taipei, prices there will be even more affordable: on average, two times lower, so a month of living will cost only $250 for an entire family.

A small portion of food from a tray will cost 50 rubles (Russian, of course), a bottle of wine will cost 250 rubles, bamboo rice will cost approximately 135 rubles, and a three-course set lunch in a Taiwanese restaurant will cost from 150 to 200 rubles.

An entrance ticket to the Taipei Zoo costs only 116 rubles, and a ride on a historical Japanese train in Yun Hsien Park costs 193 rubles.

Attitude towards Russians

The attitude of the local population towards the residents of a country is not just that: it usually depends on the geopolitical situation, relationships between countries, characteristics of socio-economic life and other factors.

Over the past decades, Taiwan has become a very popular holiday destination among Americans and Europeans, but there are still very few Russian tourists here, not to mention the fact that Russian emigrants in Taiwan are generally a rarity.

The words “Russia” or “Russian” always surprise the residents of Taiwan, which is why our tourists enjoy increased interest from the local population.

If you start a conversation with a local resident, he will definitely ask you about what they eat in Russia and is it true that it is as cold there as they say?

The thing is that for almost half a century Taiwan and Russia had no contact: after World War II, ties between the states were broken, and no one was eager to restore them. In 2000, about 90 Russian citizens lived on the island, who unofficially united into a kind of Russian community in Taiwan. Now there are, of course, more of them, but not by much.

15 facts about Taiwan: Video

The so-called Republic of China, which actually occupies the island of Taiwan and several other small islands, is not particularly popular among Russian and Western tourists due to its remoteness and lack of prominent attractions. Nevertheless, this small but very densely populated country is of interest to urbanists, nature lovers, and “specific” tourism on the topic of unrecognized states, transport, hot spots and Eastern religions. In addition, a traveler in Taiwan will be pleased with good infrastructure and very low prices by the standards of developed countries. In a word, Taiwan is a strong middle peasant among the countries of the Far East, recommended for visiting for people who have already studied this region a little.

Geography

Taroko Gorge, Eastern Taiwan

The island of Taiwan, also known as Formosa, is a bit like Israel in shape and size: it stretches from north to south, about 500 km in length and 200 km in width. Despite its small size, the island is very diverse in terms of nature and landscapes. The western half of the island (“ecumene”) is a densely populated plain dotted with cities, of which the four most important are Taipei, Taichung, Tainan and Kaohsiung. In the northern part this plain is somewhat more hilly than in the southern part. The eastern half, with the exception of a narrow coastal strip, is occupied by high mountains and volcanoes up to 5000 m high; almost no one lives in these mountains, with the exception of aboriginal tribes.

In addition to the island of Formosa, Taiwan controls several other small islands, divided into three archipelagos: two to the west of Formosa and one to the east. The most famous of the islands is tiny Qinmen, located just a few kilometers from the mainland city of Xiamen.

Taiwan's administrative divisions are unusual and reflect its complex political history. The country is divided into two provinces: Taiwan, which occupies the entire island of Formosa, and Fujian (not to be confused with the Fujian Province in China!), which occupies the two archipelagos closest to the mainland.

The climate in Taiwan is mild and pleasant, located at the junction of the tropics and subtropics. Snow occurs only in the mountains, while on the plains the temperature drops below +20 only in a couple of winter months. The rainy season is in summer, as in the countries of Southeast Asia.

Story

Since ancient times, wild tribes related to the Malays lived in Taiwan. Chinese expansion began quite late and was contained for a long time by imperial officials. At one time in the 17th century. The island was owned by the Dutch. Only in the 19th century. The Chinese began to actively populate the island and assimilate the aborigines. The first separation of Taiwan from China occurred at the end of the 19th century, when Taiwan was annexed by Japan. Japanese rule lasted until the end of World War II, after which Taiwan was reunited with China, but not for long: already in 1949, Chinese dictator Chiang Kai-shek fled to Taiwan from the communists and managed to gain a foothold there with the help of American ships that blocked the strait.

Chiang Kai-shek died at a ripe old age in 1975, and until his death he ruled alone. In the 1980s, the seeds of democracy began to appear in Taiwan, which later grew into a Japanese-style parliamentary democracy. At the same time, rapid economic growth began. But at the same time, the basis of the state ideology has not changed: Taiwan still considers itself the legitimate center of all of China, but does not recognize the communist government of the PRC. Attempts by individual politicians to declare Taiwan independent from China were blocked in referendums. The mutual warming of relations with China in recent years has created some prospect of Hong Kong-style reunification. In the meantime, Taiwan remains the only developed unrecognized state in the world.

Population

Taiwan's population is heterogeneous and is divided into several ethnic groups. Taiwanese aborigines make up less than 5% of the population, and are divided into 9 tribes. The lowland tribes have assimilated almost completely, while the mountain tribes still retain their folk culture, which is close to the Philippine one. The Chinese of the first wave of immigration speak mainly South Min (aka Taiwanese) and Hakka dialects. They make up the majority of the country's population. Another 15% are Chinese of the second wave of immigration who fled the Mao Zedong regime; they speak mainly the northern (“Mandarin”) dialect.

Languages

Taiwan is a multilingual country. There are three main languages, all of which belong to the Chinese language family: Mandarin, Taiwanese and Hakka. Most advertisements on transport are duplicated in all three languages ​​or only in the first two. Only Mandarin is considered the official language, but most people communicate with each other in Taiwanese. In writing, these three languages ​​do not differ, since they are written in the same hieroglyphs. The characters in Taiwan are different from those in most other countries of the Chinese world: these are the so-called Chinese traditional characters, they are also used in Japan and Hong Kong. They differ from ordinary Chinese characters in their more complex style, although many characters look identical to ordinary ones. Occasionally in Taiwan you can see ordinary hieroglyphs - apparently, they are intended for Chinese tourists.

The system of romanization of Chinese words in Taiwan, unlike the PRC, is inconsistent. Slowly, the Taiwanese are switching to the Pinyin system, which is widespread in the PRC, but many names are usually written in other, older systems.

English is the fourth main language of Taiwan. Duplicate signs and announcements in English can often be found, especially in government agencies and transport. However, a very small percentage of the population speaks English, and many private signs do not have English dubbing. In general, we can say that speaking English in Taiwan is clearly easier than in the PRC, but more difficult than anywhere else. Japanese is not a popular language, although many Taiwanese speak it a little.

Religions

Like other parts of the Chinese world, Taiwan has a religious syncretism of Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism. But, unlike all other Chinese, the residents of Taiwan take religion seriously: there are many temples, they are often overcrowded, and various colorful events are held with the active participation of ordinary parishioners. Another important difference from the PRC is the spread of numerous modern sects of their own Chinese origin - at one time, many sectarians fled to Taiwan from the mainland, where their teachings continue to be banned. The most famous of the sects is Falun Gong, also known as Falun Dafa, which is strictly prohibited on the mainland. Of the other religions, Christianity is the most prominent: there are large churches in all major cities.

Visa

A visa to Taiwan is required for citizens of all CIS countries and is not required for citizens of the EU, USA and Israel. The Taiwan visa is moderately complex, and the list of documents is approximately equal to the Schengen one. Since most countries in the world, including Russia, do not recognize Taiwan, Taiwanese consulates are usually called trade or cultural missions. But in fact, these are ordinary consulates with their own visa departments. There are usually no people at Taiwanese consulates, since this country is not particularly popular with tourists.

In Moscow, a Taiwanese visa requires tickets, a hotel reservation, a certificate from work and a certificate from a bank. Taiwan can also issue visas in other Asian countries (Bangkok, Hong Kong, etc.) without proof of residence - in this case, tickets, hotel reservations and a certificate from a bank or an ATM statement or a printout of an Internet bank statement are required. Failure cases are extremely rare. Visas are issued for a period of 14 to 90 days, the fee is 50 US dollars for normal processing (5 working days), 75 US dollars for urgent processing (2 working days). If you have air tickets for several entries, you can get a multiple-entry visa, in which case the fee is doubled.

Contrary to popular belief, Taiwan is not in a state of “visa war” with the PRC: a mainland visa is not an obstacle to obtaining a Taiwan visa, and vice versa, after a trip to Taiwan you can get a PRC visa.

How to get

Oddly enough, Taiwan, being an island state, has not developed a developed low-cost aviation system, so getting to the island will often cost a pretty penny. There are two national airlines China Airlines And EVA Air, the prices for both are approximately the same. There are no direct flights from Russia and the CIS; there are from Europe, but not many, so all the country’s airports serve mainly the Asian region. There is no “native” low-cost airline; there are mainly flights from Southeast Asian countries: Cebu Pacific from the Philippines, Air Asia from Malaysia, Tiger and Jetstar from Singapore, Scoot from Singapore, Japan and Korea. The main hub for Taiwanese is Hong Kong, where many flights depart daily, but prices are not always low there.

Flights to China resumed several years ago, and now there are not so few of them: you can get direct flights to many major cities in China.

The country's largest air hub is Taipei-Taoyuan Airport, followed by Taipei-Songshan, Kaohsiung and Taichung. Sporadic international flights depart from Tainan and Hualien. Airport infrastructure in Taiwan is at a surprisingly low level, reminiscent of Russia, this also applies to the main airport Taoyuan, which has not changed much over the past 30 years. Kaohsiung Airport looks more modern, but is small in size.

Transport

Aviation

After the introduction of high-speed trains, domestic aviation in Taiwan almost died out as unnecessary, with only a few flights remaining from Taipei to Kaohsiung.

Railways

High Speed ​​Trains HSR

In Taiwan, as in Russia, the main intercity transport is the railway.

Taiwan's railway system consists of one main ring line that encircles the entire island and passes through all the main cities of the country. The railway is completely electrified and in many ways resembles the Japanese one. In addition to the main line, there is also a bypass line that bypasses Taichung from the west, and several dead-end side lines, of which the most famous is the tourist railway that departs from the main circle in Chiayi City and goes up to Mount Alishan.

There are three types of trains. Local trains are an analogue of electric trains; they stand at each pole and travel only over short distances (up to 100 km). CK Express class trains travel much faster, covering the entire island from north to south in 5-6 hours. Limited Express trains are slightly faster and more expensive, making few stops. Travel from Taipei to Kaohsiung costs about 600 yuan on CK Express, 800 yuan on Limited Express. All express trains run only on the main ring; there is only local service on the side lines. All trains are seated, there is only one night train, it leaves Taipei for Kaohsiung at 23.00. The frequency of express trains during the day on the ring is once every 30-60 minutes.

Train stations in Taiwan are small, but quite comfortable. There is a restaurant and storage room. Tickets can be purchased both at the box office and from vending machines, and in the vending machines the information is always duplicated in English. For all trains, except local ones, tickets are sold with seats, but if there are no free seats, you can buy a ticket without a seat for the same money and travel standing.

In addition to the regular railway, there is the HSR high-speed line, similar to the Japanese Shinkansen. It connects Taipei Main Station with Zuoying Station in the suburbs of Kaohsiung. For most of the route, the line runs about 10 km to the side of the main ring, Taichung and Tainan stations are located outside these cities, and can be reached from the center by shuttle buses. Intervals throughout the day are about 30 minutes, the journey is only 2 hours, but the fare is significantly higher than on a regular train: approximately 1800 yuan for a ticket Taipei - Kaohsiung.

Buses

Although Taiwanese primarily travel by train, there is also a large intercity bus network. Bus fares usually correspond roughly to the cheapest class of CK Express intercity trains. Usually buses go along the autobahn, and the travel time is about the same as by train. Bus stations in most cities are located next to railway stations, tickets are sold in the Asian style - at the box office of private companies. Some buses do not go to bus stations - they depart from parking lots located on the street near the bus station; There are often miniature waiting rooms near such parking lots.

Buses run frequently on common destinations in the ecumene, but in mountainous areas you can also encounter a “one bus a day” situation, and on some beautiful mountain roads there is no through bus service at all.

Roads and hitchhiking

Taiwan is crisscrossed by a network of toll highways similar to those in China. Autobahns have duplicate country roads, but they are much slower, as they go through a continuous agglomeration. There are no highways in the mountains, but there are several through roads from west to east. Hitchhiking on the island is better than on the mainland, although it is complicated by traffic jams and the need to somehow get onto the highways.

Urban transport

Taiwan has two subway systems: in Taipei and Kaohsiung, both of which are mostly underground. The fare is zonal, the ticket costs from 20 to 60 yuan. Apart from the metro, as well as the new tram in Taipei, there is no electric transport in the country. Electric trains can be used as public transport in many cities across the country.

The buses look about the same as in China, the payment system is zonal, you have to throw money into the box for the driver, they don’t give you change. At many bus stops, information about routes is written only in hieroglyphs; only a few large cities (Taipei, Tainan) have informative English signs and diagrams, and even then mostly near transport hubs.

City taxis are available in large quantities, the fare is quite cheap, starting from 70 yuan according to the meter in Taipei.

Money and prices

Taiwan's currency is officially called the "Taiwanese dollar", but in Taiwan itself no one calls it that: the hieroglyph "yuan" is used. Like mainland Chinese, people in Taiwan sometimes call money "kwai yuan" or simply "kwai". Mainland yuan in Taiwan should be called "renminbi". In this article, RMB always refers to Taiwanese money.

The exchange rate of the Taiwanese yuan is significantly lower than the mainland yuan, and is about 30 yuan per US dollar. There are not very many exchange offices in the country, but there are many ATMs, which, unlike the PRC and Japan, almost always accept foreign cards. Direct card payment is possible in many places, but is still less common than in Western countries.

The price level in Taiwan is very low for such a developed country, and in some respects Taiwan is even cheaper than China. Particularly worth noting are the museums, which almost never cost more than 100 yuan, and the same goes for other tourist attractions with an entrance fee. A double room in a hotel usually costs from 800 yuan when booked online, and sometimes even cheaper. 0.3-0.5 liters of juice - 20-30 yuan. Lunch at McDonald's or at the food court - from 120 yuan. Trains and buses - approximately 1.5 yuan per 1 km.

Overnight

When it comes to paid overnight stays, Taiwan is one of the most convenient countries in the world. Here in many cities, including the capital, you can find a good hotel room within 1000 yuan. A feature of Taiwanese hotels is an unusual air conditioning system without an air conditioner as such. Some cheap hotels are available on booking systems, but not all, so it makes sense to go around hotels the old fashioned way, without making a reservation in advance. There are also hostels in Taiwan, but there are few of them and they are not particularly useful due to the cheapness of hotels. Sleeping in a tent is made difficult by the lack of free space to pitch it.

Food

Japanese colonization left its mark on Taiwan: there are not much fewer Japanese restaurants here than in Japan itself, and they make up a significant part of the public catering industry. Italian cuisine is also well represented. The price level in restaurants is average: somewhere from 400 yuan for lunch in a decent place. Food courts are popular in shopping centers: the cost of lunch there starts from 150 yuan, and the food is mostly Japanese, and less often local. Unfortunately, food courts often do not have an English-language menu. Please note that at food courts, the price of the meal usually already includes snacks (a bowl of rice, miso soup) and tea. All shopping centers are organized according to the same scheme, taken from Japan: the food court is located in the basement, and restaurants are on the upper floors.

Western fast food is less represented in Taiwan than in China: McDonald's is especially popular, and there are much fewer chicken establishments. Prices - 120-150 yuan for lunch. Unlike the PRC, in Taiwan there are no civilian fast food establishments with Chinese cuisine, although in poor neighborhoods there are still typical Asian open-air eateries with ridiculous prices. The Mosburger chain is also quite popular, where, in addition to regular hamburgers, they have their Japanese counterparts: pressed rice instead of a bun, yakiniku or octopus meat instead of a cutlet.

Minimarkets beloved by Asians can be found everywhere in Taiwan, including the transnational chains 7-Eleven and Family Mart. The selection is good, there is a lot of Japanese food, and most convenience stores have tables, which effectively turns them into cafeterias.

Other

Safety

Despite its unrecognized status, Taiwan is a completely calm and non-cop country. “Showdowns” with the PRC are a thing of the past, and now Taiwan is similar to Japan in the absence of both thieves and cops.

Electricity

Taiwan is one of two countries in Eurasia (the other is Japan) where the mains voltage is not 220 V. Everything related to electricity was copied from the USA: voltage 110 V, socket with two flat vertical pins.

Time

Taiwan lives on Beijing time UTC + 8. It does not switch to daylight saving time.

Taiwan Island (Formosa)

Taipei

Skyscraper "Taipei 101"

The capital and largest city of Taiwan on the northeastern edge of the Taiwanese ecumene. Despite its size, Taipei is neither the most beautiful nor the most interesting city in the country, although you can spend 3-4 days there with interest. The layout of the city is unusual: the center is on a plain, and the outlying areas are scattered over the hills and are often separated by long distances. Taipei faces the sea only in its outskirts. The city's residential and administrative buildings look shabby, but the interesting places in Taipei are the temples, the aforementioned hills covered with beautiful forest, and the city's numerous museums.

Railway station is located in the very center of the city. Unlike most cities in the country, the main station serves both regular and high-speed trains. Additionally, high-speed trains stop at Banqiao Station, west of the center. Bus station located opposite the central station across the road. Songshan Airport, serving mainly flights to China, is located east of the center, with a new tram line running next to it. Main Taoyuan Airport located in the industrial suburb of the same name, an hour's drive west of the center. Buses go there from several points in the city, including the central station. There are two stations in the city of Taoyuan: a regular station is located on the opposite edge of the city from the airport, from there it takes half an hour to get to the airport by bus. The high-speed train station is located in the north of the city, a 10-minute drive from the airport.

City transport is represented by buses, metro and a new tram. The metro system is large and easy to use. Travel is zoned, costs from 20 to 50 yuan, tickets are purchased from a machine. New tram is a robotic guided bus line running mainly on overpasses. The system is combined with the metro and is depicted on metro maps as a brown line; tickets are general. The new tram line starts at the zoo, passes through the eastern part of the center, Songshan Airport and goes to the exhibition center in the northeast of the city. The bus system is quite convenient, route schedules are written at the stops, and detailed information about them is available at the metro exits.

The main architectural landmark of the city is the tower "Taipei-101", which is the second tallest building in the world. The tower is located quite far from the center in the east of the city; there are no other skyscrapers near it. On the lower floors there is an expensive shopping center. Climbing the tower is the most expensive attraction in the city, costs about 600 yuan. Also interesting are two memorials to the main “heroes” of Taiwan - Sun Yat-sen and Chiang Kai-shek. Both have large statues of these men, as well as free exhibits dedicated to their lives. The Chiang Kai-shek Memorial is larger and stands in the middle of the city's main square, which also houses the national theater and concert hall. In the same area there are a few monuments of old architecture in the Japanese colonial style; nearby there is a small Botanical Garden.

There are a surprising number of museums in Taipei, and some of them are of high quality. The largest museum in the country - national palace museum- located in the north of the city, accessible by bus from the Shilin metro station. Chiang Kai-shek managed to take treasures from the imperial museums of Beijing here. This is the Chinese Hermitage; many beautiful works of art from Ancient China are collected here. Next to this museum is Taiwan Aboriginal Culture Museum. Art Museum, contrary to its name, is essentially a contemporary art gallery. There are also several other large museums in the center. Temple of Confucius also turned into a museum on the theme of Confucian culture.

The traditional neighborhoods are located southwest of the station on both banks of the river, where you can see interesting scenes of folk life, and most of the temples and cheap hotels are concentrated there. The most famous of them is Longshan Temple at the metro station of the same name, near which various fortune tellers concentrate.

One of the most interesting sights of the city is zoo on the southeastern outskirts. This is a very large green area, where, in addition to the actual enclosures with animals, there is access to a wooded gorge. Near the entrance to the zoo there is a long and surprisingly cheap lower station (60 yuan) cable car, rising to the surrounding hills along which walking trails are laid.

Taichung

The third city in the country is not distinguished by an abundance of attractions: it is an industrial city like Novosibirsk. The station is located in the south-eastern corner of the city and is one of the few interesting buildings in the city. The high-speed station is located outside the city, and there is also an international airport. Taichung cannot be called completely boring: there are a number of interesting buildings, parks, and modern shopping centers, but they are evenly scattered throughout the large city and are not concentrated in one area.

Tainan

Literature Museum, Tainan

The fourth city in the country and the most interesting of Taiwanese cities. Under the Qing Empire, Tainan was the capital of the island. Since then, little has been preserved, but for some reason, both under the Japanese and under Chiang Kai-shek, many striking buildings were built in Tainan.

The railway station is located on the eastern edge of the city. The high-speed train station is located outside the city, even further to the east; from the station you can get there by train along a side line. There is also an inactive airport. City transport is only buses, but in some places, including the railway station, you can see large stop pavilions with diagrams. There are two tourist bus routes on weekends.

The main attractions are in the Anping district, located near the sea northwest of the center (bus 2). These are the ruins of a Dutch fortress, several temples and a well-preserved old quarter. In the very center of interest are two more fortresses, not very well preserved, the Temple of Confucius and a luxurious building in the Japanese colonial style, which houses a museum of literature, as well as several more temples and interesting colonial buildings. But there are significantly fewer museums in Tainan than in Taipei and Kaohsiung.

The shopping center area is located in the center slightly south of the main attractions.

Kaohsiung

English Kaohsiung. The second city of the country, the southern capital, the largest port. Kaohsiung does not have any striking attractions, but at the same time it is perhaps the most pleasant of Taiwan's megacities due to the high level of amenities and less depressive residential development than in other cities on the island.

The station is located in the city center. Next to it is a bus station. Some buses depart from ticket offices located on the street near the railway station. High-speed trains do not reach the city; their terminal is located in the northern suburb of Zuoying, it is combined with a regular railway station and a metro station. The airport is located in the city south of the center and can also be reached by metro. City transport - buses and metro. The metro system is not very large, but is more modern than Taipei's. Two stations in the city center - Formosa Boulevard and Central Park - are considered tourist attractions for their interesting solutions for station exits and vestibules, and the station halls themselves are quite standard.

The main attraction is the long Qijin Island in the southwest of the city, where there is a city beach and a small resort area. However, most of the island is occupied by housing. You can get to the island by ferry; the nearest metro station is Siziwan. There are also several museums. Mount Gushan, which separates the city from the sea to the west, has walking trails and a zoo.

The largest concentration of shopping centers is located near the Sanduo Shopping District metro station. The city's main skyscraper is also nearby. Hotels in Kaohsiung are expensive for some reason, but you can live in neighboring Tainan (an hour away by train) and go to Kaohsiung for the day.

Population

About 22.8 million people. The vast majority of Taiwanese residents are Chinese (up to 98%, “Han”), and there is also an indigenous population (“Guoashan”, up to 350 thousand people). About 90% of the island's population lives on the western coastal plain.

Political state

Democratic Republic of Chinese Taipei (Republic of China). The head of state is the president. The head of government ("Executive Yuan") is the Prime Minister. The legislative branch is the unicameral Legislative Yuan (Li-Fang-Yuan), 225 seats - 168 deputies elected by popular vote, 41 elected by proportional representation from political parties, 8 elected from representatives of overseas Chinese communities, 8 from representatives of ethnic minorities. All deputies are elected for a three-year term) and a unicameral National Assembly (300 delegates nominated by the country's main political parties), assembled only to make emergency decisions.

Language in Taiwan

The official language is Chinese, from the many dialects of which the northern (Beijing) dialect has been chosen as the “national language”. But in everyday life, locals use the Fujianese dialect. Most Taiwanese speak fluent English (it is taught as a first foreign language in many schools), while the older generation speaks Japanese.

Religion in Taiwan

The most widespread and officially recognized religion is Buddhism (it is professed by about 4.9 million people). Also widespread are Taoism (3.64 million), new religious movements (over 1 million), Protestantism (over 374 thousand), Catholicism (296 thousand), Islam (52 ​​thousand people). Confucianism retains a strong position as a moral and ethical teaching, although there are also temples of Confucius.

Taiwanese cuisine

Taiwanese cuisine is a rather unusual combination of many traditions, primarily Chinese. But if we take into account that even in mainland China there are literally countless styles and traditions in cooking, then the island cuisine, which for a long time developed in isolation from the main territory, can be considered an example of traditional Chinese cuisine. Many Taiwanese believe that it is here that the culinary traditions that the Chinese used more than 2 thousand years ago have been preserved. But the abundance of immigrants from all corners of China has brought here many variants of modern Chinese cuisine - here you can find many restaurants and cafes representing Cantonese, Hunan, Guangdong, Beijing, Shanghai, Yanzhou or Sichuan variations of the Chinese tradition.

Among the national features, one can note the widespread use of rice, soybeans and vegetables. A variety of porridges made from rice, kaoliang, corn or millet are used both as a bread substitute and as the main “carrier” for other dishes. Soy, the main meat substitute on the Chinese table, is also used to prepare butter, soy milk, salted soybean paste, doufu or tofu cottage cheese (there are dozens of types) and numerous sauces. No less popular are products made from flour and dough - dozens of varieties of noodles and vermicelli, flatbreads and crispbreads, dumplings and ravioli, mantou dumplings and baozi pies, wontons and numerous battered products.

Vegetables play a huge role; they are served in various combinations with many dishes, as well as pickled, salted in soy sauce, fermented and dried. Particularly popular are young bamboo shoots (served boiled, side dishes and as an independent snack), all kinds of cabbage, sweet potatoes, potatoes, radishes of various varieties, green onions, garlic, tomatoes, peppers, spinach and green beans, as well as dozens types of vegetables and herbs for which there are simply no names in Russian. There are also quite unusual combinations of products, such as bean curd in red sauce, eggplant in soy sauce, boiled rice with the blood of some animal, omelet with radish, pancakes with onions and peppers, the ubiquitous “tea eggs” - “cha-e-dan” ", a classic Taiwanese dish of congee, vegetables and roots, rice balls in bamboo leaves "zong zi", pickled cucumber salad "sao huang kwa liang ban" and other snacks ("shiao chief").

The meat is extremely popular, but due to its relative, until recently, high cost, poultry and pork are mainly used. Popular dishes include Taiwanese steak, always served “straight from the fire” with noodles, grain side dish and carrots, traditional Peking duck, chicken marinated with onions, beef with oyster sauce, fried and boiled pork in sweet and sour sauce, minced poultry with gingko nut sauces, noodle soup with poultry "ji-si-tang-mian", fried noodles with vegetables or meat "chow mein", fried egg "dan chao fan" with rice in dozens of variations , Chinese vermicelli with pork "ma yi shang shu", meat in a sauce of butter, seafood paste and soybean paste "huguo", fried chicken "gongbao" or specially fried chicken "san pei ji" (served in three separate pots with different sauces), "Mongolian barbecue" of various types of poultry, meat and vegetables, fried meat with radish balls and soy sauce, salt baked chicken, ham with honey, dumplings with pork or vegetables "jeng jiao" ", boiled pork with greens "dongpo-rou" or the country's simplest dish - "ju-yu-ban-fan" (rice balls with lard and soy sauce). Poultry meat is often replaced with frog, fish and other unusual ingredients (including insects), without detracting from the other advantages of the dish.

The dominant role of fish and other seafood, once a hallmark of Taiwanese cuisine, continues to be an important feature of the local cuisine today. The Taiwanese still place an important emphasis on dishes made from fish and other seafood, with a special reverence for oysters and an endless variety of soups. Worth trying are boiled fish with herbs, fried shrimp with cashew nuts, eel in pepper sauce, Xian Yu fish soup, fried small fish in peanut sauce, fish with chips or rice, stir-fry mushrooms with crab meat (often mushrooms are simply stuffed with the meat of some sea creature), fried eel "ningpo", jellyfish salad, the famous shark fin soup, a traditional appetizer in the form of an omelette with oysters, octopus or other representatives of marine fauna and other excellent seafood. Recently, the country has used many dishes borrowed from Japanese cuisine - sushi (sushi), sashimi (sashimi), wasabi, miso, teppanyaki and others.

Taiwanese cooking uses many ingredients that seem wild and exotic - dog meat, snake meat, insects, seaweed and so on. In principle, these are very colorful and completely safe dishes. The only thing you should pay attention to when consuming such products is the huge amount of spices that are not always familiar to the European stomach. It is simply useless to talk about them - every master of oriental cuisine makes his own sauces and seasonings according to his own recipe, therefore, although they are generally similar to traditional curry or soy sauce, local seasonings are noticeably different from their “ancestors”. And, of course, a huge amount of local and imported fruits are served on the table. Unlike mainland China, chefs in Taiwan rarely use yellow wine, which is so popular on the mainland. Here, for boiling, frying and preparing sauces, they use clear and light rice wine, very similar to the Japanese “murin”.

The most common drink in China is green tea, which is drunk very hot and with almost no sugar. But the Taiwanese have a special attitude towards tea. Black and green tea are drunk much less frequently than various flower and herbal teas in all sorts of combinations with regular tea. A local invention is considered to be “foamy” or “pearl” tea, prepared from tea, milk, sugar and cassava or yuca (mainly from its starch). This tea is first brewed and then infused in the same container for half an hour, which gives it a special taste and color.

Vodka is a traditional drink in China, but it is usually infused with various ingredients, has an unusual taste and has a specific smell, although it is quite strong. Light and strong rice or millet beer is very widespread - quite cheap and of high quality. Also popular are the alcoholic drink made from sorghum "Kaoliang" and rice wine "Shaoxing". Many types of imported alcoholic beverages are sold everywhere.

Customs and traditions of Taiwan

Local residents are extremely friendly and supportive, especially towards visitors. Taiwanese especially respect island visitors who are interested in their culture. As in mainland China, for the Taiwanese the basis of relationships between people is “face,” that is, reputation. A lot of things are built on this concept, from doing business in business to relationships between people on the street. Therefore, “to save face,” the Taiwanese try to minimize the manifestation of their emotions or openly express their feelings. Many guests of the island are also struck by the seeming deceit of the locals - it is believed that they never say what they think. But this is not true - like the Japanese, in order not to upset their interlocutor with a refusal, local residents try not to say “no,” only in a more veiled form. But sincere smiles and amazing politeness are the everyday norm. Therefore, similar behavior is expected from tourists. When meeting, local residents, as a rule, shake hands quite Europeanly. When a group of people meets, the oldest ones are greeted first (the cult of respect for elders is generally very developed on the island).

This also leads to another feature of the Taiwanese - the absence of duplicity or grasping in real relationships. No matter how the two sides bow, no matter how they practice rhetoric, any issue is resolved in the correct form. If an agreement or transaction has taken place, its terms will be observed impeccably. As a result, this leads to the same prices in different parts of the city, the same exchange rate everywhere, or even paying in a taxi strictly according to the meter.

A separate aspect of local relationships is gift giving. Since, according to local norms, it must be deeply symbolic and reflect the respect of the donor for the recipient, the gifts themselves carry some kind of set of symbols. Accordingly, they are selected (and evaluated!) with special care. Some flattery, ostentatious self-condemnation and flowery rhetoric are a common part of gift-giving interactions between local residents. Together with “saving face,” this entourage creates the basis of “guanshi” (“connection”) - a system of bilateral obligations of two or more people, which is the unshakable foundation of local society. At the same time, both “face” and “guanshi” are fickle concepts. They must be constantly developed or nourished, otherwise a person’s “weight” in society decreases.

A gift should be given and accepted with both hands, in a slight half-bow (it is impolite to open a gift in front of the giver). At the same time, the very procedure of giving and accepting a gift is part of the “mian jie” (“exchange of persons”) ceremony, which is expressed in the persistence (sometimes excessive) of the donor. Based on the same principle, disputes constantly arise - who will pay the bill at a restaurant or a joint entertainment event (the one who paid has a higher reputation). Under no circumstances should you give handkerchiefs, as well as wall or table clocks, as this is a bad omen. However, any unsuccessful gift can be “evened out” with a coin - in this case, it is already a purchase and numerous taboos do not apply to it.

When meeting people, local residents show remarkable curiosity, literally bombarding the guest with a lot of questions, often of a rather personal nature. This is a sign of attention, and not a desire to interfere in private life, so such questions should be treated calmly. Reciprocal curiosity is also acceptable, which is usually pleasant (and understandable) to the Taiwanese himself. At the same time, the locals are quite funny, which also often confuses people. Laughter performs quite a few functions in local etiquette - it is sincere joy, and regret about a small failure, and the desire to make amends or soften some awkward situation.

The cult of food is an important part of the country's culture. Traditionally, Chinese lunch is served at a round table, in the center of which there is a flat circle on a rotating stand. Food is served on large plates and transferred in the required quantity onto small plates by the guest himself. First, cold appetizers are served, then hot dishes, and only after them the so-called main courses (“zhushi”). At the end of the meal, soup or broth is served. There is no dessert as such - fruits and sweets are on the table throughout the entire meal and are often even used in the main dish. Eating also takes place in compliance with many rules and traditions.

Almost all dishes are supposed to be taken with chopsticks, although most restaurants have European cutlery and it is not forbidden to use them. After finishing the meal, you should not leave chopsticks stuck into food and under no circumstances sticking out of the cup. A bowl or plate can be brought to the very chin and eaten by weight. It is not recommended to knock chopsticks or cutlery against the edge of the dish. Do not point the spout of the kettle at a person. Bones can be placed directly on the tablecloth, under the edge of the plate - a dirty tablecloth is considered a sign that you liked the treat. The portion sizes are usually quite large, so it is recommended to order one for several people. As a sign of gratitude for the poured wine or tea, you can knock on the table three times with your middle finger. You can refuse this or that dish or drink, but in general it is recommended to follow the instructions of the owner of the table.

In most cases, clothing is quite informal. Most local residents dress in European style, and following fashion trends is not an empty phrase for them. Business attire and evening dress are subject to European etiquette standards. Many restaurants simply won’t let you in without a tie and jacket, although there are many lower-level establishments where entry in casual (but not sports or beach) clothing is not limited.

When entering someone else's house, you should always take off your shoes. Usually, slippers are prepared for guests in any home. But in public places (except for some traditional restaurants) it is extremely indecent to take off your shoes. Moreover, sandals or flip-flops are considered the shoes of a redneck and are unpopular in urban environments - many establishments simply won’t let you wear them (although there are exceptions).

Taiwan is a Pacific island with a complex but interesting history. Taiwan's population as of 2017 is estimated to be approximately twenty-four million.

Currently, Taiwan is one of the countries with an advanced economy and developed infrastructure. When planning to visit this island or move there for permanent residence, you need to find out what language is spoken in Taiwan, because, as you know, the island is part of China, and was formerly part of Japan.

Features of the Chinese language

Ninety-eight percent of Taiwan's population is of Chinese nationality (the people's self-name is Han). To understand what the Taiwanese language is, you need to start from the huge number of dialects of Chinese.

When people say the phrase "Chinese", they usually mean Northern Chinese. This is the official standard in both China and Taiwan.

Most Chinese dialects are almost incomprehensible to speakers of other languages. Thus, “Chinese” is really a family of languages, for example, like the Romance language family (which includes French, Portuguese, Romanian, Italian). Within this there are several languages, some scholars say eight or nine, and some say much more. Within these languages ​​there are actual dialects, as well as linguistic adverbs, that are different from each other, but for the most part understandable to each other.

What languages ​​are spoken in Taiwan?

For Taiwan, the situation is relatively simple: there are three Chinese dialects. (North Chinese) is the official national language and is spoken by almost all residents. The second dialect, often referred to as Taiwanese, is widely spoken, especially outside of the island's capital Taipei. The third dialect, Hakka, is spoken by a distinct group of people (also called Hakka) who live mainly around Hsinchu, Taoyuan County and rural areas of Kaohsiung. The vast majority of Taiwanese communicate in Taiwanese and Hakka in their daily lives.

Writing of Taiwan

It is important to note that the Taiwanese use traditional ones, unlike mainland China, where a simplified system of writing characters is common. Many Chinese believe that the conventional writing system is quite difficult to use. Traditional characters are used outside of China, mainly in Taiwan, Singapore, Macau and other overseas communities. It is known that the Chinese language has more than three thousand different characters.

Austronesian languages

If you ask yourself which language in Taiwan is the most ancient, then it is a group of Taiwanese aboriginal languages. Two percent of Taiwan's population is the local autochthonous indigenous population of the island. Their native languages ​​are a variety of dialects belonging to the Austronesian language family. Aboriginal people lived in Taiwan perhaps as early as 10,000 years ago. While the Chinese only started arriving in large numbers a hundred years ago. Today, the indigenous people constitute a minority of the population and their languages ​​are in danger of becoming extinct.

The aborigines on the east coast of the island are commonly known as "Gao Shan" and make up the majority of the indigenous population. In some cases, there are only a few living native speakers left, and even the most common local dialects are in danger of becoming extinct unless steps are taken to encourage young people to learn them. The languages ​​of the people of Taiwan, which belong to the Austronesian language family, are gradually falling out of use and do not have government support.

Taiwanese language

Sometimes the dialect of the majority of Taiwanese is also called Minnan, Hokkien, Fujian, Hoklo. Additionally, Taiwanese is the native language of the Holo, a group of Han Chinese who make up about 70% of Taiwan's population. Throughout most of the island it is the language of everyday communication, trade, home and hearth. This is the language of friendship and struggle of the inhabitants of this mysterious island.

Hoklo has no official status. Some advertisements in the capital's metro are written on it. Non-state newspapers, online publications, and books are published. Both traditional and developed by Western researchers writing systems based on the Latin alphabet are used.

Hakka language

The Hakka are a Chinese clan group whose name translates to "guest". Long journeys from their home in northern China, fueled by hostility from other groups, had molded them into a resilient and self-reliant people. Their language is also different from standard Chinese, although to the casual listener it may sound a bit similar to While there are still a few million speakers of this dialect of Chinese left, there is a danger that Hakka will become just a village dialect and disappear from the pages of magazines, books and television. At the moment there is only one TV channel that broadcasts in this dialect.

Official Chinese (Mandarin)

In 1945, after the end of World War II, Standard Chinese (Mandarin) was introduced as the official language and became compulsory in schools. Until 1945, Japanese was the official language and was taught in schools.

Since then, Mandarin has been used as a lingua franca among various groups in Taiwan, a language that is understood by the majority of the population. Thus, Mandarin is the basis of mutual understanding for:

1. Most native speakers of the Taiwanese language (or, as it is also called, Hoklo (Hokkien)).
2. Groups of Chinese speaking the Hakka dialect.
3. Visitors from mainland China whose native language can be any Chinese dialect.
4. Aborigines who speak indigenous languages ​​of the Gashoa group.

Influence of official Chinese

Mandarin is spoken fluently by almost the entire Taiwanese population, with the exception of some older people who were educated under Japanese rule. In Taipei, where there is a high concentration of expatriate Chinese whose first language is not Taiwanese, official Chinese is used more often than in southern Taiwan and rural areas where there are fewer expatriates. Many of them, especially those under 45, speak Mandarin better than Hakka or Hokkien. Taiwanese Mandarin is spoken at different levels according to social status and situation. Formal occasions require speakers to have a high level of proficiency in Standard Chinese. Less formal situations may allow for basic level communication that has more uniquely Taiwanese characteristics.

Bilingual Taiwanese may switch between languages ​​while speaking, sometimes within the same sentence. By the unique tonality of each dialect of Chinese, you can immediately guess what ethnic group a person belongs to and what language he speaks. In Taiwan, great importance is attached to learning the official language.

Conclusion

When answering the question of what languages ​​are spoken in Taiwan, we can briefly say that the vast majority of the population communicates in various varieties of Chinese.

Scientists are still arguing whether these dialects are independent languages ​​or just dialects.