Taiwan

The Republic of China (Taiwan) also has many options for tourists, including the cities of Taipei and Kaohsiung. The emergence of a newly rich business class and an easing of restrictions on movement by the Chinese authorities are both fuelling this extraordinary boom in travel, within China and increasingly beyond it too. The tourism is controlled. In the last few years, the Chinese government has negotiated a series of agreements with selected countries. These limit tourism to officially approved tour groups, partly to give the host country protection against illegal migrants.

Understanding the Geography

Taiwan is an island in East Asia, but the term "Taiwan" is also commonly used to collectively refer to the territories governed by the state officially known as the Republic of China (ROC), which include the island of Taiwan, Lanyu (Orchid Island) and Green Island in the Pacific off the Taiwan coast, the Pescadores in the Taiwan Strait, and Kinmen and Matsu off the southeastern coast of the People's Republic of China.

The main island of Taiwan, sometimes also referred to as Formosa (from Portuguese, meaning "beautiful"), is located off the coast of mainland China, south of Japan and north of the Philippines. It is bounded to the east by the Pacific Ocean, to the south by the South China Sea and the Luzon Strait, to the west by the Taiwan Strait and to the north by the East China Sea.

Cities or Republic of China

Taiwan has many large cities and towns. Below is a list of nine of the most notable.

• Taipei is the seat of government of the Republic of China and its center of commerce and culture. Taipei is home to the world's currently tallest skyscraper, Taipei 101.
• Hsinchu is a center of hi-tech industry, and one of the world's leading manufacturers of hi-tech components. Hsinchu Science Park is the home to many hi-tech companies.
• Hualien is located near Taroko Gorge, and is considered one of the most pleasant of Taiwan's cities.
• Jioufen - this former gold mining town located on the northeast coast is now a popular tourist destination.
• Kaohsiung is the second-largest city on the island. It has one of the busiest sea ports (the Port of Kaohsiung) in the world and it has the island's second-largest airport, Kaohsiung International Airport (KHH).
• Keelung is the a center of transshipment in the north, and is located about a thirty minute drive from downtown Taipei.
• Taichung is the third largest city in Taiwan, and has an abundance of interesting cultural amenities and activities.
• Tainan is the oldest city in Taiwan and was the capital during imperial times. It is famous for its temples and other historic buildings.
• Taipei County, an amalgamation of cities and towns. The county of Taipei surrounds Taipei city, and is part of the same metropolitan area.

Understanding the Culture

Taiwan shares several cultural taboos with other East Asian nations.

• Do not stick your chopsticks straight up or even sticking into your bowl of rice. 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 on the edge of your bowl.
• Some Taiwanese are superstitious about anything connected with dying - unlucky things should never be mentioned.
• Do not write people's names in red. This again has connotations of death. When writing someone's English name, this is not a problem, but avoid writing Chinese names in red.
• Do not whistle at night. This is an "invitation to ghosts".

There are numerous taboos dictating that certain objects shouldn't be given to others, often because the word for that object sounds like another unfortunate word:

• Umbrellas, which in Mandarin sound the same as the word for "break up". Friends should therefore never give friends umbrellas. Instead, friends will euphemistically "rent" each other umbrellas for a tiny amount (NT$1, for example).
• Clocks. The phrase "to give a clock" ("song zhong"), in Mandarin, has the same sound as the word "to perform last rites." If you do give someone a clock, the recipient may give you a coin in return to dispel the curse.
• Shoes. Never ever offer shoes as a gift to old people, as it signifies sending them on their way to heaven.
• Knives or sharp objects, as they are made for or could be used to hurt the person.
• The Taiwanese are certainly not puritanical and enjoy a drink, especially the locally brewed Taiwan Beer and Kaoliang. However, Taiwan does not have a culture of heavy drinking and is rare to see anyone drunk on the streets. While over indulging in alcohol is not a social taboo as such (and some people do so at weddings), it is considered a sign of lack of self-confidence and immaturity, and doing so certainly won't gain you any respect among Taiwanese friends.