Many restaurants and most small stores do not accept cards, and cash is the main form of payment. Because street crime is rare, it is common for people in Taiwan to carry large amounts of cash with them. Its popularity rose greatly when the Taiwanese baseball queenwin casino team finished second in the Japanese national championships.
- They may, however, apply for permission to visit for business, education or family visits.
- During the White Terror, as the period is known, 140,000 people were imprisoned or executed for being perceived as anti-KMT or pro-Communist.208 Many citizens were arrested, tortured, imprisoned or executed for their real or perceived link to the Chinese Communist Party.
- The TR Pass can be used by foreigners for unlimited travel on TRA lines for a stipulated period of time.
- The towns of Fulong and Chishang are particularly famous for their local versions of the railway bento.
- There are also several ferry services between Xiamen and Quanzhou on the mainland and the Taiwan-controlled island of Kinmen (金門).
- There is no ferry from Kinmen to the main island of Taiwan, though flights may be reasonably priced.
- The Taroko Gorge (太魯閣) near Hualien in particular is very impressive, and should not be missed, with a side trip to the rugged shores at Shihtiping (石梯坪) as a worthwhile detour.
For many years, Taiwan was under martial law, with political opposition suppressed. It is possible (even normal) to obtain a driving license in Taiwan without ever having driven on the roads, and this may be a reason (along with the overcrowded roads) why courteous or defensive driving is definitely not the norm. The guiding principles seem to be that the right of way belongs to the larger vehicle, i.e. trucks have the right-of-way over cars, cars over motorcycles, motorcycles over people, etc. Despite traffic’s chaotic appearance, it is viscerally intuitive to yield the right-of-way to a much larger vehicle barreling towards you. Local drivers regularly cut in front of moving traffic into spaces that seem too small, try to change lanes regardless of the fact their destination is already full, etc. Drivers routinely enter a junction when their exit is blocked, and are therefore frequently still there long after the lights change, blocking traffic traveling in other directions.
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Low-paying jobs are also available, common fields are production and elder care. Usually, labour-exporting countries’ agents – mostly in Southeast Asia – will arrange the business, but direct hiring provided by the Taiwanese government is also available. It is illegal to work without a work permit and an ARC (or Alien Residency Permit), and legal work requires a university degree and usually a long (over two month) application process.
How the Japan PM’s Taiwan remarks provoked the fury of China
- Giant Bicycles Corporation operates a large network of bicycle retail stores that offer rentals for as little as NT$100 per day, if requested one week in advance.
- In addition, it is also very unusual to see drunks on the street, day or night.
- Taiwanese students are known for their high performance in international assessments, particularly in mathematics and science.
- While the intent of Xue’s remarks “may not be clear”, they were “highly inappropriate”, Japan’s chief cabinet secretary Minoru Kihara told reporters on Monday.
- The TR pass also allows you to reserve seats for free on trains that have assigned seating.
Citizens of mainland China residing anywhere may transit through Taiwan from either Nanchang, Chongqing, Kunming or anywhere outside the mainland with only Mainland Chinese passport required. Quite a few people, especially in Taipei, are proficient in Japanese due to the high number of Japanese visitors and the history of colonial rule. Staff at tourist attractions such as the Taipei 101, museums, hotels, popular restaurants and airport shops speak Japanese in addition to English, Mandarin and other local languages.
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Therefore, if you look the part, it is very easy to find a school willing to take you on for at least a few days. 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. This is independent of whether or not the teacher has relevant teaching ability and citizenship of one of the permitted ARC countries.
For example, Tainan, the city known for delicious foods, has no Michelin star restaurants there yet. As of January 2025, there are 3 three-starred Michelin star restaurants in Taiwan. Taiwan is a food lover’s paradise, and a popular culinary tourism destination for East and Southeast Asian tourists.
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If you are planning on staying in Taiwan for a longer time, you should consider opening a Taiwanese bank account. While many of the large foreign banks such as Citibank and HSBC have branches in Taiwan, they often require huge deposits in order for you to open an account, so you might wish to consider one of the major local banks such as the Bank of Taiwan instead. You will need to bring your passport and UI number in order to open an account.
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Taxi drivers are generally friendly towards foreigners, and a few of them take the opportunity to try their limited English skills. They are most likely to ask you about yourself, and are a patient audience to your attempts at speaking Mandarin. If you are traveling with small children, don’t be surprised if they are given candy when you disembark.
Traditional Chinese art, including painting, calligraphy, and ceramics, is highly respected, and many Taiwanese artists draw inspiration from these traditions while incorporating modern techniques. In recent years, Taiwan has faced increasing pressure from China, which seeks reunification with the island. While Taiwan’s economy has been highly successful, it faces several challenges, particularly its dependence on global supply chains and geopolitical tensions with China. Taiwan’s political status is contentious, as China claims the island as part of its territory, leading to trade and diplomatic challenges.
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Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong also summoned the Japanese ambassador to China that same day to express their unhappiness. While the intent of Xue’s remarks “may not be clear”, they were “highly inappropriate”, Japan’s chief cabinet secretary Minoru Kihara told reporters on Monday. Since then, foreign ministries on both sides have lodged serious protests with the other, with Beijing summoning the Japanese ambassador.