More about Taiwan

People

Taiwan was originally populated by indigenous tribes that spoke various Austronesian languages, which are related to Malay, Tagalog and Bahasa Indonesia. Today these people form only about 2% of the population, with the other 98% being from China mainland. The Chinese are further split into Taiwanese forming about 84% of the population, whose families migrated during the Ming and Qing Dynasties, as well as mainlanders, forming about 14% of the population, whose families fled to Taiwan from mainland China after the communist takeover in 1949. Among the Taiwanese group, Hoklo (Minnan) speakers form the majority, which is about 70% of the population while the remaining 14% are largely Hakka speakers.

Climate
Taiwan has a marine tropical climate, meaning cool winters (8°C at night) and sweltering, humid summers (above 30°C, 86°F) from Jun-Sep. The best time of year to visit is thus from Oct-Dec, although occasional typhoons can spoil the fun. Spring is also nice, although it rains more than during autumn. During the typhoon season, the east coast bears the brunt of the damage as it is facing the Pacific Ocean.

Landscapes and Scenery
Taiwan is home to some very stunning landscapes, and it is worthwhile to leave the grimy and densely populated west coast for the sparsely populated countryside. The Taroko Gorge (太魯閣) near Hualien in particular is very impressive, and should not be missed by any tourists. Much of Taiwan is covered with mountains so hiking opportunities are very diverse.

Delicacies

The very common ingredients in Taiwanese cuisine are pork, rice, and soy. The country’s cuisine is also influenced with its geographic location. Taiwan is also said to be abundant in fruits like papaya, melon and citrus due to its sub-tropical location. Their agricultural products include rice, corn, tea, pork, poultry, beef and fish. The Taiwanese people heavily rely on seasonings for flavor like soy sauce, rice wine, sesame oil, black beans, pickled radishes, peanuts, chili peppers, parsley and basil.
The country’s well known snacks are available in the night markets where a lot of street vendors sell different variety, of foods, drinks, sweets and a lot more. People can also buy steamed meat-filled buns, oyster-filled omelets, refreshing fruit ices, appetizers and deserts in these markets. The Taiwanese cuisine is rich in flavor that many foreigners love to eat.

Night markets in Taiwan








Boiled to medium well done and soaked in a mixture of soy sauce, sugar, and garlic for four hours, the clams are a Taiwanese favourite.

Seasoned with wine, ginger, and salt and then fried to a golden brown, the uncomely tape fish has become a popular delicacy.

Fo Tiao Chiaung(a stew of shark fin, scallops, abalone, mushrooms, chestnuts, taro, and pork)
Fried prawns

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After introducing more facts about Taiwan, I hope you too agree with me that the 7 days Taiwan trip is going to be fun and enjoyable! Although there is still a few weeks away from our trip, I feel that we can learn a lot more things about Taiwan when we reach there and experience things we had never come across before. Also, I would like to eat many lip-smacking delicacies and night markets foods(or known as 小吃) there! Finally, I am looking forward now and I will post more after tomorrow's Taiwan briefing. Stay tune!

Wanlin, 15.

3Bonafide.